Happy? New Year
I decided against a year in review entry - after all, doing justice to a year that has seen a full blown Queen's Park process after which democracy was defeated, justice was denied, and pitbulls were banned; the Puppy Love protest and Candle Light vigil (with much in between); Clayton Ruby came on board and a court date was set (May 16,17) here we come; pitbulls had to go out in public muzzled for no good reason and many hang their heads to this day with the resulting depression; the first pitbull was sentenced to death for biting another dog and the battle over that pup's fate continues; and thousands of us - pitbull owners and our pets- live daily with the ramnifications of the Liberal government's prejudicial, unfounded and unsupported legislation.
Anyway, I said I wouldn't do a year in review but something does have to be said for all those who have dedicated thousands of hours to fighting for our rights. In particular, thank you to Advocates for the Underdog and Natalie and Tammy and all their supporters who have saved so many lives in 2005. I'm honoured and privileged to know you ladies and am constantly inspired by your output of energy and determination.
For 2006, I wish and make plans for momentum. The kind of momentum that will see stoptheban.ca reflect the true opposition in Ontario to the pitbull ban. stoptheban.ca will be a much more active site in '06 and will empower each of you who wants to, to help us drive traffic to the site. By the time Clayton Ruby goes to court, we hope that the site will reflect sufficient numbers that we will already have approached provincial politicians and asked the current parties of opposition to make the pitbull ban an issue in the next election and to commit to ending it should either the Conservatives, or the NDP come to power.
With any luck and with a lot of effort and conversation, stoptheban.ca aims to make the ban a thing of the past by 2007. As well, and along the way, as a means to empowering pitbull owners and simultaneously educating the public about the true nature of pitbulls, stoptheban.ca will be putting together a series of projects aimed at giving you a chance to demonstrate your puppy love and giving a face to your selves and your pitbulls and a place to tell your stories.
We look forward to getting to know you a little better and thank you for visiting stoptheban.ca
:)happydog
Anyway, I said I wouldn't do a year in review but something does have to be said for all those who have dedicated thousands of hours to fighting for our rights. In particular, thank you to Advocates for the Underdog and Natalie and Tammy and all their supporters who have saved so many lives in 2005. I'm honoured and privileged to know you ladies and am constantly inspired by your output of energy and determination.
For 2006, I wish and make plans for momentum. The kind of momentum that will see stoptheban.ca reflect the true opposition in Ontario to the pitbull ban. stoptheban.ca will be a much more active site in '06 and will empower each of you who wants to, to help us drive traffic to the site. By the time Clayton Ruby goes to court, we hope that the site will reflect sufficient numbers that we will already have approached provincial politicians and asked the current parties of opposition to make the pitbull ban an issue in the next election and to commit to ending it should either the Conservatives, or the NDP come to power.
With any luck and with a lot of effort and conversation, stoptheban.ca aims to make the ban a thing of the past by 2007. As well, and along the way, as a means to empowering pitbull owners and simultaneously educating the public about the true nature of pitbulls, stoptheban.ca will be putting together a series of projects aimed at giving you a chance to demonstrate your puppy love and giving a face to your selves and your pitbulls and a place to tell your stories.
We look forward to getting to know you a little better and thank you for visiting stoptheban.ca
:)happydog
posted by Sarah Toronto at 4:57 PM
5 Comments:
Sara/ Happy Dog,
Your cause is from the heart, we see and understand this. I do not believe in BSL or support it in any manner. I believe in bad owners, not bad dogs, perhaps we should have to license the owners, not the dogs. Perhaps all dogs should be required to get a CGC designation to go out in Public. Lets put more responsibility on the owners to be educated and think before acting. Which brings me to my next point. And please, take it personally.
In your passion for your cause, you have created mayhem for myself and other Bull Terrier owners. Your posting for your cause, shows a car window with a Bull terrier between two Pit Bulls with "stoptheban.ca" posted on it. Your posting is incorrectly educating the public that Bull Terriers are condemned under Bill 132. I myself entertain two Bull Terriers, in both leash free zones and the show ring. I find this posting, as do other Bull Terrier owners, as irresponsible as the politicians who instituted this entire BSL issue. The media and free speech use is a wonderfully powerful tool, when used responsibly.
It can also be a vicious unintentional weapon to the careless and uneducated. My Bull Terriers are being persecuted for your inaccurate portrayal of the banned breeds in your poster. It implies BT's are banned also and people are taking it as such. May I suggest you rethink your poster, establish and promote a correct standing on the BSL legislation with the four categories described. Until you do this I will be campaigning to have your poster removed from bulletin boards at all existing locations & leash free zones, due to its incorrect message. Not everyone understands the BT in the picture is one of your own three dogs, and he is not on the banned list established under B-132. They see it at face value.
The sadness exudes from all true canine lovers for Staffy and PB owners affected by the shameful act of B-132 but in this political climate, we the BT owners need to protect ourselves as well.
As passionate as you are,
Happy New Year.
RJ_BFree
I am just utterly disgusted with BSL, the Fiberal Government and Michael Bryant. Owner responsibility and education must always be tantamount to dog ownership regardless of breed. Keep up the fight! Know that there are people who care about this cause. Tommorrow is an important day as myself and many other dog owners of many different breeds will be casting a vote. There is as they say a voter at the end of every leash. Take care!
I was always proud to be a Canadian, to live in a multi cultural country, to have the privilage to live in a place where you can study whatever religion you choose, to be who you want to be, and to be accepted for whoever you are. For racism and predjudices to be illegal, for people to be allowed to stand up for what they believe in. I am not religouse, and I am white, but I felt honoured that that didn't matter, that everybody is considered equal in this country...Now, I am shamed to say I live in the province of Ontario, where I was born and raised. I am shamed to see a 15 yr old girl, being ridiculed, and harrassed, for not muzzleing her pit bull on her own property. I am deffinately appalled to be living somewhere, where responsible pit bull owners are being treated worse than a convicted sex offender, or a murderer, for after they do their time, they don't have to walk around with a huge sign (like see me walking my muzzled pit bull, quickly run with your children, for he/she may bite you)
I am willing to do whatever it takes to put an end to this. Please, anybody, email me if I can be of any help at all.
Also, Bull Terriers are not specified directly in the BSL, but it does say any dog with significant characteristics of any of the breeds mentioned. And unfortunately, the bull terrier deffinately has significant characteristics, as does a chocolate lab with a slightly larger head, or a boxer cross. The point is, there a so many cross breeds out there, that have no pit bull in them, but still look like they could, and if you don't have a pure bred with papers, well then, you may find yourself having to muzzle your dog too.
Rennay
Poisonivy_Vine21@hotmail.com
Hey just read about the court date hopefully it will get the ban lifted. I have a 9 mth female and she is the sweetest dog I know..
Hey bull terrier owner.
Guess what - the reason that photo exists is that I too am a bull terrier owner.
I havn't created mayhem - the law unto itself, with its poor definitions is what creates mayhem.
If you can't see that part of your role is educating people about the fact that bull terriers are NOT banned, then perhaps you are part of the problem as opposed to part of the solution. Perhaps you and your fellow bull terrier owners would do better to join us, acknowledge that because of the issue you describe you could be next, and acknowledge what hard work this is. Divide and conquer is exactly what the government would like us to do but fighting amongst ourselves rather than supporting one another is ultimately counter productive.
As a journalism grad there is nothing I understand better than the power of the media but as bull terrier owners at the other end of the leash you should know better than anyone that the public is uneducated and I would ask you for your long-sighted support rather than your short-sighted selfishness.
sincerely
:)sarah
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