The official press release hit the press yesterday. We have filed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The public opinion was always in our favor but change has tipped even more in our favor since 2005. We see evidence of it at every event we attend (of which we have done or attended over 200 events since 2004). The overwhelming public opinion is firmly behind us and we hope the SCC will see through this piece of crap and overturn the law.

People are gobsmacked that the Liberals chose to ignore common sense alternatives and instead threw responsible dog owners under the bus and caused an onslaught of death to now over 5000 dogs since enactment.

Here is a link to one of the articles in today's paper.

And they're off! The official campaign for a May 12th election in BC was kicked off yesterday.

Time to activate the dog owners of BC! Beware BC, a whole lot of dog owners have moved to BC looking for common sense since all has been lost in Ontario since McGuinty became Premier Nanny of Ontariostan. You can also bet the dog owners of BC have been watching the BS going on here, as in BSL (breed specific legislation), and won't be allowing it in Beautiful British Columbia.

A rag article today held the headline It is time to ban this breed.

Unfortunately, pit bulls have three strikes against them:

1.When they bite, they don't easily let go and the damage to their victim is almost always severe.

2. They scare the hell out of people. Yellow Lab walks down the street with its owner and people smile. Pit bull walks down the street with its owner and people cross the street.

3. They don't attract quality owners. That's not to say all pit bull owners are questionable pet owners, just that an inordinate number of questionable pet owners are attracted to pit bulls.

This information contained in the article must be a misprint?

The 3 strikes are:

1. The media trogs who love to propagandize and hype poor old 'pitbulls'.

2. Build fear in the uneducated based on the propaganda campaign spanning over the past couple decades.

3. Single out an easy target (dog owners who own a fictitious breed of dog) and activate like minded trogs.

Listen up trogs.

Here is the deal. Cut the crap. It is getting real old.

Fact #1 There is no such thing as a 'pitbull'. It is a slang term for a shape or type of dog. One of the most common mutts you see on the streets of Manytown Canada. Since the purebreds that are the usual typecast target are so ridiculously rare, it is unlikely there is any bull or terrier in any of these short haired mutts. Who knows for sure and who cares since a dog is a dog is a dog.

Fact #2 There is NO science to back up your statement that any dog has a "worse" bite or any dog is capable of a more "severe" bite than another. The bite pressure thing is BS. Science proves that; and yes I can back it up. The locking jaw is BS and yes I can back that up too. Can you back up your statement?

Fact #3 Yellow Labs are as capable of tearing your face off as any other dog. The reason people may cross the street when they see a supposed "pitbull" coming toward them is one of several reasons. They know nothing about dogs and cannot decipher the difference is in the training/socialization the owner has provided for the dog. They have an irrational fear of dogs based on believing the media propaganda for the past couple decades. This is a dangerous ledge to walk on. If Mr. Lab owner is a moron and hasn't socialized or trained his dog properly, and Mr. Short Haired Mutt of unknown lineage is also coming toward you but has trained and socialized his dog properly, your chances of losing your fact to Mr. Lab is exponentially greater than losing your face to Mr. Short Haired Mutt. You have just created the right climate for people uneducated about dogs to risk their safety based on BS rather than common sense. For what? Hype? Drama? What exactly is the point of the propaganda campaign?

Fact #4 The typical owner of a short haired mutt (what people LOVE to refer to as a "pitbull") are middle aged, well educated women; however they can come in all shapes and forms.

I am a white, middle-aged female.   I am a wife,  I am a mother.  I do not show dogs. I do not breed dogs. I only own rescued animals.  I'm a liberal and a registered voter.

And now I'm really pissed off.

The statement that there is an attraction for "questionable owners" to be attracted to a certain type or breed of dog is an assumption, not something that is a fact. Nice try though. The person who thought that up must have been bullied as a child?

Well BC candidates. You better be putting on your thinking caps and keeping your ear to the ground. Dog owners are hip to this crap and BC won't be falling into the same depths of denial we fell into here in Ontario. The thought that we were smarter than breed bans or thinking that our government wouldn't throw dog owners under the bus for the sake of grandstanding and optics. Thinking that people put into the position of, oh I don't know, the ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE PROVINCE would apply some common sense, and follow a model that works like the Calgary Responsible Pet Ownership bylaw?

Oh no, we are hip now. We have seen the light and witnessed our Nanny State government flat out ignore common sense legislation and replace it with death and destruction. Flat out discrimination against law abiding citizens based on the shape of dog they own!

The bus stops here.

 

This past weekend was the 16th annual All About Pets Show.
The show was one of the most organized shows I have ever participated in. I am really pleased that we decided to participate in this show. The demographic of people were different from other shows we have been doing. It was great to hit the "pet crowd" and a different crowd than other large shows in the GTA.

Having worked so many events in the past 4 years, there are several things I am noticing.
- That generally speaking people are getting more hip to the fact that we are right and the government are downright dangerous to say the least. Even with lack of knowledge surrounding the Dog Owners Liability Act and canine law in general, people are hip to the fact now that if the Fiberals have legislated it; it must not make sense. If there is one thing I can thank our jerk of a premier for, it is waking people up to the fact that the government does NOT have the taxpayers best interest at heart!

-People respond much better to hearing a solution. They are thirsty for information and that HUGELY includes the "enforcers". We had many people who work the front lines of enforcement of this piece of crap law, stop by asking tons of questions and thirsty for knowledge. They reinforced the fact that they get ZERO direction from the province and feel that the law is so vague there is no way to effectively enforce it. Therefore, some areas have seen a dramatic rise in destroying dogs (or shipping as many as possible out of province) since there is no way to determine what dogs fall under the law.

- People are super receptive to the Calgary model. People were super interested in knowing more about the Calgary Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw. There were stunned to hear that the McGuinty Liberals ignored the information about the Calgary model presented to them at the committee hearings. Donations flowed as people heard that the Fib's were aware of an alternative that works and has been proven to work for nearly 2 decades and chose to launch a witch hunt instead. Dog owners are very hip to the fact that dog bites have not dropped and nothing has changed other than their friends who own short haired mutts have been stopped from visiting dog parks and dog sports etc. People are solidly behind us and it is great to have heard that from thousands of people and many were not dog owners.

Something that is still bothering me to the point of loosing my mind...

Here it goes... There is NO SUCH THING as a "pitbull"!

For dogs sake; if I hear one more time people agreeing with me.. Yes, there is no such thing as a "pitbull". In the same breath I have owned many "pitbulls". Look at that nice "pitbull". What is this dog? A "pitbull"?

Here is the deal breaker. If you like short haired, stocky mutts, never never never call them a "pitbull" or ever ever identify a dog, under any circumstances a "pitbull". Here's why. I understand the pride behind calling a dog a slang term that prior to November 29th, 2005 was not a scarlet letter or a target. I agree, there is nothing wrong with the word itself since it is partially contained in one of the purebred proper names. Here is the problem though, we have proven in court there is no such thing as a "pitbull". It is a slang term for a shape or type of dog. As of 2005 in Ontario, the word "pitbull" is associated with death, muzzling, witch hunt, strip your rights based on the shape of dog you own; not the behaviour of the owner or the particular dog. No siree, it groups together all dogs that "look" like a "pitbull" according to whoever is doing the identifying. It means something different to every person. It is like saying identify a Retriever or Shepherd. Both are slang terms for a shape or "group" of dogs. If the dogs are not registered purebreds (with a reputable registry; not a pet store stamp of approval or illegitimate registry for  so called designer dogs) how do you know what mental picture someone gets in their head of what that term may mean?

I am going to say it again. This is fact not my opinion. Drum roll....

There is NO PERSON qualified to identify the breeds that constitute a mutt. Again, I mean no disrespect to mutts, mongrels or cross bred dogs however; when identifying them can mean whether they get to live or die it becomes a very different meaning. Why would one want to be the determining factor on whether a dog becomes a target for death. Not when there is no need for it. If the dog is a purebred, ok. He is what he is. But when he is a mutt, who the hell knows what he is and you and no one else is an expert on the matter cause experts on the matter don't exist. They are all hangin' with the 'pitbulls' in slangland.

So do the mutts and yourself a favour. Please STOP using the double standard.
 
KISS. Keep it simple stupid.
If a dog is a purebred, identify him/her as such.
There are such a minute amount (if any) purebreds that go through the "system" of shelters, pounds and rescues based on sheer numbers and that includes all breeds. Only a fraction of the dog population at large is purebred. Many are called purebred and might even strongly resemble a purebred but without the registry there is NO PROOF! It is illegal to breed and sell animals as purebred without registering them under the Animals for Pedigree Act. The actual banned breeds are even more rare since they were all among the rarest of all purebred breeds in Ontario to begin with. Dog pop. approx less than 1500 all three breeds combined! These dogs aren't out breeding like rabbits; therefore the likely hood that the short haired mutts you see so commonly and running through the "system" are a combination of the most popular dogs. IE. Labrador Retriever, Boxer, Golden Retriever etc etc...

If a dog is not a registered purebred, identify him/her as a mutt.
Call it a day, find a good home if the dog passes evaluation. A dog is a dog is a dog is a dog... Every dog deserves an evaluation and every dog that passes an evaluation deserves a home. There is no obligation to identify the breeds of a mutt cause it cannot be proven. It is your word against another. If your dog is a mutt, take him into the pound and ask them to identify the breeds and get it in writing. At least then you have a document telling you what they are identifying them as. Remember, nobody is qualified. Remind them of that. No vet, shelter worker, washroom cleaning crew, dog judge or self proclaimed dog breed expert is qualified. As Mel Lastman would say, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOBODY!

It is time to cut the drama. Call a spade a spade. There is no need to ship mutts out of province. If any of these mutts that are being identified have any of the banned purebred breeds in their genetic makeup, I'll climb to the top of Queen's Park and shout "DOGS RULE; LIBERALS DROOL"! Actually I may do that, just for the fun of it..

With 30 American Staffordshire Terriers in the whole province I guarantee you none of the mutts on petfinder stating they are "Am Staff crosses" are "Am Staff crosses"! I have one of them and I guarantee you, he isn't out whoring around! I know most of the other 29 Am Staff owners in Ontario (we have become acquainted since 2004 when this crap started) and I know their dogs aren't out humping around either.

So there you have it. A report and a rant in the same post. Yes, I am a multi-tasker extraordinaire. Please do your best to get the facts out there. The only way we will win the real war is if common sense is restored and the Fib's are out of power.

 

April 10 to 12 is the All About Pets Show at the International Center in Toronto. Directions and show times are on the AAPS website.

We are having a booth at the show. Our booth number is 536. If you are coming to the show, please stop by.

The All About Pets Show is a fun outing for the whole family.

Just some of the features at the 2009 show are:

- North American Flyball Association sanctioned flyball tournament sponsored by Global Pet Foods in the Dog Demonstration Ring sponsored by the CKC - Canadian Kennel Club

- Visit the Cesar's booth and meet Maggie from the commercial where you can have your picture taken with her.

- Centre Stage sponsored by Milk-Bone - featuring the Doggie Q Fashion Show, sponsored by Ren's Pets Depot, The Parade of Breeds and Educational Seminars.

- Ask the Trainer - Time and Patience Dog Training seminars and certified trainers will be on hand to answer your questions.

- Pet Adoption - Adoption specialists will be on hand to help you find that perfect family pet in need of a new home.

- The exotic sounds and beautiful colours await you in the World of Birds.

- Shop from over 170 exhibitors with Great Show Specials on various pet products and services.

Come and join us at the All About Pets Show! A true pet lover's paradise dedicated to promoting the responsible ownership of pets.

We look forward to seeing you there!!

Regrettably, visitors are not permitted to bring their pets to the show.

Santa Barbara County, California recently invited Bill Bruce to speak about the Calgary Responsible Pet Ownership Program.

I am thrilled the county of Santa Barbara has supplied a link to the video of Bill's presentation.

If you would like some enlightenment or investigate further what we have been preaching for the past few years, it is well worth your time to hit this link.

Thank you Santa Barbara County for posting the video to Bill's presentation.
Thumbs up to Santa Barbara County for making the move to educate yourselves about the most efficient animal bylaw program in North America.