Who allows urban chickens? Municipal staff have been finding out in preparing report for councillorsBy Our StaffThu. Feb 5 - 5:43 AM
Here’s a nugget from Halifax city hall: municipal staffers have been dipping into regulations in other Canadian jurisdictions to see how those communities handle chickens within city limits.
According to a municipal staff report to be presented to Peninsula community council on Monday, staffers researched five cities on their policies covering "the keeping of fowl." Two other municipalities were also mentioned in the report.
Studying the urban chicken issue had public servants from Halifax Regional Municipality’s planning services department checking such cities as Victoria, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto.
Staffers were directed by community council to prepare the report about a year ago. Councillors asked for the study because of a well-publicized land-use matter last year involving a west-end Halifax resident who kept backyard hens.
Those chickens were relocated to Hants County.
"At this time, there is no uniform land-use bylaw approach within HRM regarding the keeping of fowl," says the staff report, approved by Austin French, the city’s planning services manager. "In the suburban and rural areas, fowl are included in the land-use bylaw definition of ‘livestock,’ whether or not they are kept for commercial purposes."
In Victoria, the municipality "prohibits roosters and farm animals within the city," the report says. "However, hens are not considered to be farm animals, so they are permitted in urban residential areas."
In Edmonton, "the keeping of fowl for domestic egg production would be considered a non-commercial farm, which the land-use bylaw only permits in certain rural zones."
Back in Halifax, Mayor Peter Kelly said city employees regularly do research on many issues. But he acknowledged the chicken issue may be "out there in terms of the seriousness" of running a municipality.
Mr. Kelly said the chicken study was not a waste of staff time or taxpayer dollars.
"Do I always agree that all the research that council asks for is appropriate? No, I don’t," the mayor told The Chronicle Herald.
"But in this democracy, and in the areas of motions and emotions, and the ability to seek information," it is imperative the city do its homework, Mr. Kelly said.
As news items go, the chicken story has legs. It began last winter when former urban chicken owner Louise Hanavan was ordered to get rid of her three backyard birds after a neighbour complained they were attracting rodents.
Actually, rats. Big rats.
One of Ms. Hanavan’s chickens went missing last year, after it was farmed out to Hants County, and is presumed dead. A separate case involving pet chickens landed in court in Halifax.
Ms. Hanavan said in a recent release that 1,000 people in metro signed a pro-chicken petition last year. She said Halifax city hall should "show leadership in Canada by encouraging urban agriculture."
( newsroom@herald.ca)
Now isn't that interesting? And before the keyboards catch on fire, I would like to remind you that as someone who tries to live a fairly self sufficient life, I am all in favour of extending the same privileges I enjoy to like minded urban dwellers. Particularly when much of HRM was 'country' twenty years ago.
You might say that I can enjoy these freedoms because I live in the country ... but no .... my neck of the woods is classed as Residential Forestry and as such there are things that I cannot do even if I wanted to. Cattle and pigs are out of the question, but yes I could have chickens and even goats if I wanted. Over the years in my travels I have visited many places where small animal husbandry was a successful part of urban communities.
But the point I'm trying to make here in my rambling, 'haven't' finished my first cup of coffee' way is that if HRM is prepared to go all out for the chickens, why do they keep resisting change about Bylaw A 300?
By my best estimate, there are a lot more dog and cat owning voters than urban chicken ranchers in HRM. I suspect many of them never lose a minute's sleep over the animal control bylaws .... until that unpredictable moment happens and they run afowl of the 'law' ( Or in HRM's case .... somebody 'thinks' or is 'afraid' they have done something dangerous )
So WHY is HRM so concerned about chickens? Because 1000 HRM tax paying voting residents have signed up to support the issue. I know I sound like a stuck record, but the way ahead for anything is always paved by voter feedback. It is really the only tangible way our politicians have of understanding the importance of any issue.
Responsible pet owners provide regular vet care, good food and of course lots of love. From seatbelts to winter boots to obedience classes, they do not hesitate to do whatever it takes to protect their pets. How is it then, that so many do not understand the value and importance of their input to their municipal councillors? Anyone living in HRM can contact their councillor ( Councillors E-mail )to discuss this issue .... before any chickens come home to roost and HRM starts sneaking in BSL bylaws when no one is paying attention.
The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, its indifference. Elie Wiesel
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
A bit of good news about McG and Cape Breton Puppies
I have a three hundred foot driveway. I know this because when I moved my mini home out to the country, NS Power did not charge extra for power installation for the first 100 metres. Over the years I have always been glad of the privacy that has given me, even if it is a project to clear the lane after a big snowfall.
Even with my trusty snowblower, it was still three hours work to clear the lane today. It was great to come back in and warm up by the fire, but I must admit that I was still dreading calling my vet for the results of McG's latest bit of bloodwork.
When we were in Mon to do the blood test, my vet gave McG a good going over and it had been very disheartening to hear that both his heart and his lungs were much worse. Not that there are any miracles afoot .... but for today it is enough that the test results from the island indicate that we can at least think in terms of months instead of weeks.
If it isn't all that I could ask for, its still more than I had dared to hope for after such a stretch of unrelenting bad news.
Anyone who has read this blog, or the old one, knows that the sticky subject of the Cape Breton SPCA is an undercurrent running through many of my posts. In my perfect fantasy world, they would scrap their gas chamber and pick a better path for their animals. For me this is very personal because my Dad's people came from Cape Breton and so I refuse to accept that animal cruelty is pandemic in Cape Breton.
One of my biggest hobbyhorses has been their refusal to use the free Petfinder listing service, the one they were already signed up for, to promote their adoptables. Lately they have been listing some of their animals.... although sadly it is normally only the youngsters that make it to Petfinder. Nor do the listings come close to reflecting the numbers they would even admit to from last year.
But I'm wandering afield here. Unlike McG's tests and his inoperable old age health issues, the situation for the animals in Cape Breton IS something that can be changed. Am I content with the listings they are posting? Of course not because until they list all their adoptables, a few puppies and kittens is nothing more than a panacea for the critics.
That being said, anyone who is looking for a youngster might want to bookmark their petfinder page. http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS13.html Like the saying that is posted throughout the homeless pet site says "adopting one pet from rescue might not change the whole world, but it will change the whole world for that one pet"
Anyone I've talked to who has read Ian Dunbar's "After You Get Your Puppy", ( which can be downloaded for free at http://www.dogstardaily.com/files/AFTER%20You%20Get%20Your%20Puppy.pdf ) has wanted to run right out and adopt a puppy just to do all the very fun things that can be found there. If anyone is seriously considering adopting a puppy, these youngsters were just listed today on the Cape Breton SPCA Petfinder site. Lately they have at least been listing some of their young dogs and puppies .... so if a person had their heart set on a puppie and really wanted to save a life, they should call the shelter at 902-539-7722. The shelter is open from Mon - Sat from 10 am until 4:30 pm ( although on their site it does state that adoptions stop at 4pm.) For more information and directions to the shelter, go to their website at http://www.capebretonspca.com/contactus.html. As I understand it, either they don't have a computer at the shelter, or the one at the shelter isn't on high speed, so I would think it would be better to call them rather than email about any pet.
Livi, Zayre and Ohio all have a purebred Corgi Mom, so they likely won't be too big. Scroll down too to see a couple of sweet ten month terrier mix pups and of course the two sweet youngsters who have been listed on their petfinder site for a while now.
Onyx and Spuds are just little tykes ..... and don't weigh much more than 10 pounds .... and they are 10 months old! This little pair of sweeties likely won't get much bigger than
this!
Even with my trusty snowblower, it was still three hours work to clear the lane today. It was great to come back in and warm up by the fire, but I must admit that I was still dreading calling my vet for the results of McG's latest bit of bloodwork.
When we were in Mon to do the blood test, my vet gave McG a good going over and it had been very disheartening to hear that both his heart and his lungs were much worse. Not that there are any miracles afoot .... but for today it is enough that the test results from the island indicate that we can at least think in terms of months instead of weeks.
If it isn't all that I could ask for, its still more than I had dared to hope for after such a stretch of unrelenting bad news.
Anyone who has read this blog, or the old one, knows that the sticky subject of the Cape Breton SPCA is an undercurrent running through many of my posts. In my perfect fantasy world, they would scrap their gas chamber and pick a better path for their animals. For me this is very personal because my Dad's people came from Cape Breton and so I refuse to accept that animal cruelty is pandemic in Cape Breton.
One of my biggest hobbyhorses has been their refusal to use the free Petfinder listing service, the one they were already signed up for, to promote their adoptables. Lately they have been listing some of their animals.... although sadly it is normally only the youngsters that make it to Petfinder. Nor do the listings come close to reflecting the numbers they would even admit to from last year.
But I'm wandering afield here. Unlike McG's tests and his inoperable old age health issues, the situation for the animals in Cape Breton IS something that can be changed. Am I content with the listings they are posting? Of course not because until they list all their adoptables, a few puppies and kittens is nothing more than a panacea for the critics.
That being said, anyone who is looking for a youngster might want to bookmark their petfinder page. http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS13.html Like the saying that is posted throughout the homeless pet site says "adopting one pet from rescue might not change the whole world, but it will change the whole world for that one pet"
Anyone I've talked to who has read Ian Dunbar's "After You Get Your Puppy", ( which can be downloaded for free at http://www.dogstardaily.com/files/AFTER%20You%20Get%20Your%20Puppy.pdf ) has wanted to run right out and adopt a puppy just to do all the very fun things that can be found there. If anyone is seriously considering adopting a puppy, these youngsters were just listed today on the Cape Breton SPCA Petfinder site. Lately they have at least been listing some of their young dogs and puppies .... so if a person had their heart set on a puppie and really wanted to save a life, they should call the shelter at 902-539-7722. The shelter is open from Mon - Sat from 10 am until 4:30 pm ( although on their site it does state that adoptions stop at 4pm.) For more information and directions to the shelter, go to their website at http://www.capebretonspca.com/contactus.html. As I understand it, either they don't have a computer at the shelter, or the one at the shelter isn't on high speed, so I would think it would be better to call them rather than email about any pet.
Livi, Zayre and Ohio all have a purebred Corgi Mom, so they likely won't be too big. Scroll down too to see a couple of sweet ten month terrier mix pups and of course the two sweet youngsters who have been listed on their petfinder site for a while now.
Onyx and Spuds are just little tykes ..... and don't weigh much more than 10 pounds .... and they are 10 months old! This little pair of sweeties likely won't get much bigger than
this!
Cinda Bear and Darmah may not be babies, but judging by their pictures I wouldn't think that either of them have had their first birthday yet either. They have such beautiful eyes, wouldn't you agree? Even though there isn't any info in either of their bios, its not hard to see that either girl could grow into being a great buddy.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
All in the Family
I'm fifty four years old, so I normally don't need to check the weather eye on my desktop.... every bit that has ever been broken or sprained or seen a surgeon's stitch paints a pretty reliable picture. So this morning, I wanted to get out early for our hike while we could still still see the icy patches instead of finding them by trial and error. As it happens that worked out very well because the first few flurries were starting on our way back and now its going full tilt.
It wasn't all that long ago that it was pretty darned difficult to be a middle aged woman. There were no legal protections for the 'good woman behind the man" when she was replaced with a newer model. Worse, it was impossible for a woman .... even one who may have been working and actually paying the bills ... to get a credit rating of her own if the need arose. In other words, they couldn't buy a car or a house .... or even get utilities hooked up without a huge deposit.... or insurance at an affordable rate.
I'll be the first to admit that its not a perfect one yet ... but its a much better time to be a middle aged woman at least.
Sadly .... the same cannot be said for middle aged pets. Its no wonder that people who work rescue develop attitude about 'irresponsible pet owners" It only takes a quick browse through the 'free to a good home' section of Kijiji to make one's blood boil:
It wasn't all that long ago that it was pretty darned difficult to be a middle aged woman. There were no legal protections for the 'good woman behind the man" when she was replaced with a newer model. Worse, it was impossible for a woman .... even one who may have been working and actually paying the bills ... to get a credit rating of her own if the need arose. In other words, they couldn't buy a car or a house .... or even get utilities hooked up without a huge deposit.... or insurance at an affordable rate.
I'll be the first to admit that its not a perfect one yet ... but its a much better time to be a middle aged woman at least.
Sadly .... the same cannot be said for middle aged pets. Its no wonder that people who work rescue develop attitude about 'irresponsible pet owners" It only takes a quick browse through the 'free to a good home' section of Kijiji to make one's blood boil:
- someone has just had their second child and so is giving away a 3 and a 7 year old pair of Golden retrievers http://halifax.kijiji.ca/c-pets-to-give-or-donate-Purebred-Golden-Retrievers-Free-to-good-home-W0QQAdIdZ103429268
- someone else is trying to find a home for her mother's 8 year old cocker spaniel http://halifax.kijiji.ca/c-pets-to-give-or-donate-Cocker-Spaniel-free-to-good-home-W0QQAdIdZ103735922
- someone else is looking for a home for a six year old declawed cat because it doesn't get along with the kids http://halifax.kijiji.ca/c-pets-to-give-or-donate-Mature-Orange-Tabby-Cat-for-Adoption-W0QQAdIdZ102823768
- someone else is moving and needs a home for their five year old cat http://halifax.kijiji.ca/c-pets-to-give-or-donate-tuxedo-cat-W0QQAdIdZ102624156
- someone else wants to move his 'severely allergic ' girlfriend in and so is looking to move out the six and the seven year old cat http://halifax.kijiji.ca/c-pets-to-give-or-donate-FIZZY-HER-SON-SHOUTY-DESPERATELY-NEED-A-NEW-HOME-W0QQAdIdZ102018387
- someone else is trying to find a new home for her 8 year old cat with no reason given at all http://halifax.kijiji.ca/c-pets-to-give-or-donate-Wonderful-male-tuxedo-cat-to-a-good-home-W0QQAdIdZ103278008
And that's only a sampling of the free give away ads and doesn't begin to include the ones who were simply abandoned and scooped up by AC's around the province. ( Although as a sidebar note to that, for some reason the Kings County AC site is no longer up and if you are reading this Darlene email me at the webmaster link for the homeless pet pages if you need to post your lost and found or even your adoptable listings please) Right now the HRM Lost and found listings has at least one more senior lab cross
What do these listings have in common? The dogs and cats are described as sweet The same theme runs through the mature adults listed with rescues around the province: Tessa , Sasha , Caspar ,Zeus , Spirit and of course dear little Pumpkin . And those are only the ones actually listed as seniors. There are well over a dozen more dogs and even more good kitties who are in that 'middle aged' zone where they are not quite old enough to be classed as seniors but are too old for the 'gee i want a puppy or a kitten crowd"
Right here, right now, nobody ... not even the society ... has the resources to accept every owner surrender. Not unless they want to follow Cape Breton's example and kill three out of every four that come in the door. So how can these good pets be protected? They are innocent bystanders and should not be penalized because of their owner failings.
I know I sound like a stuck record, but I still maintain that the free online ad sites just make it too darned easy to treat good pets like disposable items. Kijiji is a great place to find things ... that's where I got both Ruby and Henry's toddler beds and my couch set to name just a couple of the treasures I've found.... but its no place to peddle or give away living breathing sentient beings. As a sidebar note to that, anyone who feels the same is free to join the facebook group Change the Law! Stop Selling Pets Online in Nova Scotia if they choose.
But I'm wandering afield here. What to do in the short term. If there is no 'room at the inn' for every pet about to become homeless, do we wait until the pet is either taken out and dumped or given in desperation to someone who will sell them to a lab for research or used in a puppy mill or taken into an animal clinic to be 'put down'?
Or do we pick another path? What if the society was to promote 'stay at home' private adoption listings? While this is done on a catch as catch can basis by a couple of the small groups like P.E.T. PROJECTS and Border Collie Rescue , it could be ever so much more effective if done by the official 'voice for the animals" by:
- scheduling appointments to discuss the surrender listings which would provide much more accurate information about the pet which would in turn be safer for adopters
- charging a modest listing fee that could be recouped by the individuals in turn charging a modest adoption fee. It should never be cheaper to adopt a pet than the current rate labs pay for research animals
- and of course listing all of these good pets on petfinder. It doesn't have to become a work intensive thing for the society ...... any of these listings that I have seen on Petfinder involve the adopter directly contacting the individual not the rescue group.
Why do I think this is a good idea?
- the 'surrender' interview could be used as a problem solving tool for situations that are really only short term
- it would provide a measure of protection for animals who might otherwise be 'dumped' and of course a way of identifying some of them who do
- it would protect consumers by inhibiting the 'pawning off' of behavior and health problems on the unsuspecting public,
- it would of course provide a meaningful database of uncommitted pet owners that could in turn be shared with other rescues and reputable breeders
- it would also protect the animals if staff were given the discretion to accept animals they genuinely believed were in harms way and the ability to refer the owner to the society constables for investigation.
- and sometimes, just sometimes.... the entire process might just give the pet owner time to reconsider the value of years of loyalty and prompt them to seek another solution. When this happens, it should be encouraged and supported in every possible way to 'reward' such good behavior.
At the end of the day, this could become one of the most effective education tools in the society's arsenal. Instead of leaving 'irresponsible adopters' out in the cold, they should be welcomed into the animal loving community where they can learn more socially responsible ways to be a good guardian.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Well worth driving over slippery roads for
Benoit, Bailey guilty of animal cruelty, assault
Digby County puppy brokers to be sentenced Mar. 26 by Jeanne Whitehead/Digby Courier View all articles from Jeanne Whitehead/Digby CourierArticle online since January 29th 2009, 10:51
Digby County puppy brokers to be sentenced Mar. 26 by Jeanne Whitehead/Digby Courier View all articles from Jeanne Whitehead/Digby CourierArticle online since January 29th 2009, 10:51
The SPCA's Nancy Noel and Roger Joyce made the trip to Digby, on ice-covered roads, to hear the guilty verdict against puppy brokers Gail Benoit and Dana Bailey. Jeanne Whitehead photo
Digby County puppy brokers Gail Benoit and Dana Bailey were found guilty, today, Jan. 29, on two counts of animal cruelty stemming from the October 2007 seizure of 10 puppies from their Roxville property.
Gail Benoit was also found guilty of assaulting SPCA special constable Nancy Noel at the time of the seizure. Dangerous road conditions prevented Benoit and Bailey’s lawyer, Mike Powers, from attending court and Judge Jean Louis Batiot advised that sentencing will take place March 26. The 2007 seizure of 10 sick and malnourished puppies by Nova Scotia SPCA chief investigator Roger Joyce and special constable Nancy Noel followed complaints filed with the SPCA. Both Noel and Joyce were present for Judge Batiot’s verdict and say they hope Benoit and Bailey will be prohibited from owning animals. Such an injunction could conceivably come prior to the March 26 sentencing date. Joyce says he makes frequent checks on people who are prohibited from owning animals. In addition to the charges from the 2007 seizure, Benoit and Bailey face animal cruelty charges filed three weeks ago—relating to their 2008 sale of puppies infected with the deadly parvovirus. Gail Benoit addressed Judge Batiot after he read the verdict. “This has got to stop,” she said. “My family is terrified and people have threatened to burn my house down.” “The SPCA is corrupt,” she said, as she left the courtroom.
Gail Benoit was also found guilty of assaulting SPCA special constable Nancy Noel at the time of the seizure. Dangerous road conditions prevented Benoit and Bailey’s lawyer, Mike Powers, from attending court and Judge Jean Louis Batiot advised that sentencing will take place March 26. The 2007 seizure of 10 sick and malnourished puppies by Nova Scotia SPCA chief investigator Roger Joyce and special constable Nancy Noel followed complaints filed with the SPCA. Both Noel and Joyce were present for Judge Batiot’s verdict and say they hope Benoit and Bailey will be prohibited from owning animals. Such an injunction could conceivably come prior to the March 26 sentencing date. Joyce says he makes frequent checks on people who are prohibited from owning animals. In addition to the charges from the 2007 seizure, Benoit and Bailey face animal cruelty charges filed three weeks ago—relating to their 2008 sale of puppies infected with the deadly parvovirus. Gail Benoit addressed Judge Batiot after he read the verdict. “This has got to stop,” she said. “My family is terrified and people have threatened to burn my house down.” “The SPCA is corrupt,” she said, as she left the courtroom.
When silence isn't golden
A couple of days ago, this anonymous comment was left ( happily on this blog and not on the Pet blog.... thank you for recognizing that isn't the place to discuss these issues)
That dog Julie has a bio that states she was almost euthanized because her owner was done with her, she was too old now and had too many liters. So, the vet saw what a great companion dog she could be and saved it. So what about all the other dogs that this guy breeds and all the abuse the animals recieve under his care. Is the vet not responsible beyond this case? Is anyone responsible to ensure this man stops breeding and selling hound dogs?
As I understand it, Bill 186 actually does obligate vets to report abuse. In light of that, it would seem pretty simple, huh?
Actually its a double edged sword for a clear cut situation, let alone a sticky spot like this. At this point in time, its not illegal to relegate a good dog to being housed in a garage or worse, in an outdoor kennel or shelter. As long as they have adequate protection from the elements, the law doesn't get into the nitty gritty about how pets are living breathing sentient beings who need the company of their family/aka their pack to be complete and happy and whole. Which of course is why we refer to them as companion animals.
Nor does the law limit the number of litters that any individual dog should have. Under existing law, pets are considered to be property without the special protections that they really should have. I know I sound like a stuck record about this, but this is exactly why we need federal animal cruelty legislation to amend our Criminal Code and create a new category for animals.
Will that be enough to do the trick? Of course not. Until it is socially unacceptable to treat an animal badly, people with no moral underpinning to their characters will continue to overbreed, abandon and deny basic needs and care to the animals.
I can hear the heavy sighs, and before the keyboards catch on fire I would like to tell you a little true story. Forty years ago, one of my nearest and dearest friends had an unimaginable childhood. The children would have to creep out over the porch and hide in the barn when their father came home in drunken violent rages. This wasn't a secret, because in the bitterest winter weather, the children would have to take refuge with the neighbours.
The police knew this man drank ( and drove .... but that's another rant) but would not come to the house without three of their mates. The mother knew that if she called the police it would only be worse next time. In a small community like this, everyone knew. Their teachers knew. Their neighbours knew. Their pastor knew.
Everybody knew and everybody did nothing. Why? They felt it wasn't their place and knew there weren't enough laws with teeth to do anything about the situation.
Can you imagine that type of thing being so widely known and still happening today? Of course not. Why? Because it is socially unacceptable.
I'm fifty four years old, and so I am old enough to remember women being counselled against pressing abuse and harassment charges because it would be "bad for the man's career" No I'm not kidding. Back then priests were quite capable of suggesting that if women would be better wives there would be less "difficulties".
Can you imagine that type of thing now? Of course not. Why? Because the laws have been tightened up so that fewer things slip through the cracks. It didn't change overnight but it did change.
My daughter is only 31 and there have been tremendous changes in her lifetime. The ink was barely dry when she was born on the human rights legislation that guaranteed jobs would be protected while women were on maternity leave. When she was nine, the Employment Equity Act was passed. She was legally an adult before common law partner rights were recognized, safe houses became safer and women were no longer required to press charges against abusive partners.
That is why I know that we can change things for the animals. It is possible to create a climate where the majority of people will not tolerate the ill treatment of animals. If the European Union can do it for the seals, we can certainly do it for the companion animals here in our own country.
So where do we start? What do we do? Happily we're not starting from scratch. If the existing legislation is still inadequate, it is at least a beginning that can be built on. How can we do that?
Politicians always look at numbers. Last summer we saw first hand how quickly all politicians became 'tuned in' to animal welfare issues in response to the strong voter feedback about Bill 138. So how do we play the 'numbers game'?
One doesn't have to be an animal activist to speak up. I'm just a middle aged grandmother and I can guarantee you that people have become accustomed to listening to me. Why? Because I speak up. I email the appropriate politicians on every issue that concerns me. I don't wait for someone else to do it.
Expecting someone else to solve all the problems creates the type of climate where my friend and his brothers and sisters wound up in such an untenable situation.
Each and every one of you can be an 'army of one' for the animals. Every email that each of you send to politicians on every level makes a difference. Every phone call that you makes carries clout. Governments on all levels never have time to address everything. In this day of policies that shift with opinion polls, voter feedback is the most effective tool you have in your arsenal.
You can also lend the weight of your voice to the official 'voice for the animals' and get a society membership. When it comes to political clout, size really does matter. It is a fact of life that politicians just pay more attention to the groups with the (ahem ) biggest membership base.
In this house, silence may be golden when Ruby is trying to let me know that those darned squirrels are at the bird feeder when I'm trying to talk on the phone. But for everything else, silence isn't golden ... its a rusty and decrepit heap that should be sent to the scrapyard.
One of the prevailing sources of misery and crime is in the generally accepted assumption, that because things have been wrong a long time, it is impossible they will ever be right. John Ruskin
That dog Julie has a bio that states she was almost euthanized because her owner was done with her, she was too old now and had too many liters. So, the vet saw what a great companion dog she could be and saved it. So what about all the other dogs that this guy breeds and all the abuse the animals recieve under his care. Is the vet not responsible beyond this case? Is anyone responsible to ensure this man stops breeding and selling hound dogs?
As I understand it, Bill 186 actually does obligate vets to report abuse. In light of that, it would seem pretty simple, huh?
Actually its a double edged sword for a clear cut situation, let alone a sticky spot like this. At this point in time, its not illegal to relegate a good dog to being housed in a garage or worse, in an outdoor kennel or shelter. As long as they have adequate protection from the elements, the law doesn't get into the nitty gritty about how pets are living breathing sentient beings who need the company of their family/aka their pack to be complete and happy and whole. Which of course is why we refer to them as companion animals.
Nor does the law limit the number of litters that any individual dog should have. Under existing law, pets are considered to be property without the special protections that they really should have. I know I sound like a stuck record about this, but this is exactly why we need federal animal cruelty legislation to amend our Criminal Code and create a new category for animals.
Will that be enough to do the trick? Of course not. Until it is socially unacceptable to treat an animal badly, people with no moral underpinning to their characters will continue to overbreed, abandon and deny basic needs and care to the animals.
I can hear the heavy sighs, and before the keyboards catch on fire I would like to tell you a little true story. Forty years ago, one of my nearest and dearest friends had an unimaginable childhood. The children would have to creep out over the porch and hide in the barn when their father came home in drunken violent rages. This wasn't a secret, because in the bitterest winter weather, the children would have to take refuge with the neighbours.
The police knew this man drank ( and drove .... but that's another rant) but would not come to the house without three of their mates. The mother knew that if she called the police it would only be worse next time. In a small community like this, everyone knew. Their teachers knew. Their neighbours knew. Their pastor knew.
Everybody knew and everybody did nothing. Why? They felt it wasn't their place and knew there weren't enough laws with teeth to do anything about the situation.
Can you imagine that type of thing being so widely known and still happening today? Of course not. Why? Because it is socially unacceptable.
I'm fifty four years old, and so I am old enough to remember women being counselled against pressing abuse and harassment charges because it would be "bad for the man's career" No I'm not kidding. Back then priests were quite capable of suggesting that if women would be better wives there would be less "difficulties".
Can you imagine that type of thing now? Of course not. Why? Because the laws have been tightened up so that fewer things slip through the cracks. It didn't change overnight but it did change.
My daughter is only 31 and there have been tremendous changes in her lifetime. The ink was barely dry when she was born on the human rights legislation that guaranteed jobs would be protected while women were on maternity leave. When she was nine, the Employment Equity Act was passed. She was legally an adult before common law partner rights were recognized, safe houses became safer and women were no longer required to press charges against abusive partners.
That is why I know that we can change things for the animals. It is possible to create a climate where the majority of people will not tolerate the ill treatment of animals. If the European Union can do it for the seals, we can certainly do it for the companion animals here in our own country.
So where do we start? What do we do? Happily we're not starting from scratch. If the existing legislation is still inadequate, it is at least a beginning that can be built on. How can we do that?
Politicians always look at numbers. Last summer we saw first hand how quickly all politicians became 'tuned in' to animal welfare issues in response to the strong voter feedback about Bill 138. So how do we play the 'numbers game'?
One doesn't have to be an animal activist to speak up. I'm just a middle aged grandmother and I can guarantee you that people have become accustomed to listening to me. Why? Because I speak up. I email the appropriate politicians on every issue that concerns me. I don't wait for someone else to do it.
Expecting someone else to solve all the problems creates the type of climate where my friend and his brothers and sisters wound up in such an untenable situation.
Each and every one of you can be an 'army of one' for the animals. Every email that each of you send to politicians on every level makes a difference. Every phone call that you makes carries clout. Governments on all levels never have time to address everything. In this day of policies that shift with opinion polls, voter feedback is the most effective tool you have in your arsenal.
You can also lend the weight of your voice to the official 'voice for the animals' and get a society membership. When it comes to political clout, size really does matter. It is a fact of life that politicians just pay more attention to the groups with the (ahem ) biggest membership base.
In this house, silence may be golden when Ruby is trying to let me know that those darned squirrels are at the bird feeder when I'm trying to talk on the phone. But for everything else, silence isn't golden ... its a rusty and decrepit heap that should be sent to the scrapyard.
One of the prevailing sources of misery and crime is in the generally accepted assumption, that because things have been wrong a long time, it is impossible they will ever be right. John Ruskin
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Truth is stranger and sadder than fiction
This post has moved down to the bottom of the page .... its one of the rare copy and paste humour things that I occasionally indulge in : )))
Lost Black Lab named Shelby
Happy Update - Shelby has been found!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was in my inbox tonight from Lab Rescue when the (very snowy) dogs and I came in from our last stroll of the evening
I'm looking for a lost female black lab. Her name is Shelby and she was lost in North End Halifax. She needs her medication so time is important. And with the snow I'm feeling just awful. So if everyone could keep theirs ears and eyes peeled for me I'd appreciate it. Give me a call 883-4799 any time if she's found.
Paws crossed on this stormy night
I'm looking for a lost female black lab. Her name is Shelby and she was lost in North End Halifax. She needs her medication so time is important. And with the snow I'm feeling just awful. So if everyone could keep theirs ears and eyes peeled for me I'd appreciate it. Give me a call 883-4799 any time if she's found.
Paws crossed on this stormy night
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