Suki
09-13-2006, 09:05 PM
from Ontario:
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Do I understand this correctly?
There is a ban on pit bulls in Ontario, presumably because the breed (which was developed for its aggressiveness and ability to kill other dogs in the dog fighting ring, or ‘pit’) has proven itself to be unpredictable, and has been implicated in a number of vicious attacks on people and other animals.
It is illegal to breed pit bulls (i.e. produce and raise puppies), or to bring pit bulls into Ontario.
Pit bulls already in Ontario must be sterilized, and leashed and muzzled in public.
Six pit bull puppies have been seized in Huntsville, and, for five months, have been nurtured (raised) by the Huntsville Animal Shelter.
A pit bull advocate from the United States has travelled all the way to Huntsville to test these animals and found them, surprisingly, ‘well-behaved’ and that the dogs “had such good temperaments.”
‘Bullies in Need’ and ‘Albany Rescue’ and, I guess, the Huntsville Animal Shelter are looking for homes for these pit bull puppies, likely in the United States. The three males will have to be neutered before this can happen, but apparently the three female puppies will not have to be spayed.
Huntsville Animal Shelter is looking for donations to help with the costs of looking after these pit bull puppies.
What can we conclude from all of this?
Obviously, pit bulls are not a problem outside of Ontario.
Once outside the province, only male pit bulls can pass on the aggressive genes of the breed, since female pit bulls apparently do not need to be sterilized before they are relocated.
If you want to get a good report about the nature of your pit bulls, make sure the expert evaluator is from an organization dedicated to saving the breed.
And how will we react if we see a headline a year or so from now, ‘Pit bull relocated from Huntsville attacks …’?
Sorry, Huntsville Animal Shelter. This is not a cause which I can support.
Jack van der Meer
Huntsville
Editor’s note: According to Barb Mooney, the Town of Huntsville’s animal control bylaw officer, the female dogs have already been spayed.
a reader's reply:
Sep 13, 2006 at 1:25 PM
Should Cruelty be Ontario's Middle Name?
In response to Mr van der Meer and his lack of support for Huntsville Animal Shelter's effort to relocate some pit bull puppies to the United States I say, shame on you. Before you spout off about the dangers of pit bulls and rescue groups endagering the lives of Americans, learn a bit more about the topic.
Breed specific legislation is not an answer to problems it is a knee-jerk reaction that is used by local politicians to give the community the facade that it is safe. It is a reactionary measure taken in response to fear and hype created by the media and animal rights group to target specific breeds and segments of dogs and their owners. Dog bites and attacks are the result of irresponisble dog ownership and lack of education. Instead of putting money into bite education and dog onwership programs, communities choose what they think is the easy way out. Guess what? It ALWAYS backfires. Every community that has enacted BSL to date has seen it fail miserably. Just this summer in a local community here in the states, a woman was killed because BSL did not work. The only people that end up being punished in the case of BSL are law abiding people that love their dogs, take an interest in the breed and would never jeapordize their families or their communities.
People that work in breed rescue know better than anyone else the characteristics of their breed and they are typically very fair in their judgements of whether or not a dog is adoptable. I have worked with shelter dogs and rescue dogs for some time and I would never place a dog in a home that was questionable in any manner.
People in Ontario should be thankful that the Huntsville Animal Shelter has enough compassion and knowledge to realize that there is no reason these pups should not have the chance at having safe and loving homes. Unfortunetly, because some community governments in my country are no smarter then yours, there is every chance that at some point they could be labeled as monsters, just for being born. As a non-pit bull owner, but dog lover, I applaud these rescues and this shelter in taking action to right a very significant wrong. Perhaps one day, communities all over the world will wake up and understand that the only crimes dogs have ever been guilty of are loving and respecting humans. What kind of lessons in responsiblity are we teaching our children when we allow people with no respect for life or the law to walk our streets after their dog has mauled a child; while we instead focus on killing the dog? If we want to keep communities safe, then we need to stregthen and eforce laws that punish the real animals in these crimes, humans.
Marla Stout
Kansas City, MO, USA
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Do I understand this correctly?
There is a ban on pit bulls in Ontario, presumably because the breed (which was developed for its aggressiveness and ability to kill other dogs in the dog fighting ring, or ‘pit’) has proven itself to be unpredictable, and has been implicated in a number of vicious attacks on people and other animals.
It is illegal to breed pit bulls (i.e. produce and raise puppies), or to bring pit bulls into Ontario.
Pit bulls already in Ontario must be sterilized, and leashed and muzzled in public.
Six pit bull puppies have been seized in Huntsville, and, for five months, have been nurtured (raised) by the Huntsville Animal Shelter.
A pit bull advocate from the United States has travelled all the way to Huntsville to test these animals and found them, surprisingly, ‘well-behaved’ and that the dogs “had such good temperaments.”
‘Bullies in Need’ and ‘Albany Rescue’ and, I guess, the Huntsville Animal Shelter are looking for homes for these pit bull puppies, likely in the United States. The three males will have to be neutered before this can happen, but apparently the three female puppies will not have to be spayed.
Huntsville Animal Shelter is looking for donations to help with the costs of looking after these pit bull puppies.
What can we conclude from all of this?
Obviously, pit bulls are not a problem outside of Ontario.
Once outside the province, only male pit bulls can pass on the aggressive genes of the breed, since female pit bulls apparently do not need to be sterilized before they are relocated.
If you want to get a good report about the nature of your pit bulls, make sure the expert evaluator is from an organization dedicated to saving the breed.
And how will we react if we see a headline a year or so from now, ‘Pit bull relocated from Huntsville attacks …’?
Sorry, Huntsville Animal Shelter. This is not a cause which I can support.
Jack van der Meer
Huntsville
Editor’s note: According to Barb Mooney, the Town of Huntsville’s animal control bylaw officer, the female dogs have already been spayed.
a reader's reply:
Sep 13, 2006 at 1:25 PM
Should Cruelty be Ontario's Middle Name?
In response to Mr van der Meer and his lack of support for Huntsville Animal Shelter's effort to relocate some pit bull puppies to the United States I say, shame on you. Before you spout off about the dangers of pit bulls and rescue groups endagering the lives of Americans, learn a bit more about the topic.
Breed specific legislation is not an answer to problems it is a knee-jerk reaction that is used by local politicians to give the community the facade that it is safe. It is a reactionary measure taken in response to fear and hype created by the media and animal rights group to target specific breeds and segments of dogs and their owners. Dog bites and attacks are the result of irresponisble dog ownership and lack of education. Instead of putting money into bite education and dog onwership programs, communities choose what they think is the easy way out. Guess what? It ALWAYS backfires. Every community that has enacted BSL to date has seen it fail miserably. Just this summer in a local community here in the states, a woman was killed because BSL did not work. The only people that end up being punished in the case of BSL are law abiding people that love their dogs, take an interest in the breed and would never jeapordize their families or their communities.
People that work in breed rescue know better than anyone else the characteristics of their breed and they are typically very fair in their judgements of whether or not a dog is adoptable. I have worked with shelter dogs and rescue dogs for some time and I would never place a dog in a home that was questionable in any manner.
People in Ontario should be thankful that the Huntsville Animal Shelter has enough compassion and knowledge to realize that there is no reason these pups should not have the chance at having safe and loving homes. Unfortunetly, because some community governments in my country are no smarter then yours, there is every chance that at some point they could be labeled as monsters, just for being born. As a non-pit bull owner, but dog lover, I applaud these rescues and this shelter in taking action to right a very significant wrong. Perhaps one day, communities all over the world will wake up and understand that the only crimes dogs have ever been guilty of are loving and respecting humans. What kind of lessons in responsiblity are we teaching our children when we allow people with no respect for life or the law to walk our streets after their dog has mauled a child; while we instead focus on killing the dog? If we want to keep communities safe, then we need to stregthen and eforce laws that punish the real animals in these crimes, humans.
Marla Stout
Kansas City, MO, USA