Talking to Politicians Part one

From the CBC news website today
Dog fighting must be banned, SPCA tells MLAs
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 11:01 AM AT CBC News
The Nova Scotia SPCA wants the province to outlaw dog fighting.
Sean Kelly, a board member with the animal protection group, said federal legislation is weak and only about one-quarter of the people charged are convicted.
"Our provincial legislation at this point in time is not much stronger," Kelly said. "We've had several cases where they've been lost on technicalities. So we want to make it very clear that Nova Scotia is not going to allow animal fighting."
Kelly made his plea Monday before a committee of the legislature examining a bill to revamp the province's Animal Protection Act.
This is the first time in a decade the act is being overhauled. Though the province consulted with the SPCA when it drafted the bill, Kelly said dog fighting needs to be singled out as a specific crime.
He told the committee the legislation must explicitly ban dog fights, attending a fight or profiting from one.
He also said it's time to make it illegal to allow dogs to ride in the back of a pickup truck.
"Transporting your animal in the back of your pickup without having any kind of restraint or any kind of walls on your pickup is cruel to the animal," Kelly said.
Agriculture Minister Brooke Taylor, who tabled the bill last spring, said he's open to the idea of banning dog fighting — something he calls inhumane and abhorrent.
But he's not convinced that having a dog in the back of a pickup constitutes cruelty.
"Looking at it at face value I think it is inappropriate," Taylor said. "But you know, there may be situations where you know it works out fine."
Taylor said he'll talk with his staff to see what they think of the SPCA's suggestions before proposing any amendments to his bill.
Not convinced? Hmmm, lets see... why shouldn't dogs be allowed to travel in the back of a pickup without restraint and the protection of high walls:

• Besides the obvious potential for injury sliding around in the back if the driver takes a corner too sharply,
• there is the real chance of injury and death when thrown from the back of a truck if the driver has to hit the brakes or swerve quickly to avoid anything
• dogs that are thown from the back of the truck are also at risk of being run over by the vehicles behind
• with no shade there is a real danger of heat stroke or sun stroke
• travelling in the back of an open truck on a cold day creates an instant 'wind chill' that is both cruel and hazardous
• it creates a hazard to other motorists who could get in a traffic accident trying to avoid running over a dog that has fallen out of the truck.

Any law that provides protection for the helpless will be seen as a restriction by others. From child labour laws to legislation protecting women, there was considerable opposition by the oppressors.

If you wish to let the Honorable Brooke Taylor know how strongly you feel about this issue, please email mlataylor@eastlink.ca . If you want to cc the Premier, his email is premier@gov.ns.ca

If you wish to lend your voice to the society, email animals@spcans.ca

If you want to know how to contact your own MLA, http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/MEMBERS/directory/constituencies.html

Bill 186 is with the Law Committe right now. If you wish to let them know how you feel about this , contact Gordon Hebb , Legislative Counsel, 902-424-8941