Last Chance For Ontario's Pitbull owners

*** PLEASE CROSS POST WIDELY ***


Bill 132 Update:

We have received word that the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly,
which has reviewed Bill 132 (the "pit bull ban"), will recommend that the entire
Assembly vote it through its third and final reading. The last ray of hope is
that the Lt. Governor does not give the bill 'royal assent.' Although royal
assent is basically a rubber stamp the Lt. Governor does have the power to make
decisions.


Action To Take:

Please help defeat this horrendous bill which will literally kill thousands of
innocent dogs (pit bulls, "pit bull type" dogs and numerous other breeds as
well!). Time is of the essence -- please call and/or write to the Lt. Governor
TODAY urging him to NOT give Bill 132 royal assent. The Assembly will reconvene
in just a few days!

A sample letter (my own letter to the Lt. Governor) is provided below. Also,
there is a brief outline of what's wrong with this bill. When contacting the Lt.
Governor please feel free to add important thoughts and experiences of your own.

** Thank you to everyone who has already taken part in this major action
campaign. Please don't give up now -- this is our final chance to stop this
nightmare! **

Vivian Singer-Ferris
Executive Director
Kerwood Wolf Education Centre Inc.
The Tiger Foundation
Vivian@kerwoodwolf.com (@kerwoodwolf.com)


Lt. Governor Contact Information:

Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
The Hon. James K. Bartleman
Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1A1

EMAIL: ltgov@gov.on.ca (@gov.on.ca)

Tel: (416) 325-7780
Fax: (416) 325-7787


What's wrong with Bill 132:

* Pit bulls are NOT high on biting statistics. Most bites come from other
breeds and crosses i.e.: the vast majority of pit bulls are well-behaved canine
citizens.

 

* Human and animal-directed aggression in pit bulls is a learned behavior, not
a genetic predisposition of the breed.

* Although pit bulls and similar dogs with owners are grandfathered in this
bill, all others face either euthanasia in shelters or a life in laboratory
research. Although technically these dogs can be re-homed outside the province,
the chances of this for the vast majority are small (rescue groups have a hard
enough time finding local homes for any breed, much less homes that are far away
and cannot be screened etc.).

* It is impossible to accurately identify a "pit bull" as there is major
controversy whether this dog is even an actual breed. Even if it were, these
dogs are often mistaken for other, similar breeds. Cross breeds that look like
pit bulls could very easily be something else (just one example: boxer/lab
cross).

* The proof of burden is on the owner to identify his or her unregistered dog,
proving that the animal is NOT a pit bull. Outside of papered, registered breeds
this proof is an impossibility (no genetic test, no proven methods exist even
with canine "experts").

* The reverse onus (burden of proof) in this bill goes against the
constitution. It does not follow "innocent until proven guilty."

* The "menacing clause" within Bill 132 is badly composed and ridiculously
vague. Any dog (of ANY breed or cross) that is accused of "menacing" behavior,
although menacing is not clearly defined (examples: by a disgruntled neighbor,
ex-boyfriend, a person afraid of dogs etc.), can be seized from their home, even
while the owner is away. This section of the bill puts ALL DOGS in Ontario in
grave danger. Potential for misuse (intentional or unintentional) is there.


Sample Letter:

ATTENTION:

Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
The Hon. James K. Bartleman
Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1A1


Your Honour,

I respectfully ask that you do not provide royal assent for Bill 132. Very
clearly, this bill does not have the support of the major stakeholders nor does
it have the support of the majority of the citizens of Ontario. In blatant
disregard of the public hearings and the sizeable evidence presented against
breed specific legislation, the Liberal Party has chosen to ignore the will of
the people. The bill itself, and the Liberals' actions, are a slap in the face
of democracy. In short, what we have is an unparalleled perversion of power. It
is within your power to halt this atrocity and I respectfully urge you to do so.

Sincerely,



Subject: Urgent Attention from Mary Alice Pollard, A Canadian living in
Cornwall UK


Dear Sir, I could go on and on regarding Bill 132 and why it should not be
passed ! But you have heard it all before I am sure so I will not go into this
at length. I will only say from my heart - that we saw this threat many years
ago when I was back home in Toronto - the days when the same discussions were
made about Doberman and Rotweilers ..., now we have the ' pit bull '.

What we need Sir is a bill to prevent people from abusing the breed, it is not
the dog who is bad here, it is the people who will abuse these to the extreme
for business purposes, and a nasty business it is !
That is what needs to be stamped out !

Do not allow what will be the suffering and death of many innocent animals, or
cause such heavy pain and grief to all the good owners of these dogs by allowing
this bill to become a law !

I know, as in other countries, humane and compassionate solutions can be
introduced which will help regulate the breeding, keeping and care of these dogs
and bring those who misuse and exploit them, to book.



Thank you for your time,

Most Sincerely
Mary Alice Pollard ( formally of Barrie Ontario )
Cornwall's Voice for Animals ( CVFA )
http://justnicephotos.homestead.com/CVFA.html
Trematon Cottage, 3 Gerrans Square
Gerrans, Portscatho, Truro
Cornwall TR2-5GA UK

( I am a former two term director of the Toronto Humane Society, Mary
Mashinter )


Following the letter, I sent him a copy of the following article of which
CVFA's fully endorses.



http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...geid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1108163413629

Feb. 12, 2005. 01:00 AM

More than pit bulls at risk from Ontario's oversized net
Experts say bans on specific breeds counterproductive

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...geid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1108163413629