Taking off the gloves

Ok .. this is where I have to come clean.   If you have been wondering why I haven't been blogging much about any progress made lately by the NS SPCA, it is because I have a bone to pick with them about an issue of deep concern to me.  So why haven't I blogged about that?
Because I refuse to play into the hands of the cast of clowns who leap at any and all opportunity to bash the society.  That is their agenda .. not mine.
Because I truly believe that with spiralling prices and even more layoffs that NOW is NOT the time to cast any animal rescue in this province in a negative light.  The animals are going to need everyone, no matter the dog politics, eh?
But it is time for me to set that aside, because an urgent matter has arisen that can only be effectively nipped in the bud by a strong statement from all stakeholders.   That is bigger than me or you or any single one of us!
It is time for the  animal loving community to speak with one voice on this specific issue:
from today's Herald 
Mauling prompts Yarmouth to act

By BRIAN MEDEL Yarmouth Bureau
Thu, Mar 31 - 7:45 AM
YARMOUTH — Yarmouth is moving to protect its citizens from vicious dogs, the mayor said Wednesday.
Phil Mooney made the statement just four days after Noella Ann McIntosh, 45, was savagely attacked by a 35-kilogram pit bull terrier-type dog.
"I felt sickened when I heard about the lady this past Saturday," Mooney said. "I’ve been thinking about it ever since.
"I’ve had a number of calls on this, probably more than any other issue."
Several of the calls came from residents who have told him they are afraid to walk in some parts of the town because of large dogs, he said.
"I want people to feel safe walking in their own community."
McIntosh received many wounds to her face, throat and upper body during the attack, which happened in a parking lot behind a Main Street tobacco shop. She remains in a Halifax hospital.
RCMP shot the dog moments after responding to several frantic 911 calls from people who said they saw the woman being mauled.
Mooney said town council will discuss the case with the RCMP today during a meeting of committee of the whole. And it will begin the process of coming up with a new bylaw concerning vicious dogs.
The town will hold a public hearing on May 12 so the "public will have an opportunity to come in and say what they want about the (proposed) bylaw," he said.
Council will also encourage the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities to prepare a resolution calling on the provincial government to consider creating a provincewide regulation for certain types of dogs, he said.
Even before Saturday’s attack, the town was looking at introducing leash and muzzle regulations, including the banning of dogs from public places during activities such as Canada Day, because people had expressed concerns about their safety, Mooney said.
Of the 45 Facebook messages Coun. Ken Langille received about the dog attack, only a couple of people asked to have some dog breeds banned, he said in an email Wednesday.
Most sought preventive measures, including a registering system for dogs known to be vicious, restricting where they may be walked by their owners, and requiring proof of liability insurance, he said.
( bmedel@herald.ca)
Talk about passing the buck!  Instead of explaining to voters how a dog owner got his dogs back last time after attacking a human ... and that one of those dogs might indeed be the dog involved in this attack .... Mayor Mooney is diverting the issue by suggesting the imposition of breed bans.
Clearly the public is NOT demanding breed bans ... not when only a couple out of 45 emails that Councillor Ken Langille received were asking for it.
Nor is the general public in this province demanding a breed ban be imposed all around this province.
What time is it?  It is time to wake up .. stop passing the peas .. and contact your own municipal councillor and MLA before it is too late.   AND ... please contact the society to lend them the strength of your voice so that they CAN speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Apathy is the glove into which evil slips its hand.  Bodie Thoene