Fairy Tale for the Over Forty # 1

Once upon a time there was a woman and her dog. There was nothing in the dog's history to inspire her to behave in a socially acceptable fashion. There was nothing in the woman's experience to have the skills necessary to undo years of harm overnight.
The woman and the dog were bound by love. When the 'sheriff' used a wicked bylaw to seize the dog and order it to be killed, the woman leaped into the fray and fought for her dog with every weapon she could find.
After months of struggle the dogs life was saved by a judge who recognized the bylaw for the wicked thing that it was.

Like any other epic tale, there is more than one moral to this story:

• mob rule can still overrule good judgement (by all parties). The ridiculous, illiterate and sometime venomous emails I received from both Brindi supporters and detractors would sicken a stout heart to read.
• the squeaky wheel does get the grease. If Francesca hadn't kicked up such a fuss, not only would Brindi be dead but HRM would still have that 'wicked' bit in Bylaw A300.
• better late than never. People ( many of whom I am sure have never adopted a rescue dog with issues needing rehabilitation ) were pretty sanctimonious about what Francesca could have done to avert the situation instead of being willing to give her the opportunity to work with her dog for pawsitive change
• necessity is the mother of invention. This case highlighted the 'wicked bylaw' as nothing else had. Public meetings that had been held before the bylaw was passed were sadly under attended. Was it Abraham Lincoln who said that if you want to change a bad law, then enforce it.
• All is fair in love and war. In her often desperate and determined struggle, it was inevitable that Francesca would just plain piss some people off with some of the things she did. I'm not making excuses for her, but is there anything any of us wouldn't do for our pets? The only difference between what Francesca did before and someone like me is that I have the dog experience to be able to nip things in the bud. I'm betting money that before long, Francesca will too.

We don't often find happily ever after outside of a fairy story. At the end of the day, Brindi gets to live and HRM will (in time) get a better bylaw, one that will be crafted with some input from the society this time.

If that's not happily ever after its pretty darned close.