The Anthracite Awards

Time for the list of "honorees" for a lump o' coal in their stockings, or upside their heads.

All of the Liberian princes who keep sending me e-mails promising millions but never cough up.

Dalton McGuinty and Michael Bryant - the Tortoise and the Hare-less - and the rest of the snivelling Ontario Fiberals for passing a law that makes law-abiding people into second-class citizens and kills unoffending dogs - over 4,000 of them at last count. With no reason for this law other than political gamesmanship.

Legislators pushing unjust, unfounded and ineffective breed-specific legislation - proving that ignorance is curable only if one chooses to be cured. Perhaps it's plain stupidity.

So-called "journalists" who can't be bothered to research a subject but instead write inflammatory headlines and articles and quote spurious "sources" solely for the purpose of fattening the bottom lines of the global conglomerates that control the news we read in mainstream media. Copy the ignorance and stupidity comment here, add a soupcon of greed.

PETA for being the most hypocritical organization on the face of this earth. PETA has nothing to do with animal welfare and everything to do with a hidden agenda. PETA is nothing more than a well-funded, well-marketed lobby group that killed 97% of the animals surrendered to it last year and wants to take away your right to have a pet.

HSUS for being the runner-up most hypocritical organization on the face of this earth. HSUS tried to pimp the Vick dogs to get donations, while calling for their immediate death.

Anyone who abandons an animal. They should be forced to suffer the same fate.

Anyone who hurts an animal or a child. Animal and child abusers are wastes of oxygen. Forget the coal, hang the abusers by the ankles till they bleed from their eyes.

Merry Christmas

There's much to be grateful for year-round.

I'm grateful when I wake up each morning. I'm grateful that I'm sane (well, some would argue the point), can see, hear, touch, taste, walk. I'm grateful that I live in a country with safe water (well, mostly), plentiful food, health care, civil rights including free speech. I'm grateful that I can make my own living. I'm grateful for my good friends - the ones I know in 3D, and the ones I know through the blogosphere.

My lumps of coal list will follow tomorrow. But today I'm going to give thanks for my many blessings.

Merry Christmas to all, and may the New Year be a happy, healthy and prosperous one for you and yours.

Somebody stuff a cork in PETA and HSUS

Sports Illustrated has done a terrific article on the Vick-tory dogs, h/t to Caveat and KC Dog Blog. Go to those blogs for links to the BadRap site and the SI article online. Must admit, the article and photos made me cry.

Now.

Will somebody duct tape Peta and HSUS shut? Organizations that call for the death of animals don't exactly strike me as animal-friendly. I've ranted about both of these uncharitable organizatios before, anyone who donates is utterly uninformed (aka moron - ignorance is curable, stupidity is not).

PETA killed 97% of the animals in its care last year. Its so-called leader admitted to George Strombopoulos of the CBC to eating meat and taking medical treatments tested on animals, watch it here.

PETA and HSUS should not be consulted on any animal welfare issues. They are NOT animal welfare organizations. They are well-funded, well-marketed lobby groups with hidden agendas, and should be stripped of their charitable status.

Any "journalist" who consults PETA or HSUS isn't worthy of the label.

Always something to read.....

...on Caveat, especially the posts about George Strombopoulos skewering Ingrid Newkirk of PETA (who admits to eating meat, gasp!) and the need to donate NOW to Banned Aid to continue the fight for Canadians' Charter rights. To steal directly from Caveat:

Most of all, stand up for your best and only friend, your beautiful dog. He is depending on your help during his darkest hour.

Thanks to everyone for your ongoing support. Together, we can win.

Please donate today - every dollar counts- every dollar helps.

"We must all hang together, or, assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Benjamin Franklin

There are several ways you can donate.

You can mail a cheque payable to the DLCC to:

Cathy Prothro
351 Pleasant Street
Dartmouth, NS B2Y 3S4
Canada

Contribute via PAY PAL (scroll down to gold 'Donate' button on the DLCC's website)

For your convenience you can deposit from any bank directly into the Banned Aid Legal Fund by depositing to:

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce,
Penhorn Mall,
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Account 00513 010 1526839

You can also make an online payment from your financial institution's website by sending an email transfer to treasurer AT doglegislationcouncilcanada.org

Send cheques or money orders directly to Mr Ruby at the following address,

c/o BANNED AID LEGAL CHALLENGE FUND
(Write On Memo line: Banned Aid - In Trust)

Ruby & Shiller
11 Prince Arthur Ave.
Toronto, ON M5R1B2 Telephone: 416-964-9664

Sorry, sorry...

..been waaay too busy with the cat rescue. If you're in the GTA and want to foster a cat, please visit Abandoned Cats Rescue, read up on fostering (Volunteers page). Please help save cats and kittens from being killed in shelters. If you have some time but don't want to foster, we need volunteers for Santa Pet Photo events, contact info (at) werescuecats.ca for more info.

Antonia Zerbisias at the Toronto Star is one of my favourite writers. She's intelligent, edgy and angry about Ontario's "pit bull" ban. Read her article about Kerry Pakinen and Preacher here, and her super blog here.

H/T to Caveat for AZ's articles. Caveat very kindly gave me a wonderful Superior Scribbler award, I have to deal with the necessity of nominating five favourite blogs. Yikes, there are so many great blogs, going to be hard to choose just five.

Contribute to Banned Aid to work towards defeating an unfair, unjust and unfounded law.
Give someone a Christmas gift of the fight for their Charter rights.

And this is so very wrong, wrong, wrong.

I am saddened and angered by the Ontario court's decision to uphold Onscario's "pit bull" ban. This is wrong on so many levels, I will post my humble opinion later. In the interim, read Caveat's fine take on this decision. Read one here, and another here.

It is a very sad day when law-abiding citizens are not protected from an unreasonable government. This opens the floodgates for law-
abiding people to be legislated into second-class citizenship and have their property seized by the government on any excuse.

This also plays into the hands of extremists who want to end pet ownership - dogs, cats, birds, whatever.

There is a bigger picture here, and mainstream media has failed badly in its obligation to learn and inform.

I'm with Caveat. I no longer have faith in the courts to protect me from the government.

This is wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong

Michael Vick might get his federal sentence for dog fighting reduced?????!!!!

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
THAT WOULD BE BEYOND WRONG.

KC Dog Blog has the details.

As always...

A good article on Caveat about Mississauga Animal Control backing down. Councillor Carolyn Parrish has been a tireless advocate for responsible dog owners in that city.

KC Dog Blog has the great weekly roundup.

Leave a comment on their blogs if you like their articles, or if you disagree with them....it's always good to see that someone is reading :-).

I tell ya, some days....

No idea where I got this pic, otherwise I'd give an attribution.

The stench of H$U$....

...just like the stench of PETA, is the smell of dead animals.

Floyd Boudreaux was acquitted of all charges against him. The judge found that there was no evidence of any crime.

But his dogs are still all dead. Possibly brutally murdered by suffocation by the Louisiana SPCA; Mr. Boudreaux apparently has photos of the dogs being loaded into uncooled trucks, their crates covered with sheets and boards. The dogs were dead within 24 hours of the raid on Mr. Boudreaux's property.

Why was there such a rush to kill dogs and puppies? Why weren't they kept as evidence, as the Vick dogs were, if H$U$ and the LSPCA were so convinced there was dogfighting on the property?

Hope Mr. Boudreaux runs a huge lawsuit against H$U$ and the Louisiana SPCA, and wins.

But it won't bring his dogs back to life.

Americans should be taking action to dismantle H$U$ and PETA, both of which are campaigning madly to take away pet owners' rights and seemingly stop at nothing to do it. PETA kills animals with its own hands, H$U$ does it through a third party. Both organizations should at the very least lose their charitable status. At best, they should be eliminated. Anyone who gives time or money to either organization is a moron.

Tip of the hat to Caveat and Blue Dog State.

CANUCKS, GET OFF YOUR LAZY DUFFS AND VOTE!!!!

People died to keep your right to vote.

It takes only a few minutes and yes, your vote DOES matter. Your vote doesn't matter only if you don't vote.

So put down the remote and the beer bottle, exercise that flabby gray matter you call a brain, find out who you want to vote for, and VOTE.

VOTE ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14TH.

IT'S YOUR DUTY.

N.B. I'm voting in an effort to boot out a candidate who has lived in the US for the last 30-odd years, was parachuted in by his party, last I checked doesn't even live in this riding, and is only interested in becoming PM, not representing the people of a marginalized riding. Take that, Prince Michael of Ig. *loud raspberry noise*

Yes, juvenile, but so are most politicians.

Panic selling proves morons are everywhere

The Globe and Mail headline today says, "Stocks recoup some losses after markets hit by panic selling". Read it here.

This proves that there are far too many people in the stock market who should not be there. This is reminiscent of the early '80s, when panic selling drove prices down because too many people had money they couldn't afford to lose invested in stocks, panicked when prices started to fall, and drove prices farther down with panic selling. They lost their money by their own actions, and the money of others as well.

Just sit on it for a bit. This too shall pass.

I'm starting to think that one should have to take and pass a course on world economics or the free market or even basic investing, before being allowed to buy stocks.

Endangered democracy

There's a terrific post on Caveat about democracy, and defending the rights of owners as well as one's own. Read it here.

There's an article in the Red Star about mindless morons damaging the cars of federal Liberal supporters, damaging cars and cutting brake lines. This is not democracy, this is not an expression of one's political beliefs; this is vandalism that could have a tragic end for someone.

But...one has to ask, why do these people feel so disenfranchised by the political process, by the Liberals specifically, that they resort to this extreme of vandalism?

The Liberal record federally is a sad one. Pork barrel politics resulting in millions and millions of dollars being given to Liberal buddies (remember Adscam federally and GrantGate provincially?). Nothing but gladhanding, no significant advances in our country's social fabric. Legislating law-abiding people into second-class citizenship provincially. Health care deteriorating. A feeling that the police can no longer protect us. Massive job losses. Seniors receiving third-world care in nursing homes. Media spewing back political press releases rather than investigating political action (or inaction).

While I despise their methods, I am perturbed that people feel so alienated and abused by the Liberals that they resort to this behaviour. The Liberals should be asking why people are so disenfranchised and bone-deep frustrated that they feel this is their only way of being heard. Shouda, coulda, woulda...the federal and provincial Liberals are such arrogant SOBs that I sadly doubt that they would ever question themselves.

The unexamined politician is a dangerous thing.

Is it April 1st?

Six months have passed, so it's time for yet another McGuinty cabinet shuffle. This man changes ministers like other people change socks.

The sycophantic articles about Michael Bryant in the Toronto (aka "Liberal Red") Star kinda sorta make me want to puke. Bryant and McGuinty legislated law-abiding people into second-class citizenship and killed thousands of dogs, and we're supposed to go "Huzzah"? While Aboriginal Affairs Minister, Bryant posted YouTube videos about Caledonia that sent people into gales of laughter. I still want to know if Tim Horton's paid a product placement fee for the prominent position of its signs in a government propaganda piece filmed in a Timmy's parking lot. Too bad it wasn't filmed in the drive-through; you just don't get between Canadians and their Timmy's, Bryant would have been squashed flat like the roadrunner in Bugs Bunny cartoons.

Considering Bryant's US-centric mentality, I'm concerned about what Ontario will give away to the States with Bryant and Pupatello supposedly riding herd on the economy. Too bad he didn't take the Bay Street offer, I'd have been delighted to see his back as he left the Legislature.

McSquinty's Fibs are still fiddling while Ontario burns, and the health care system sucks big time despite the billions of dollars hoovered out of taxpayers for the health care "premium". I spent some time in a big-city hospital yesterday with someone who is quite ill....arrived at about 2:30 a.m., was stuck in a hallway, didn't see a doctor until about 5 a.m. (with paramedics stuck with us for hours since they can't leave until the patient is admitted, another waste of resources), stuck in Emerg waiting for a bed until 5 p.m.

God save you in hospital if you don't have a representative with you to help plead your case and navigate the system.

This, folks, is the third-world health care your tax dollars give you. It's not the fault of the doctors or nurses, it's an uninformed and indifferent McSquinty Liberal government's inattention to the provincial health care system that will cause you to die.

B there or B square!

Cheerfully swiped off the CKC website....

September 19, 2008

Open Invitation For All Toronto Dog Lovers

For the first time, at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 27, 2008, dog owners across the country will unite and walk their dogs in support of responsible dog ownership. The National Office of the Canadian Kennel Club, in support of National Responsible Dog Ownership Week will also be holding our “Walk of Support” on RDOG DAY, Saturday, September 27. Walkers will depart from CKC Head Office at 200 Ronson Drive at 11:00 a.m. and will walk for 45 minutes, returning by 11:45 a.m. for a scheduled Press Conference.

The “Walk of Support” is part of a day of activity lasting between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Please take this opportunity to have your dog certified as a CKC Canine Good Neighbour, and visit with supporters of this CKC RDOG initiative and hear what they have to say about the importance of responsible dog ownership in every community across Canada. We believe that knowledge through education is the path to safer communities, so bring your family, friends and neighbours, Toronto, but most importantly, bring your dogs!!!

Take a step with us on the “Walk of Support” for responsible dog ownership and a better understanding of the benefits our canine friends bring to society. Please wear an RDOG armband and wear it with pride.

Please note that Canine Good Neighbour evaluations will be booked on a first come basis and spaces are limited so reserve early by emailing rdogs@ckc.ca.

A message from the CKC: Be responsible, your dog will love you for it!

Court case update

Watch Caveat over the next day or two for first-hand info on how the Court of Appeal challenge of Ontario's unfounded, unjust, vague and shoddy "pit bull" ban went...might be more info on Wag The Dog and Chicobandido, too.

Ignore the media reports on the case, those people still can't get the point. Duh.

And if you believe in Charter rights for all Canadians, donate to Banned Aid.

Good stuff, as always, on KC Dog Blog, including a dissection of the latest hate blog.

Good piece on Nathan Winograd's blog about how H$U$ dollars went to help a shelter kill animals (to me, misusing donated monies) and the H$U$ foul attempt to capitalize on another rescue's efforts. Read it here. What is this, H$U$'s attempt to avoid being compared with PETA? PETA kills animals outright, H$U$ just helps others do it. Same result, a$$holes.

And to the guy in B.C. who shot a young cancer patient's tiny puppy...there's no friggin' way on earth you can "accidentally" shoot a tiny puppy in the head. Let's hope the next time this monster fires his gun, the damm thing backfires and blows off his hand. No point in blowing off his head, it's obviously empty.

IMHO, there's no hell hot enough for some people.

Good commentary on Palin's non-joke

Read it on "save the pit bull, save the world".

Lots new on Caveat and KC Dog Blog, read read read.

Yea, I know, I've turned into an aggregator.

More to follow, once I litter train one-month old kittens. Ohjoy.

Make your dog a breed ambassador!

CGN TESTING


The Dog Legislation Council of Canada is offering a Canine Good Neighbor Day at the Beeton Fair on September 13th, 2008.

Canadian Kennel Club certificate test - conducted by a CKC CGN Evaluator.

Fee for CGN is $35.00 per dog.

Saturday, September 13th 2008 - testing will be held on the grounds at the Beeton Fair.

This test is available to purebred and non-pure bred dogs. There will be an entrance fee to gain access to the Fairgrounds. Please keep your dogs leashed to comply with municipal bylaws at all times.

For more information about the CGN testing criteria please contact Lori dlccevents @ gmail.com (no spaces)

In the past year the Town of New Tecumseth implemented a half price reduction to dog tag costs for dogs with a Canine Good Neighbour Certificate.

Directions:
From Hwy 400, go north to exit hwy 88 to Bond Head. Go west to Bond Head to stoplight at hwy 27th. Turn north to 8th line 1.5 km. Turn left or west toward Beeton 8.8km. You will now be on the Main St of Beeton. At 2nd st N in Beeton, turn right or north to
prospect st. You will be at the fairgrounds in Community Park.


Pre-book CGN testing by contacting:
dlccevents @ gmail.com (no spaces)
or call Lori at (705)435-3481

Dogs must be 6 months of age or older.

Randomness

Good stuff on Caveat, KC Dog Blog and Pet Connection...the insanity (or the stupidity) is reaching new lows. The newspapers in BC are starting to read like they're running fiction.

Random thoughts.

Why does blood taste like copper?

What will the planet be like without us, how long will it take Gaia to recover? The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman, must pick it up and read it, it was recommended by a friend.

After spending a lot of time on public transit....why do people have such miserable faces? Are their lives really that bad?

I had a really good thought but it got misplaced when I found that one of the new foster kittens had pootzed on the carpet. The file cabinet in my brain will pop it out at some point. Right now I'm focused on the fact that I have a really good spot cleaner.

BC hysteria abetted by media

A story in the BC Times Colonist indicates at first blush that the author does not agree with breed specific legislation. Deeper reading makes me think, "subliminal".

I have some bones to gnaw on with whoever wrote the article.

First, all the hysteria in BC appears to have been caused by ONE person who did not train or control his dogs. Thanks to Caveat for picking up on the dog owner's arrest. This was ONE person, apparently living out of his van, with several untrained and uncontrolled dogs. This is not mentioned in the article.

Severe dog attacks are sufficiently rare so as to be worthy of news coverage. Chew on that one for a few minutes.

It opens, "In deciding what to do about pit bull terrier attacks, our legislators must look closely at the nature and frequency of these attacks as well as their underlying causes." Yo, how about attacks by dogs of all breeds and types? During the past week, a chihuahua ripped a child's lip off (h/t to Caveat for the info)...a dog attack is a dog attack, breed is irrelevant.

The article blathers on about San Francisco and its "pit bull" ban. The worst incident in my memory is the death of Diane Whipple...caused by two non-"pit bulls" owned by two individuals (who really made my hair stand on end) who were, if memory serves, convicted of murder. There's a Wikipedia article about Diane Whipple. Bad Rap, the "pit bull" advocacy group that is doing terrific work against breed specific legislation, is located in the Bay area.

Mandatory spay/neuter is a bad thing; no one should have the right to dictate that I must submit my animal to a very invasive surgical procedure. Instead, educate animal owners (cat owners as much if not more than dog owners) about the benefits of spay/neuter and not letting one's animal roam. And for heaven's sake, provide low-cost spay/neuter in lower-income areas. Many people, especially singles and seniors, have a pet as their only friend and would love to give it better medical care, but just can't afford it.

The article also refers to a 2005 attack on a child by a dog, which the author has mutated into a "pit bull". Again, if my memory serves, the dog was a Lab mix - not a "pit bull". The referenced attack is the one I believe was on a child delivering newspapers. The author conveniently forgot to mention any of the children - three or four of them - killed by dogs on reserves. Yo, Times-Colonist, don't the aboriginal people on reserves count? Stand United has an interesting list of dog attacks from 2002 to 2005.

The article refers to "dog advocates". No, dopey, they're responsible owner advocates! Responsible, law abiding people should not be legislated into second-class citizenship because of the property they own - their dogs. Nor should unoffending dogs be killed because of their shape....or because it's politically expedient, someone's public approval rating is dropping (like the Ontario Liberals just before all the "pit bull' BS started), or someone has an unreasoning hate on.

Another faux pas by the author...."It shouldn't come as a surprise, however, if another aggressive breed, such as the Rottweiler, becomes more popular and accounts for a disproportionate level of dog attacks." Yo, dopey, there is no such thing as an aggressive breed. There are aggressive individuals within a breed, just as there are aggressive people within a particular ethnic group. You cannot label a group based on the behaviour of one or a few individuals within the group. And while we're at it, "pit bulls" are not a breed! Sheesh. The average "pit bull" is a mutt.

The article ends with "A pit bull ban, in isolation, is not the answer." So what are you suggesting should surround it? Some bullshite to distract people from the fact that law-abiding citizens are now second-class because of the shape of their dogs, and dogs will die just because of their shape?

There is some serious shite going on in BC...the home province of Mikey "Mite" Bryant, the promoter of Ontario's unfounded, unjust, vague and shoddy breed specific legislation...which makes me very suspicious of all the hysteria and torch-waving going on in that province.

Geez. Watch the mob race after the monster. Nothing like a mob mentality to make a thinking person shudder.

Someone's thinking (and writing) clearly in Ohio

Tim Troglen, of the Maple Heights Press / Bedford Times-Register understands the issue.

Read his good article in the Aurora Advocate...Tim understands that the problem is the HUMAN, not the breed or shape or dog. It's so heartening that a media person "gets it".

Save your bux, don't fly Air Canada with your pet

Air Canada seems hell-bent on refusing rights to pet owners...here's a recent horror story caused by Air Canada's refusal to abide by the Canadian Transport Agency ruling....read it here.

I'd seriously think about suing Air Canada for pain and suffering if my pet were refused admission as checked baggage, roughly handled, and in cargo for three hours more than originally stated. Someone would bloody well better have compensation for me as well as a sincere apology and PROOF that this would not happen to anyone else's animal.

I suggest we ship the well-paid Air Canada execs in cargo rather than first class. Let's have a poll on where to ship them. Perhaps we can pack the Ontario Fibs in with them?

Blessed be those who see (and write) clearly

Peter Worthington of the Toronto Sun and Caveat have both come out swinging against the Ontario Liberals' just-plain-bad amendments to the Animal Welfare Act....read Mr. Worthington's comments here and those of Caveat here.

Make your dog a breed ambassador!

CGN TESTING!

The Dog Legislation Council of Canada is offering a Canine Good Neighbor Day at the Beeton Fair September 13th, 2008.

Canadian Kennel Club certificate test - conducted by a CKC CGN Evaluator.

Fee for CGN is $35.00 per dog.

Saturday, September 13th 2008 - testing will be held on the grounds at the Beeton Fair.

This test is available to purebred and non-pure bred dogs. There will be an entrance fee to gain access to the Fairgrounds. Please keep your dogs leashed to comply with municipal bylaws at all times.

For more information about the CGN testing criteria please contact Lori by e-mail to dlccevents @ gmail.com (no spaces)

In the past year, the Town of New Tecumseth implemented a half price reduction to dog tag costs for dogs with a Canine Good Neighbour Certificate.

Directions:
From Hwy 400, go north to exit hwy 88 to Bond Head. Go west to Bond Head to stoplight at hwy 27th. Turn north to 8th line 1.5 km. Turn left or west toward Beeton 8.8km. You will now be on the Main St of Beeton. At 2nd st N in Beeton, turn right or north to prospect st. You will be at the fairgrounds in Community Park.

Pre-book CGN testing by contacting:
dlccevents @ gmail.com (no spaces)
or call Lori at (705)435-3481

I'm p*ssed off

Some of you may have read about the German Shepherd-type dog biting a girl in Ajax....note the following paragraph from the CityTV report on this incident.

"It's still not clear why the dog turned on the girl, but Animal Control tells CityNews.ca the dog has been signed over to the town by the owner and it will be put down after tests are conducted to ensure it's not rabid. There's still no word on why it was loose, the reasons it went after the teen or whether the owner will face charges under a local bylaw. "

Here's why I am seriously angry (not with CityTV, btw), with how this and other non-"pit bull" incidents are handled.

1. The Town of Ajax taxpayers paid to kill this dog, not the owner. Is the owner being billed? I doubt it.

2. No word on whether the owner will face charges under a local by-law?
Michael Bryant tub-thumped his breed-specific amendments to the Dog Owners' Liability Act as a way to keep people safer.
Those Michael Bryant and Dolton McGuinty amendments have killed thousands of dogs that did no harm, but this German-Shepherd type owner may scoot out from under ANY responsibility for the dog's behaviour, not even a slap on the wrist from a local by-law let alone a lifetime prohition on ownership, civil responsibility for the injuries the dog bite caused this girl, no fine, no criminal charges....why, why, why?
Well, sheesh, Ma, it's not a mythical "pit bull". That seriously pisses me off.

The girl pays, the dog pays, the taxpayers pay, and this irresponsible owner gets off free and clear, and will probably get and ruin another dog. What's wrong with this picture?

There are so many things wrong here, I'm absolutely livid.

Rambo update

Thanks to John Stewart and the Mississauga News for continuing to cover the Rambo story.

Small nota bella - Banned Aid is most emphatically not an animal "rights" group, Banned Aid represents responsible dog owners legislated into second-class citizenship by the Ontario Fiberals.

Here's John's August 1 update on the Rambo story.

Blog cheating again

Good stuff on Caveat, and congratulations to the publisher on making 1,000 posts without going absolutely berserk.

One of my faves, KC Dog Blog, has been busy, take a gander.

Wag The Dog is worth reading.

And for another species, House of the Discarded, a cat rescuer's blog...having been to a high-kill shelter and knowing how it tears a person apart to have to leave any behind....

Umm, going incommunicado again

I have ten foster kittens and my own three adults....won't be writing for a bit.

Read some of my favourite blogs if you please.

Wag The Dog

Caveat

KC Dog Blog

Lassie Get Help

Pet Connection

save the pit bull, save the world


And my favourite photo site...

I Can Has Cheezburger.

Enjoy. I'm off to syringe feed, medicate and other fun stuff.

It's past time to be scared, people

To quote Caveat....

Can you get more overbroad in your definition of a 'peace officer' than untrained, unaccredited employees of a private charity which is not accountable, has no public governing body and is immune to inquiries by the Ombudsman and to Access to Information legislation? How do you feel about their receiving public money to carry out their shadowy mandate, when even their bylaws are a closely guarded secret, according to one witness?

Read it here.

Unveiling the aftermath

Caveat has a good post on the probable aftermath of this September's appeal of the ruling on the Fiberals' unfounded, unjust, vague and shoddy "pit bull" ban.

Have a read...and get your wallet out and donate to Banned Aid.

Laurel Broten's Garage Mahal settled

Well, well. Laurel Broten, Fiberal MPP and former Environment Minister (aka the "Flick Off Girlie") amnd her husband have scrapped plans to build a Garage Mahal and have to pay half the dissenting neighbour's costs.

Why only half? That sux. Broten and her husband should have paid all of her neighbour's costs, especially since they withdrew their application at the last minute, after the neighbour incurred expenses, and didn't even show up to the Ontario Municipal Board hearing .

Idiots for daze

Caveat is severely p'd off and with good reason...and so am I. Read it here.

This and past incidents have left me with absolutely no respect for the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council. That organization strikes me as a group designed and operated solely to protect broadcasters (the stations who make the money), not the public. In other words, a sham.
The members of the CBSC should try "bad taste" in the form of being assaulted because of their property, being libelled, slandered, and legislated into second-class citizenship.

Coren's not worth my time, I don't read him or listen to him.

The CBSC should have a duty and an obligation to severely discipline a hate mongerer who spewed slander, and the station that carried the broadcast. Coren's rant was exactly that - ignorant hate mongering against an identifiable group.

Is the CBSC another bunch'a old white guys (women and people of colour who play this game become "old white guys" by default) protecting the status quo?

The middle initials of the Council's acronym seem quite appropriate.


The last few years have taught me some valuable lessons....

Politicians are all about optics.
Mainstream media is all about profit, and not in the least about truth.
Anyone even remotely associated with mainstream media is suspect.
You can trust your dog, and almost no one else.

Support Banned Aid.
It's starting to feel like the last gasp of truth.

What breed is next to be banned?

The ban-crazed McGuinty government was warned that their "pit bull" ban wouldn't work, that the irresponsible and criminal dog owners who are the problem would just switch breeds.

Jim Wilson, an Ontario MPP, wrote a good piece about the McGuinty government's reliance on the optics of "ban" legislation. Read it on Wag the Dog.

Anecdotally, I see that west Lakeshore and west of downtown Toronto is now littered with German Shepherd-type dogs...geez, Mikey Bryant's family breed. Can't wait to see the bite reports over the summer.

An animal hospital in London, Ontario had 2 -8 week old flashy flashy brindle female boxer puppies taken from behind the clinic. These are purebred pups, tattoo numbers A2K 8T and A2K 11T. Police have been called. If you know anything about where these pups are, please leave a comment with your contact info and I'll pass it to the owner.

All the responsible "pit bull" owners are struggling with their dogs, muzzled in the staggering heat and humidity of a Toronto summer, while those with dogs who can and do bite go merrily and unimpeded on their way.

It's the owner, stupid, not the dog.

Perhaps you can't teach any Liberal a new trick, regardless of age?

In the news this week...

Good weekly roundup on KC Dog Blog. As Brent points out, there were 16 "breeds" represented in the media this week....so, where are the hysterical cries to ban those dogs? Where's a mob with torches when there are 16 Frankensteins to choose from?

Caveat mentions the study showing that daschunds are the most aggressive dogs. Yes, any animal that goes into a hole with only one exit, after a badger or other animal fighting for its survival, is going to be tough, tenacious and pretty hard-core on the biting end. There are some holes in the study....small sample size, anecdotal....but the headline makes me laugh.

The new OSPCA Act being pushed by the flailing Ontario Liberals is a piece of shite. People should be very afraid of the McGuinty government for its constant legislated reduction of Charter rights and this proposal to grant police powers to an unmonitored, unsupervised and unaccountable group of people. Caveat has the goods. Write on paper (not e-mails, too easily filtered and dumped) to your MPP protesting this expansion of OSPCA powers without accountability, and the poor wording and vagueness of the proposed legislation.

This really smells like the AR freaks, who want to end pet ownership. What better way than to have a crappy, vague piece of legislation that allows pet seizure? The McGuinty crowd banned "pit bulls", a favourite target of the AR loopies....now every animal owner is in their sights.

Speaking of AR loopies, I see on the news that Alec Baldwin, one of those American actors, wants New York carriage horses banned. Alec, what do you plan to do with those horses once they're no longer working? Hand them to your kill-happy buddies at PETA?

I bet'cha dollars to doughnuts that Alec isn't going to put a cent into a retirement farm for them ...which is what the horses deserve, but PETA and HSUS sure as shootin' won't put a cent of their millions into one. IMHO Baldwin is a media-hungry celebrity (like Pam "Chemical Woman" Anderson), who has given absolutely no thought to the animals' welfare if their current situation is changed.

I despise self-obsessed morons.

MIA

Been busy.....

As always, good stuff on Caveat and KC Dog Blog. My condolences to Harv's owner on his passing, but there are wonderful photos of her current dogs on her blog.

I'm starting a personal campaign to ban rubber flip-flops from city streets. The darn things make me look at an endless parade of ugly, ill-kempt feet, and people don't seem to realize how annoying the "slap" sound is. People may think these are casual wear, but all these "shoes" do is tell me that these people don't know how to dress themselves appropriately. Flip-flops are for the beach or your patio, not city streets. BAN THE FLIP-FLOP! Dammit, where are Dalton and Mikey when you really need them?

The City of Toronto is doing a door-to-door campaign to get pet owners to license. Now, they might get a better response from people if the money actually went to animal services - fencing leash-free parks, providing low-cost spay/neuter - instead of going into the general coffers to be squandered by the City's current spendthrift mayor and council. Show us what our money buys, and you might be surprised.

More later. Must run.

SAVE THE DOGS.

CONTRIBUTE TO BANNED AID.

Before there are no more.

Dissecting The Hate Parade

Great post on the Chako Blog applying critical thinking to a hatemongering website.

Read it here.

911 Toronto, ON Possible pet poisonings - High Park

Several pets were diagnosed with anti-freeze poisoning after spending time in the offleash area at High Park. City-TV News has more, as does the Toronto Star.

Symptoms of anti-freeze poisoning - See the BC SPCA page. Note that symptoms can appear as quickly as half an hour to to an hour after ingestion. If you suspect anti-freeze poisoning, get your pet to a veterinarian immediately.

FRISBEE FUN(DRAISER)!!!

Improve your disc throwing skills or learn a fun new sport with your dog! We are offering a seminar in the morning followed by a Fun Disc Trial for cool prizes. During the BBQ lunch clinician Katherine Ferger will wow us with a freestyle demonstration!

Katherine and her 3 year old mixed breed dog Tallulah are Canada's first ever team to achieve the title of Disc Dog World Champion. They won the 2007 Skyhoundz Disc Dog World Championships in Atlanta, Georgia in the Microdog Division. Her dogs Zelda and Fable are also Disc Dog World Finalists, and Tallulah went on join the first group of five Canadian discdog teams who qualified for, and competed at, the 2007 USDDN Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky.

Date: Sunday, July 27, 2008
Time: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Location: Holland Landing Snowmobile Club/training hall
Street: 61 Cedar St
City/Town: Holland Landing, ON
View Google Map

Costs: $50 for working spot (only 10 available), $20 for audit spot, $5 for each trial entry

BONUS! TTL Action Photography will be there to take photos!

Proceeds to go to The Dog Legislation Council of Canada and the York Region SPCA.

ALL DOGS WELCOME!!!!

Contact: Karin at DogSmart Training , 905-775-9189 apfel@sympatico.ca

or Tena (days) 705-458-4182 tkristjanson@zing-net.ca

Apropos of nothing

In Ontario....George Smitherman was appointed as minister of the new of energy and infrastructure portfolio, including nuclear plants (the cost of which will at least double from initial quotes).

Does this mean he's changing from Furious George to Fluorescing George?

KC Dog Blog has a great post on how it's past time for all dog owners to get into the battle against breed specific legislation. Read it here.

Chicken Little, the sky is not falling.

One particular Ontario Fiberal-friendly mainstream media outlet has run a lot of “hooray, the Fibs will win in 2011” stories lately.

This has freaked out people I know, who would if possible leave the province rather than live under the democracy-abrogating Fibs.

One article even called McSquinty’s government “scandal-free”. Yo. Dopey. Remember GrantGate, millions of taxpayers' dollars flushed without proper application, approval or documentation? Laurel Broten’s monster garage? The Flick Off campaign? The hundreds, possibly thousands of missing driver’s license blanks? At least one McSquinty cabinet minister breaching ethical standards without repercussions? The Premier hiding behind a website (WorkingFamilies)? Not to mention all the broken promises – more police, more nurses, so on and so on. Google "ontario liberals broken promises" and see how many come up. The idiotic initiatives – ban church suppers, ban this, ban that, nanny-state people to death. That is, when they're not dying because of the bacteria killing people in hospitals, the incredible waits in emergency rooms, the substandard care in nursing homes. Ban a shape of dog so that over 4,000 dogs die to help bolster the McSquinty and Bray-ant approval rating. McSquinty’s government even went to court to make sure they couldn’t be held to their promises. Now, doesn’t that make you feel all warm, fuzzy and secure about the Fibs?

Don’t panic, people. These "hooray" articles are psychology. The Fibs are trying to set up a self-fulfilling prophesy, and using MSM to achieve it. The Fibs are playing you.

It’s propaganda. Just like the Fibs controlled the media and whipped up public opinion against a particular shape of dog, the Fibs are starting early in their campaign for 2011. Mostly because they know they’re going to get their flailing bee-hinds kicked.

A third term is virtually impossible to win, and will be impossible if people get off their duffs and vote. To quote Caveat concerning the last election, “Roughly half of the eligible voters in Ontario (total 8.38 million), didn't vote. It was the lowest voter turnout in Ontario's history. Of the 4.2 million people who voted, 42% or 1.76 million voted for the McGuinty Liberals. So, the McGuinty Liberals are representing about 21% of the total electorate, or 13% of the total population. Yet they have 71 of 107 seats in the Legislature while the Progressive Conservatives, who despite media bias and misrepresentation garnered 32% of the popular vote got only 26 seats in the House. In other words, 1.76 million people elected 71 people to speak for 13 million people.”

It won’t take much to turf the Fibs, and Dalton knows it.

Incidentally, I wouldn’t bet on Dalton staying as head of the Fibs through the 2011 election. I’ll put money on my belief that he’s going to step down right before the election and let his successor take the blame for losing. Forewarned is forearmed. I think Dalton has his eye on Ottawa, and not just for going home.

So, Chicken Little, keep your eye on the prize. Start working NOW for the party of your choice (pick Conservative or NDP, don’t bother with the fringe parties, it just splits the vote), and work HARD so the Fibs are gone in 2011.

UPDATE: The Ontario Ombudsman released his third annual report today (2008 06 17), you can read the press release here and the full report here. It does not flatter the government with respect to the MUSH sector - "municipalities, universities, school boards, hospitals and long-term care facilities as well as organizations such as police and children's aid societies" - for a lack of openness, transparency and accountability.

NAILA HAS BEEN FOUND!!!!

...and is back home, safe with her family. She was stolen, then dumped, someone supposedly picked her up and returned her for the reward. Bless everyone who pulled together and searched for this little girl, and didn't give up.

Truths of The Day

And the second best truth of the day comes from a post on Craigslist.

Dis 'n dat

WOO HOOO. The Netherlands is lifting its breed-specific legislation because after 15, yes, 15 years....(insert drum roll here)....there was no decrease in the number of dog bites.

I'm reading Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. At first glance, it looks really good
(hehehe, inside joke based on the book's theory).

Terrierman has an interesting take on whether gas prices will affect the dogs people acquire in the future. Thanks to Pet Connection for the tip.

As always, good stuff on KC Dog Blog, including an interesting take on the possible repercussions of delaying Michael Vick's trial on dog fighting charges, repercussions that hadn't occurred to me.

911 - APBT pup stolen - Tampa, Florida

NAILA HAS BEEN FOUND.



If you are in the Tampa or surrounding area, please post the pictures of Naila and the contact info. If you work in a FL shelter or pound, please get the word out.

======================================================

Today one of our adoptive families had their home broken into 2 days after adopting a 12 week old pit bull puppy from us. This happened in broad daylight and we are convinced someone had to see it going on. They went in and out by jumping a 6ft privacy fence.

The home is located off of Nebraska and 122nd street in Tampa.

Naila is a 12 week old spayed tan/white APBT puppy with green eyes. Her Microchip # is 017-804-552.

Any Information leading to her return please Contact Us

Please help us put the word out there. We all know what can happen to this breed in the wrong hands. Her family just put their 12 year old Chow down 2 weeks ago and are completely distraught about Naila. Not to mention that all of their belongings are gone as well. All they care about is Naila.

We are offering a reward for her safe return, NO QUESTIONS ASKED!!!!

I can be reached @ 813-597-1052 apbtmom@gmail.com OR
Devilyn @ 727-505-2794 or KissAPit@Gmail.com .

Dogs 'n people who think they're not

Update: Caveat has a good post on the goings-on. Read it here.

I spent two days at Woofstock this weekend, watching people with their dogs. Makes me sad for the future of some of these dogs.

First, it was well over 80 degrees (possibly over 100) with full sun and high humidity. For those of you unfamiliar with Toronto in the summer, it's like living in a blast furnace. The breezes that blow are hot, like the Santa Ana winds.

The dogs were showing the effect of the heat. Black asphalt is darned hard on bare feet, I defy the owners to go barefoot on it for several hours. Combine the heat with inappropriate treatment (having their untrained or anxious dogs there in the first place; those haltis that people use fulltime because they're too lazy or stupid to train their dogs; clothes on an animal with a fur coat), dehydration, a heavy coat, flat face, age or infirmity, and these people are just looking to kill their dogs.

Some people had them dressed in outfits or t-shirts which keep the dog's body heat trapped around its body. For heaven's sake, if you want to bring your dog, come and leave early before the worst of the heat. Better, leave your dog at home in the air conditioning.

Next, why the %$#!@!!! would a person carry a dog in a snugli??? Carrying a dog in a snugli means the dog is parked on its rear end with all its internal organs compressing for hours. A dog is constructed to be four on the floor, not upright. What will that do to the dog long term?

I think the rescues will be getting a LOT of small dogs in the next few years. People acquire them on a whim (pet stores and backyard breeders are responsible for this), treat them like accessories, and will probably discard them when they're too much trouble. Here's a buck, buy a clue. THEY'RE DOGS. They should be allowed to be dogs, and owners should have their dog's welfare foremost, not their ego and image.

Meaningless sidenote: I have a sunburn on my right arm, but not the left. I look like a British truckdriver.

For the uninformed who support PETA and HSUS....

...more properly spelled H$U$...I suggest that you take a good, long, hard look at these organizations.

Nathan fg out of both sides of his mouth; read it here, and a tip of the hat to Caveat for the heads-up.

Check out PETA's kill numbers. Tens of thousands of animals killed by PETA. That's not humane, that's a slaughterhouse. It doesn't cost much for euth juice, what is PETA spending its millions on? It sure isn't animal welfare.

If people don't get their heads out of their butts, PETA and H$U$ will eradicate our right to own pets, and domestic animals will be extinct.

SMARTEN UP, PEOPLE.

So much for public safety in the UK, dog bites up 50% in 10 years

According to an article in the Glasgow Evening Times, read it here.

I guess the U.K.'s Dangerous Dog Act, which has killed thousands of dogs solely on the basis of appearance, is really working ever so well, isn't it? All those dogs who died in dog gulags, starved and neglected and utterly dispirited because they felt abandoned by their owners, who couldn't afford to fight the unfounded, unjust U.K. law.

Much like Ontario, one of the North American dog gulags, thanks to the McGuinty Liberals, where dogs die every day because of media hysteria and political manipulation.

Yet more hysteria and stupidity

Leola, South Dakota in the US has banned German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, Bull Mastiffs and Doberman Pinchers.

The net is spreading, folks. Those of you who sat complacently on the sidelines thinking you were safe...you're not.

British Columbia is starting to heat up. One overheated BC newspaper writer thinks that four dog incidents makes a "rash sweeping the province". Well, hell, see your doctor for some cream. Do four break and enters across the province make a crime wave?

Heads up, BCers. The a$$holes are looking in your direction. To quote a very smart friend of mine:

"...this is following the classic media pattern for building up to breed banning.

Single incident, followed by another a week or two later, followed by a bunch in a row, focusing primarily on one or two breeds, building up to an "epidemic of breed X attacks".

Editorials saying that this is reaching crisis proportions and politicians need to "do something".

Radio call-in shows with the majority of the broadcasted callers being in favour of breed banning.

"Off-the-cuff" questions in front of the government buildings asking the minister(s) what is going to be done.

Question-period type assaults by the opposition parties on the government asking the same thing.

Government finally says OK we need to look at this and, bingo, the political and legal process begins."

CONTRIBUTE NOW.
BANNED AID.

Your blonde is showing, Mayor David Miller

Because he has neither any idea nor the political will to deal with the gangs and guns problem in Toronto, Mayor David Miller has pulled yet another "ban" idea out of his......

However, the responsible gun owners are angry and fighting back. They're circulating Miller's asinine idea throughout Canada and the U.S. (which means the world, thanks to the Internet), to damage Toronto's tourism. They have one site for their association and another called Toronto the Bad.

This latest whim of Miller's will probably seriously damage Toronto's tourism industry, at a time when it's already on the ropes and high gasoline prices will prevent or redirect tourists in autos. DUH.

I'd been toying with the idea of joining a range and learning to shoot - I'd really like to learn how to clean a gun, and make ammunition - and Miller's lamebrained idea will speed up the process.

Meanwhile, Ontario has banned the display of legal tobacco products and is kicking around banning use of cell phones and text devices while driving.

How many bloody useless, optics-only laws do we not need? Are the provincial government and Toronto's city council colluding on how best to strip responsible people of all rights? First the province kills dogs for no good reason other than political ambition and optics to shore up their low approval rating...the province kicks around banning sushi, SUVs and church picnics...now the City of Toronto wants to stop a sport that is an Olympic event?

Is Toronto still handing out clean needles to junkies? Ottawa providing safe injection sites? Hmm, city councillors, where do you think junkies get money for their drugs? Yes, doofuses, they commit crimes. Why is Toronto supporting those with a habit that is maintained by criminal acts - the buying and selling of the drugs, and stealing (B&Es, muggings) to provide money for the drugs?

Is it time to move to a province and a city with some common sense?

Another self-proclaimed dog "expert" yaps

Dr. Stanley Coren is yapping again about Goldens being a model breed...ironic that the Canada Post Safety Officer stated that small dogs are a bigger problem.

As to Golden retrievers being so lovey-dovey....yo, Stanley, have you forgotten this?

I'm tired of self-proclaimed experts...Caveat has a great dissection of Dr. Coren (rhetorical, not vivisection). I'd like to see a dog hanging by its teeth off the a$$ of every self-proclaimed dog expert, since most of them wouldn't recognize dog behaviour until it bit them.

If you love dogs, DO NOT travel to Nova Scotia or Ohio, USA

The Chronicle Herald in Nova Scotia has written an excellent article about the Nova Scotia provincial government's back-door method of encouraging breed-specific legislation. Read it here.

The dollar talks. Make yours speak for those that can't speak for themselves.

Don't travel to Nova Scotia if this omnibus bill with its buried breed-specific legislation permission passes. And write the provincial premier, Premier Rodney MacDonald, email to premier(at)gov.ns.ca, fax to 902-424-7648, phone 902-424-6600, and let him know that you won't spend a dollar in Nova Scotia while this law stands.

The Ohio State Legislature is looking at something even worse.

They want to seize and kill all "pit bulls", regardless of whether the dog has done anything wrong. Read the bill here.

My God, are they going to beat the dogs to death in the street? What kind of madness is this???

SUPPORT BANNED AID.

SAVE THE "PIT BULL", SAVE THE WORLD.

More BSL bullshite

Just a few days ago, a friend's leashed dog was savagely mauled by a roaming dog.

The friend could not scare off or beat off the attacking dog, it just kept coming and coming and coming and biting and slashing.

Vet bills for the attacked dog so far are at $400.

Wanna bet the owner of the attacking dog gets a slap on the wrist? Never pays a cent in compensation to my friend?

And we'll never see an article about this attack in the papers?

All because the attacking dog was not a "pit bull".

Great public safety, there, Fiberals.

I sincerely think the world has lost it.

APB. Nova Scotia is sneaking through legislation that allows breed-specific legislation, buried in an omnibus bill, despite a ruling in their own provincial court about constitutionality and impossibility of enforcement. Caveat has the goods.

====================================================

I'm starting to think that despite our technological advances, or perhaps because of them, humans are getting dumber and dumber.

Jailing animals (read about it here) and condemning animals on the basis of their shape carries the same taint of stupidity and anthropomorphic thinking as the people who hold trials and execute animals for "crimes". The stupidity isn't confined to the Middle Ages, there was a trial in Kentucky in 1926 and a German Shepherd executed in the electric chair.

Don't believe me about animal trials? Read about them here....here...here...Google it yourself if you want more.

There is the question of whether trying animals for crimes is merely a power play, an attempt to convince the great unwashed masses that the leaders of the time are in control. It also brings up the spectre of "not my fault", the standard human refusal to accept responsibility.

Which, of course, leads to asking why there is recurring hysteria about dog breeds, occurring every couple of decades, and the political gamesmanship involved in implementing breed-specific legislation.

Reminds me of the mob with burning torches chasing the monster.

Skeleton of an idea, more later after I get my life under control again.

Ontario Liberals write more suck-a$$ law

Good piece on Caveat about the Ontario Liberals' proposed amendments to the Animal Welfare Act. Read it here.

Gimme a 2X4, I want to beat somebody sensible.

The Vancouver Province wrote an ignorant and hyperbolic editorial calling for the banning of "pit bulls" because....you guessed it....they're "ticking time bombs". Cue the sound of retching. And shame on the Calgary Herald for reprinting it.

Gimme a rhetorical 2X4. I wanna whack this editor over the head. I won't link to the editorial because I won't give the paper the eyeball traffic. Editorials should be signed with the author's name. That way, we'd know who these morons are. Somebody send this editor back to journalism school, to learn not to use trite, overworked cliches. Especially false ones. And perhaps to learn that an editorial opinion should be based on fact.

Somebody call for a ban on Labrador retrievers. I've read of three Lab and lab-mix bites in Ontario this week, all serious enough to be reported in the media, which means they're only a fraction of all Lab bites that occurred. Ban the Labrador retriever. It's a "ticking time bomb".

This editorial stinks suspiciously of Ontario Fiberal interference. I have NO trust in McGuinty, Bryant or any of the other Ontario Fibs, it wouldn't surprise me that they would try to get other provinces to sign up for their useless, unfounded, unjust "breed ban" through back-door tactics like using media sources to play their uninformed comments over and over. I truly hate the Ontario Liberals. Liberal in this province is a one-word oxymoron, and democracy is dying in Ontario.

GRRRRRR.

So much to read, so little time...

Cheating by aggregating again...

Caveat has good stuff, including a link to PETA's 2007 kill rate, which seems higher than last year's.

KC Dog Blog also has good stuff, including some info on the media. Thanks for the plug for Banned Aid.

And Pet Connection has good articles about the tragic death of Eight Belles in the Kentucky Derby.

Go forth and read. And leave a comment so the authors know you were there.

Frivolous (malicious?) lawsuit kills dogs' chance for rescue

Thanks to three horrid people in Tennessee, a couple and their "I am not an ambulance chaser" attorney, and their frivolous lawsuit, a good rescue has had to disband.

Read about it here.

I can't believe that the judge did not award costs against the plaintiffs, considering their actions and their attorney's lack of knowledge of the applicable law.

To quote, "William and Melinda Robinson and their attorney Michael Shipwash have done a great disservice to the homeless Malamutes and Siberians in Tennessee and the unpaid volunteers who give so tirelessly to these dogs."

So good dogs lose their chance to be rescued and will die, because of the greed of these people.

Let's hope karma kicks their greedy a$$e$ good.

Psst! Wanna see some hot video?

Well, then, check out Selma Mulvey of the Dog Legislation Council of Canada presenting fact and information to Mississauga City Council concerning the emotional damage that isolation can have on dogs.

It's available on MississaugaNews.com, the Mississauga Musings blog.

PETA and H$U$ scorched in Newsweek...

...I would have liked the article to be stronger and really whack PETA and H$U$, with some research on where the millions of dollars go, but there are a lot of informed comments.

Congrats to the author for mentioning Nathan Winograd.

People seem to be waking up and smelling the coffee. Read it here.

Want to support Banned Aid?

Then come to one of the events!

Check out the list on the Dog Legislation Council of Canada website. Hope to see you at one soon!

SUPPORT BANNED AID

Cheatin' again...

Sorry, time-constrained, I'm going to point you to good people...

Check out these blogs, they have good stuff on them...

Caveat

KC Dog Blog

Wag The Dog

Pet Connection

Lassie Get Help

and for a smile....

ICanHasCheezburger.

Contemplation leads to revelation

Thanks to Don Martin of the National Post, who was writing about something entirely different, I found a sentence that so exactly sums up what happened in Ontario in order for the Fiberals to pass breed specific legislation.

"That's the beauty of securing a conviction in the court of public opinion -- optics, hearsay and circumstantial evidence can instantly gas chamber the innocent with no avenue of appeal."

That is exactly what happened in Ontario. The Fibs, with taxpayers' money, tub-thumped fallacies about types of dogs and their owners until the average person on the street, inundated with Fib propaganda, would unthinkingly repeat these fallacies. The Fibs used the media wisely - well, hell, they have unlimited access to the media and OUR money for PR people to devise campaigns, we anti-BSLers usually can't get arrested by the media (which is why so many of us started blogs) and have only working folks' money. What's left, that is, after the Fibs have finished pillaging our pockets for their PR.

The sham Committee hearings on Bill 132 were a revelation to me. I'm a cynic, but the Fibs surpassed even my low expectations. The Fibs sitting on the Committee looked like bobble head dolls, nodding when their POV was being presented, obsessively checking their Blackberries and smirking when it wasn't. It was disgusting. Michael Bryant didn't attend one day of Committee hearings and, before the final witnesses had presented, was courting the media with an announcement that he would pursue breed specific legislation.

Then the whipped Fibs, with a majority government (what idiots voted for them?), with the exception of a few who could only abstain from voting rather than vote against the Bill because it was tabled by a cabinet minister, passed the legislation that made innocent, responsible dog owners' lives living hell, legislated them into second-class citizenship, and set in motion the wheels that would kill thousands of dogs solely because of their shape. The Fibs hurt innocent people and killed their dogs.

Worst of all, I still have to tolerate the smirking, smarmy face of McSquinty in the papers because the majority of Ontarians are morons and voted them back in after a Fib campaign that stank of subliminal xenophobia against a minor plank in another party's platform. Personally, I'm hoping that if McSquinty steps down mid-term, the internal battle for leadership among Smitherman, Bryant and other heirs apparent decimates the party and leaves it in shambles. That would be a good alternative to the "govern by flailing", unthinking platitudes, patronizing tone or unwarranted aggression, and unceasing spin doctoring to which we're currently subjected.

Anyway....nice line, Mr. Martin. Hope you don't mind that I borrowed it.

Something is so bloody wrong with this picture...

Rambo, a puppy who went for a frolic through the gate of his yard and did no harm, is on death row solely because of his shape.

A German Shepherd (Michael Bryant's family's breed), which according to the owner was usually muzzled but but wasn't, mauled a 2 year old child and is now at home waiting for investigation and a decision on whether charges will be laid.

What's wrong with this picture? A dog that has done nothing wrong is condemned to death solely because of his shape, while a dog that mauled a child (and reportedly has bitten before) is at home with his owner, not under a death sentence.

Why? Because the Ontario Liberals passed unfounded, unjust, vague and shoddy breed specific legislation that condemns a dog to death for its shape, and not its behaviour.

At least Rambo got a visit from his owner. Read about it in the Mississauga News and the Random Access blog.

Munchie was killed while his owners thought they had time to appeal his death sentence, while his lookalike Huckleberry was rescued in an effort that involved police and animal services.

The Ontario Liberals made this province into a foul joke for responsible, thinking dog owners.

Contribute to the legal challenge of Ontario's unfounded, unjust, vague and shoddy breed specific legislation.

Banned Aid.

More breed discrimination - shar-pei and dobermans

An acquaintance who has bred and shown purebred dogs for almost 20 years got the following response to an enquiry about "dog camp" for her shar-pei.

"I am sorry, but due to a great deal of genetical problems in behaviour seen in the doberman and the shar-pei, I can't accept them at the camp, for reasons of safety and sens of security. Thank you for the interest in my camp, sincerely, Carole Lesage Présidente Camp Enfantset Chiens"

I think Ms. Lesage means a false sense of security. The breed or shape of a dog in no way determines its character and behaviour.

This is very sad. Anyone with meaningful dog experience knows that the owner is the final and determining factor in a dog's behaviour. And, there is absolutely no scientific basis for a claim of genetic behaviour across a breed.

This woman's statement sounds like the urban myths that the Ontario Liberals used to promote their unfounded, unjust, vague and shoddy law, which was passed by a whipped vote.

I hope Laurel Broten, proud shar-pei owner and Ontario Liberal MPP who voted in favour of the Fibs' breed specific legislation, is hearing this. According to this dog camp owner, Ms. Broten's dog is the same as the mythical "pit bull" - a genetic "ticking time bomb".

I hope that Ms. Broten personally suffers the same discrimination because of the shape of her dog as those dog owners who were voted into second-class citizenship by the Ontario Liberals...although I don't wish death on any dog, and cry for the thousands of unoffending dogs and puppies killed by the Liberals' law solely on the basis of their shape.

Mikey missing? Say it ain't so.

Apparently people in besieged Caledonia are concerned that Michael Bryant, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, is missing from the Caledonia debacle. They've put out an APB (not an APBT) on him. Read it here.

And if you can, put up the Missing Minister poster.

H/T to Caveat.

Finally, a guide for us!

The author of Dog Politics has authored How To Stop Breed Bans - The Dog Owner's Guide to Breed Specific Legislation. You can order the book through StopBreedBans.com.

Every dog owner should be concerned about breed specific legislation and fight to stop it. It may not be your breed today, but it will be tomorrow. And it won't matter that you've been a responsible dog owner - you will be legislated into second-class citizenship and your dog killed solely because of its shape, unless you get in the fight NOW.

Get your copy today!

AWWW! Great story!

KC Dog Blog has a link to a Ladies Home Journal article about Duncan, a deaf albino "pit bull" (albino usually means deaf in the animal world), and Sabrina, the devoted woman who taught American Sign Language to Duncan and eventually adopted him. It's a 10-AWWWWW story :-). Get the link here.

Hooray for Mississauga!

Mississauga City Council voted unanimously to allow Rambo's owner to visit him....hooray and thank you, Mississauga City Council! That is truly humane and compassionate. Read about it here.

If Councllor Carolyn Parrish can succeed in establishing a City of Mississauga policy allowing caring dog owners to visit their incarcerated pets, that would be truly innovative and forward-thinking on the part of the City. Mississauga would be showing its compassion for owners and their beloved pets, it would be a big step forward in animal welfare and set a standard for other citites to emulate.

Set the bar high, Mississauga!

Let's see if Brantford is still trying to crawl under the bar, like the worms they are....trying to kill an elderly, unoffending, beloved family dog just because of its shape....

Dis 'n dat

Random demi-thoughts and some content aggregation (aka author laziness).

Canada absolutely cannot dispense with the penny. If the penny disappears, I can no longer say, "A penny for your thoughts, Dalton McGuinty and Mikey Bryant, because that's all they're worth." Giving them a nickel for their thoughts would be runaway inflation.

Toronto Mayor David Miller calling for a handgun ban makes me want to run out and buy one, rightnow. Duh, Dave, a ban only affects law-abiding people. This is a round of photo-op, sound-bite politicking on Miller's part because Torontonians are really, really angry about how badly the city is managed and how much it has deteriorated on Miller's watch. This "ban" campaign can also be called "which hand is it in?", AKA a shell game. Makes you look one way while the operator moves things around in the other direction.

A handgun ban will probably just lead to a lot of sawed-off shotguns.

It truly worries me at how readily Ontario is sliding into this totalitarian mindset, starting with the Fibs' "pit bull" ban (the Fibs' church supper and fresh-fish-in-sushi bans got shot down, and Dalton likes his SUV so they weren't banned), progressing into the "no smoking with kids in car" ban, now a handgun ban.

What's next? The targets are getting bigger, the stakes are getting higher.

Bit by bit by bit, they whittle away at law-abiding people's rights and the sheeple just sit there and baaaaah.

Can we ban bans?
Prohibition should have been the object lesson in the fact that Bans. Don't. Work. Duh.
Unless the ban is a shadow show disguising a hidden agenda.

Caveat has an interesting article from the American Sporting Dog Alliance arising out of Oprah Winfrey's show on puppy mills. Long, but well worth the read, very thought-provoking.

Lassie Get Help has a nice article lambasting the City of Mississauga for its "thumbs up/thumbs down" Coliseum approach to evaluating a dog.

One of my favourite sites when I'm feeling blue, ICanHasCheezburger always makes me smile.

Good stuff, and stomach-turning stuff

KC Dog Blog has a good weekly roundup, be sure to click through to Greg Page's good article (link at the bottom of the KC Dog Blog link). Check out KC's information on Eudora, KS, the city so nice they banned dogs twice. Is oxygen in short supply there, or just literacy? We already know that common sense and information are absent in Eudora.

Pet Connection has the goods on a South Carolina State Senator and his indefensible actions in adopting three dogs, failing to sterilize them (as required by state law), giving away two, keeping the third sexually intact in an inadequate enclosure from which she kept escaping, then dumping the by-then pregnant bitch at a high-kill shelter.

I think Kent Williams (no honorific for him in my books) should be dumped by the side of the road, stripped of his elected position and charged under every applicable state law and possibly sued under civil law. Plus, bill him for the animal control officer's trip to pick up the dog. Animal control officers are not free taxi services for the stupid. That still wouldn't compensate the dog for Williams' treatment of her. He was beyond irresponsible.

Oprah Winfrey, you've been had

Remember the guy who scammed you about his book? Well, a bigger scam has been run on you this time. Having Wayne Pacelle of H$U$ on your show is a kick in the teeth to responsible dog owners, shelters and rescues everywhere.

Dog Politics says it all very well. Read it here.

Caveat, as usual, had many very good comments. Read those here.

Certain people have the access and authority to do much good...but know so little, and do not know they know not, they instead do harm.

Heira and Brantford

Barking Mad has an update on Heira...sounds like the tin pot despots of Brantford, 11th most dangerous city in Canada, are utterly lacking in both common sense and compassion.

I hope Heira's owners soundly trounce Brantford's dimbulb by-law in court. And then the owners who had to surrender their dogs to be killed, or had to move, or had to rehome their dogs, should sue Brantford city councillors for pain and suffering.

Thinking of Brantford and then of Ontario in general, I can only quote Miss Bette Davis...

"What a dump."

Vote for your favourite fool!

No, it's not pictures of Ontario Liberals, or Brantford city councillors...it's pibbles dressed up for April Fool's Day! It's the Pit Bull Rescue Central 3rd Annual "I Pittie The Fool" contest... Check them out, they're adorable.

H/T to Barking Mad and KC Dog Blog.

Let's vote on Liberal MPPs appearance

As noted somewhere below, John Stewart of MississaugaNews.com has reported on his Random Access blog that Mississauga Animal Services votes on whether or not to kill a dog based on its appearance. Even the janitor gets a vote. Wag The Dog correctly identifies this as a perverse beauty contest, with death as the winner's prize.

So, I decided to start my own vote on whether Liberal MPPs should be voted out of office based solely on appearance. This is my perverse beauty contest; feel free to join in.

First to go would be Dalton McGuinty, the chinless wonder who reminds me of a turtle with a receding hairline. That's an unacceptable physicality to me. I've never trusted people whose faces recede into their necks. No real reason, it's based solely on appearance.

Next would be Mikey Bryant. Short men are never to be trusted; they are "ticking time bombs". It's that Napoleon complex in their genes, y'know, makes them mean.

Now, let's talk behaviour.

There are several slavering sycophants who go in a group. Following instinctive pack behaviour has killed dogs, indulging in learned pack behaviour should be sufficient reason to boot the sycophants. I pick Delaney and Zimmer as the first to go, as they have shown the most learned pack behaviour.

Then the chemical blondes, chemical brunettes and chemical redheads. Laurel Broten comes to mind, the woman who owns a "substantially similar" dog but voted in lockstep to kill them. Never trust a woman who has poured heavy metals onto her skull for years, it has to affect her brain.

Your turn.

Peta tries "libel chill"

UPDATE: NoKillNow.com has a chronological collection of Peta's murderous activities, read it here.

Check out the attempted intimidation by Peta of a blogger who reported Peta's 97% kill rate...read about it on PetConnection.com . PetConnection did a good second-day post on it all, read it here. An update, Nathan Winograd got a letter as well. Two whole pages.

I didn't get a letter *sniffle*. I'm feeling abandoned and abused.
But don't tell Peta. They'll kill me, because it will be kinder than letting me suffer.


Peta's actions prove that it's frightened of the bloggers, and think that they have sufficient credibility to damage Peta's reputation. Way to go, Gina and Nathan!

The dopey Peta donors, foot soldiers and celebrity spokespeople (notice they're all B-listers?) had better wake up and smell the.......

Peta doesn't save animals, it kills them. And its leaders are raving hypocrites, with their "do as I say, not as I do" actions...Ingrid Newkirk accepting medical treatment being first and foremost. Hey, Ingrid, who tested your painkillers?

I wonder if the pieces of silver ever burn a Peta employee's palm?

The IRS has to revoke Peta's charitable status. Immediately.

H/T to Caveat.

We already know something stinks in Ontario....

...so this effluent just adds to the stench coming out of Queen's Park.

Four dogs seized near London from what was described as a "dog gulag" have been returned to the owner. The London Humane Society spokesperson says "We can't take the law into our own hands...but there may be some changes coming to the laws being proposed."

This sounds stinkingly to me like disguised Liberal propaganda for its promised (as-yet unseen) new "animal welfare" law. Considering that Liberal law has killed thousands of unoffending dogs and puppies solely based on their shape, I await this new McWhim...I mean, law...with fear in my heart.

Especially since "Mosquito" Zimmer accepted an award from an extremist animal "rights" group. The Liberals are suspected by many of being either pawns of or accomplices in the animal rights movement to end pet ownership.

The World Society for the "Protection" of Animals gave an award to Zimmer, who voted in lockstep to kill dogs solely on the basis of their shape and is because of that responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent dogs and puppies. So don't donate to WSPA. By giving Zimmer an award, the WSPA proved that it is run by idiots or extremists who want to eradicate domestic animals.

Also, I read the OSPCA Act and found the following:

Inspectors and agents to have powers of police officer
11. (1) For the purposes of the enforcement of this or any other act or law in force in Ontario pertaining to the welfare of or the prevention of cruelty to animals, every inspector and agent of the Society has and may exercise any of the powers of a police officer. R.S.O. 1990, c. O.36, s. 11 (1).

Doesn't that mean that an OSPCA inspector or agent could impound the animal and get an order preventing its return to the owner?

How about this?

Taking possession of animal
14. (1) An inspector or an agent of the Society may remove an animal from the building or place where it is and take possession thereof on behalf of the Society for the purpose of providing it with food, care or treatment to relieve its distress where,
(a) a veterinarian has examined the animal and has advised the inspector or agent in writing that the health and well-being of the animal necessitates its removal;
(b) the inspector or agent has inspected the animal and has reasonable grounds for believing that the animal is in distress and the owner or custodian of the animal is not present and cannot be found promptly; or
(c) an order respecting the animal has been made under section 13 and the order has not been complied with. R.S.O. 1990, c. O.36, s. 14 (1).

Wouldn't returning a dog to a "gulag" constitute returning it to the situation where it was in distress in the first place? Would the treatment to relieve the animal's distress could be as simple as getting a court order to prevent returning the animal to the place where it was distressed?

This whole situation stinks more than dog feces.

Add to this the fact that Mississauga Animal Control votes on whether a dog lives or dies based on its shape. Read about it here. Reminds me of the ancient Roman thumbs up, thumbs down. H/T to Barking Mad.

Someone told me there was a television piece about Ontario pounds routinely selling dogs to research labs after the minimum three day "stray stay", the only province to do that. That wouldn't surprise me, Ontario is nothing but a slaughterhouse for homeless animals.

Welcome to the Liberal Coliseum, where beloved animals are slaughtered for politicians' egos and ambition, photo ops and sound bites.

Help stop the slaughter.

Contribute to Banned Aid.

Bradenton.com gets it!

There is an excellent editorial on Bradenton.com summarizing everything that's wrong with breed-specific legislation.

I love it. A media person has done the research and sees the truth. It's very heartening. Now to get the politicos to think beyond their noses.

Are you discriminated against because of the shape of your dog?

Then add yourself to Mac's Map, and meet many other dog owners who have been legislated into second-class citizenship.

Ever think that politicians treat you like a stupid hooker?

That's right. Lots of trumpets and fanfare when there's a budget revealed, but DUH. They're buying your time with your money. The government treats us like dumb hookers, first getting the money from us to buy our time.


Rant off.

Ladies on the tube!

Streaming video of the Rogers Cable March 19th Talk Live show is now available online...watch and listen as three very articulate ladies kick the stuffing out of Ontario's "pit bull" ban. Go to this RogersTelevision.com page, pick March 19th from the TL Streaming Video 2008 dropdown menu on the right, and savour.

Heira's owner is on CHCH Television at 11:30 p.m. on Monday, March 19th....it's channel 11 with antenna, I think it's Rogers Cable 10. Heira is the elderly dog in Brantford whose owners went to get her 2008 license, were told by the City they hadn't gotten her 2007 license, and that the City wants them to move Heira out of Brantford, kill Heira or hand Heira over to the SPCA. Here's a link to the original post. Brantford sucks. Big time. What a hole.

Rachael Ray & Bernadette Peters have class...and love "pit bulls"!

Rachael Ray owned her own pibble, Isaboo (cute name), who passed away last year. Get another pibble, Rachael, there are thousands looking for good homes and you'd give a pup a great one! She has several pibbles on her sites...Bella, Pet of the Month...Daisy, the spokespuppy for Daisy Dog Studio porcelain, which gives half the proceeds from dog bowl sales to pit bull rescue...and has featured Bad Rap and Jonny Justice, one of the Vick-tim dogs, on her talk show.

An article about Bernadette Peters in the Miami Herald, read it here, states:

[snip]
Kramer's Song is named for Peters' older pet, an 11-year-old ''shaggy dog, Heinz 57 variety,'' she said.
Peters' other pooch, Stella, is a 10-year-old pit bull.
Several years ago, Peters had a home in northern Miami Beach. Then she discovered a big problem: Pit bulls are illegal in Miami-Dade County.
''That's why we moved [to Vero Beach],'' Peters said. ``We were worried about Stella . . . We were afraid they'd take her.''
The pit bull law infuriates Peters. 'You can take any breed and wreck it if you say `Fight, fight, fight.' They're lap dogs. They're very loving.''
[end snip]

I'd like to see more celebrity "pit bull" owners be as outspoken and courageous as Bernadette Peters and Rachael Ray.

Apparently Jon Stewart of the Daily Show has pibbles, he has a huge audience and could do a lot of good for the fight against breed-specific legislation. Michael J. Fox owned pibbles; Jessica Biehl and others.

I'd love to see Jon Stewart and others make public donations to the Pit Bull Band in Denver and Banned Aid in Canada.

Celebrities can do a lot for this fight. For some reason, celebrities' opinions carry a lot of weight with people.

Speak up, people, because you and other responsible dog owners are being legislated into second-class citizenship and good, unoffending dogs are dying by the thousands solely because of their shape.