My heart is heavy for Lennox today, not just for his short life and his family, but because when I first heard of Lennox’s case I really thought that he would go back to his family, and that it would be a huge step in the right direction for breed specific legislation. He was obviously not dangerous, they were obviously wrong, and this one voiceless dog had 100,000 voices behind him.

Despite the sadness of the day I am also filled with hope. If this one dog can have so many people protesting and fighting for his life, maybe the huge increase of people actively fighting BSL will actually change something. And I take this personally. To everyone lighting a candle for Lennox, my family thanks you. For every dog that may be taken from her family at any time just because of the shape of her head and the length of her coat, I will fight for you until we show the world that you are not a monster. You are not an unpredictable and dangerous animal. You are a dog. You are my dog. You are Lennox.

Rest well, sweet boy. Your story will change the world.

Today, July 10th, was the day that Lennox was scheduled to be murdered by the Belfast City Council.  It is currently nearing 3:00am in Belfast, Northern Ireland, but even in these final moments, the fight to save his life continues.  As recently as a few hours ago, internationally-renowned dog trainer Victoria Stilwell was still making media appearances on Lennox’s behalf.

While no official announcement has been made on whether or not Lennox has been put to death, I think that this most recent statement from his family speaks volumes:

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all again for your messages of support. We are sorry to say at the present time Belfast city council seem to be intent on killing our boy. Despite previous assurances otherwise, we have been denied the opportunity to say goodbye. We have also been told that we cannot collect his body and bring Len home. We have been informed however that we will receive “some” ashes in the mail.

In the two-year fight to save Lennox, hundreds of thousands of signatures were collected from around the globe, petitioning the Belfast City Council to free him.  Celebrities, including Cesar Milan, Alyssa Milano, Kelly Osbourne, Ian Somerholder, Betty White, Sophia Bush, and so many others, have called for his release.  The world is crying out against this injustice, but Belfast City Council refuses to hear us.

My heart aches for the Barnes family, especially 11-year old Brooke, who lost her best friend and therapy dog to discrimination.  My heart aches for everyone around the world who has lost a member of their family to the injustice of breed-specific legislation, because BSL is happening on a much larger scale than just Northern Ireland, or here in Ontario.

We may already have lost the battle for Lennox; the world is waiting for word on the outcome.  Tonight, light a candle for Lennox and snuggle your pup.  And make the choice to fight against breed-specific legislation in your city.  Or state.  Or country, or even somewhere across the world.  Lennox became the unfortunate face of BSL for many… but perhaps together, we can stop this from happening to so many other “Lennox”es.

I’ve been watching the Story of Lennox, it saddens me that BSL has struck again, taking a BELOVED PET and DESTROYING yet another Family because of it.

Did Lennox show aggression, or attack anyone? NOPE. He was seized under the Stupid BSL Law for “looking like a Pit Bull Breed” in Belfast.

He has been housed in an “un-known location” since 2010. But pictures have leaked showing how horrible the conditions are… making his “bed” in piles of Saw Dust and his own Feces.

This story has gone International, gone to Court…Lawyers…Protests…Cesar Millan joined the Cause and still the Family Lost the Fight. The latest news today indicates the Family is out of ideas, and their official Statement breaks my Heart…. this is from their Facebook Page:

Official Statement From Lennox’s Family:

“We apologise for the silence as we know our many friends and supporters around the world have been desperate for news but until we had further talks with our legal team we had nothing new to share. We needed to explore all possible options before we issued another statement as we did not wish to give those that have campaigned so tirelessly any false hope or for anything to be taken out of context as has happened in the past.

Whilst there may well be errors in the Judge’s ruling from a point of law this has little bearing on whether we can or should progress by taking the case to a higher court. The ruling is based on the Judge’s decision that he deems Lennox to be unsafe despite evidence given by those qualified to assess and understand dog behaviour that contradicts the testimony of the Prosecution that was presented in court. This has given us little room for manoeuvre.

Our concern and priority has always been the welfare of our beloved boy. We have fought to have Len returned to our family from the moment he was seized but we have been advised that the legal fight is at an end. We are obviously distraught but have to consider the impact that any future lengthy legal battle would have on Len if we chose to go against the advice that we have been given. We cannot subject him to any more as there are no grounds for a further appeal and we do not wish to prolong his suffering any longer by engaging in a battle that we simply cannot win.

We have attempted to write this statement many, many times but have struggled to put in writing that the fight to spare Lennox’s life may well be over. It has been almost impossible for us to accept that we have to admit defeat. We always believed that there was some hope and that justice would prevail. We were wrong. There have been many dark days for us since Len was taken and we want you all to know that it is your support and kindness that kept us going through the blackest times.

This is all we can share with you at the moment and we are finding it hard to come to terms with the fact that there is nothing more that we can do from a legal point of view and that Lennox may well be killed. We have one last hope that Belfast City Council will allow Lennox to be rehomed in the USA. The offer is there but we have no say in whether this offer will be accepted. We have never refused to rehome Lennox. That decision was taken out of our hands from the moment Len took his final walk with us from our house to the Dog Wardens van.
If the offer is turned down we will fight for our right to say goodbye. We cannot bear the thought that Lennox will die without being reminded of the hearts and hands that love him.

Thank you.”

** IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE BSL IN ONTARIO. NOW IS THE TIME. THE 3RD READING NEEDS TO HAPPEN!!! WRITE YOUR MPP ***

Let’s Save the Dogs in Ontario that meet the EXACT SAME FATE… many Families aren’t given the chance to Fight… Animal Control can walk right into your Home, Take your Dog because it “looks like a PitBull” and your Dog will be Euthanized before you can comprehend what exactly is going on… It’s up to the OWNER to prove they were Born in 2005 or Later… or to Prove the Dog’s breed. Otherwise they are killed. Period.

Check out Hershey’s Bill 16! They provide all the Info and Stats you could possibly need to make an informed decision.

And once you end up HATING BSL like I do, join in and spread the word! It amazes me how many people in Toronto have no idea what has been happening to these wonderful dogs!!!

My 14yr old Dog Tyson is part Pit Bull…and part Shepherd. I love him. He has never hurt anyone or anything. He has been a joy in our lives, and I couldn’t imagine anyone taking him away from us.

Oh. And if you want to get “Pumped Up” before emailing your MPP … here’s a Video I put together from the 1st and 2nd Reading Rallies at Queens Park! The Very First Image of the Euthanized Pit Bulls is not mine…”borrowed” as it’s been floating around the web when BSL comes up…from my understanding it was taken outside of a shelter once the BSL was passed.

Vanessa

Name: Azul
Breed: American Pit Bull Terrier
Age: 1 year
Gender: Male
Location: Georgetown, Kentucky
Shelter: Scott County Humane Society
Notes: Neutered, temperament tested, micro-chipped, current on all shots, fecal tested, treated with Frontline and Heartgard, and heartworm tested prior to adoption.

Azul is a 60-lb, 1 year old APBT who is house-trained and crate trained.  He was crated up to 12 hours a day by his previous owners, so now he has a lot of “lost time” to make up for, and he needs someone who will help him practice his manners.

Everything is new to me and I am excited to explore the world! I love toys and my food. I get along with other dogsand like to wrestle with the big guys in my foster home! Like a typical Pit Bull, I wiggle all over with happiness and joy! My foster home does require that I have a fenced in yard, and I would like another dog to play with in my home.

If you’re in Kentucky and you think this handsome boy would make a perfect addition to your home, check out his listing on Petfinder!  He’s ready to meet his new family and cover them in sloppy pit bull kisses!

I have five large dogs. All five are considered “dangerous” breeds. All five try to pile on top of me on a regular basis. I have never had a dog fight. I have never been bitten. I have never had one of my dogs growl at me, my family, or any house guests. They are all great with children.

This topic is covered often. Pit bull lovers are adamant about our dogs. BSL affects our families; it makes me worry about my future, and it makes me tell people that my dogs are “mixed breeds” or “terriers.” It seems like with so many “pit bull” or “pit bull- type” dogs in the world it would be easy for a person to meet an average pit bull with an average family and judge the dog by that meeting. But when I take my very friendly dogs out, especially to festivals and other places with a lot of people, I always get at least one very negative reaction. I’ve heard “I can’t believe she would bring a pit bull around all of these children” and I am often approached by people who say things like, “he looks so friendly, but I know that is one of those vicious dogs.” Are you kidding me?

To defend our dogs we say people’s ideas are based on the media’s exploitation of the American Staffordshire Terrier, which is never identified by its proper breed name when it “mauls” someone. And the media does seem to demonize these animals, but what is the motive? Why do people want to believe that pit bulls, rotties, and Dobermans are bad dogs? The media is always quick to state the breed but hardly ever covers the circumstances surrounding an attack. Was the dog normally chained outside as a piece of property or treated like a family member? Did someone leave a child unattended with a dog? And one thing that is probably the most important piece of information: does the owner of the dog have a history of owning vicious dogs? Does he have a history of crime or violence? Or did Max wake up from his spot at the end of his Little Timmy’s bed and decide to maul his family? That’s doubtful. I think it is inevitable that the risk of a serious dog attack would be drastically reduced if all dogs were treated as family members, or at least as friends. Crack down on neglect and see the results.

The truth is, there are unfortunately far too many pit bull attacks. Pit bulls are popular with “bad” people because they’re portrayed as “bad” dogs and it fuels the cycle. If someone doesn’t socialize a puppy, doesn’t treat it with respect, abuses or neglects the dog, who is to blame: the dog or the human? The fact that there are thousands of homicides in the United States alone every year and less than 50 dog fatalities speaks measures about the stability and temperament of dogs as a species. I don’t believe that we created dogs, but rather that we evolved together. We belong together, and they deserve our protection and our respect.

I’m about to get my “rant on”.  (That didn’t take long, huh?)

On Friday, my Facebook news feed “blew up” with links and photos pertaining to the whole McDonalds vs Pitbulls thing.  If you haven’t heard, McDonald’s recently aired an ad that makes reference to the dangers of pitbulls.  If you haven’t heard it, you can listen to the ad  here.

Do I support their ad? Nope. Do I think it was in poor taste, and detrimental to all the hard work being put in by pitbull advocates to change the way the dogs are portrayed in the media? Absolutely. Am I going to join in on the boycott, or join any of the Facebook pages crying out for boycotts? No, I am not – and here’s why.

1.  For starters, the ad has been pulled and McDonalds has apologized.

When this ad first came to light, the websites and Facebook pages were all calling for an apology and for the ad to be taken off the air.  McDonald’s very quickly complied; they issued a public apology and pulled the ads.  Now the Facebook groups are all saying “An apology?  So what??  That’s not nearly good enough – we want ads that promote pitbulls / large donations to rescue groups – and we’re boycotting until that happens!”  In my opinion, that is wishy-washy and frankly, unreasonable.  McDonalds didn’t set out to make an ad with the intention of blasting pitbulls.  They set out to make an ad that sold new menu items, and they tried to do it with humor, and they failed.

I would love to see McDonalds (or any other large corporation) make a sizeable donation to a rescue group or “join the cause”, but really, it has nothing to do with their bottom line and I think it’s highly unlikely that it will happen.

2.  I doubt McDonalds even wrote the ad – it’s more likely that a marketing company did.

I’ve been a web designer / web developer for about 12 years.  In that time, I have worked with too many marketing people / teams to count.  I have seen marketing concepts fail on a much less spectacular level, and I have seen the repercussions for a marketing team that screwed up.  I don’t work for McDonalds headquarters, and I can’t say with any certainty what the outcry over this ad has caused, but I think that it’s highly likely that a marketing firm just lost one of their largest clients.  It’s probably also likely that someone – or multiple someones – have lost their jobs as well, although I can’t guarantee it.  What I can guarantee is that this wasn’t simply an “oh look, they don’t like our ad – just pull it and forget it” situation.  And while again, I do not endorse their message, I do feel bad for the person who came up with it.

3. The person who wrote the creative for the ad probably didn’t even know that pitbulls are unjustly stereotyped.

Nobody knows everything.  The reason we are all fighting so hard to change public perception of pitbulls is because they are portrayed as menacing killing machines by the media, and that is what the general public sees. Most of the pitbull advocates that I’ve seen have experience with pitbulls – they’ve been family pets, or they’ve worked with them in some capacity or another, or their childhood best friend had a pitbull that they adored.  If you haven’t experienced pitbulls in your life, you probably don’t know much about them… so when the media is reporting attacks and viciousness at every turn and that is your only insight, that is what you’ll take away.  Think about the thing you’re afraid of.  Why are you afraid of it?  I live in Ontario, far from the ocean, and have never travelled.  I have zero personal experience or knowledge of sharks, but I have seen Jaws and I have read news reports about shark attacks, and I think sharks are the most terrifying thing ever and oceans are to be avoided.  I bet if I talked to someone who’s been swimming with sharks or surfs without incident every day, they’d have a very different – and more knowledgable – perspective.

4.  Frankly, I think some of the “advocates” are doing more harm than good, and I don’t want to be associated with them.

Yep.  It’s a bold statement, I know, and I feel like it needs some clarification.

I am all for voicing your opinion and taking a stand against injustice.  I will happily partner up with rescue groups or advocates who are peacefully and respectfully doing their part to reverse BSL, rescue or foster dogs, or raise awareness for bully breeds.  However, I think that if you demand an apology and the removal of an ad, and a corporation complies – quickly – with your wishes, and then you turn around and demand more from them?  That’s not helping anymore; that’s hurting your credibility.  Maybe next time they won’t bother to apologize or remove ads, because it wasn’t “good enough”.

Even more, the comments on the Facebook pages and in the comments section of news articles are just ridiculous.  It’s one thing to post a picture like this in response to the ad:

Or one like this:

It’s a whole other thing to post comments like this:

Or like this:

Sorry, but that’s not the kind of “advocate” that I want to throw my hat in with.  In my opinion, it’s comments like those that are doing more harm to the breed image… A big part of the argument against pitbulls is that they end up in the hands of irresponsible people who would use them for image or to appear threatening, so when you start throwing around expletives or threats, you instantly become part of the problem in my eyes.

I don’t eat at McDonalds very frequently, nor am I about to start.  But I’m also not about to join a boycott over an ad that’s been pulled and apologized for.  Maybe it’s not enough of an effort to most, but I think that the outcry and the apology have already done more for public awareness than a boycott will, and that’s a good thing to me.

What do you think?  Will you be joining the boycott, or do you think the apology was enough?

Vanessa, of VBV Photography, is looking for doggie models in Toronto for her upcoming shoot “The Pit Bull Project”.  Purebred pitties, mixed breeds, and dogs who are often mistaken for “banned” breeds – if you and your pup have been affected by Breed-Specific Legislation in Ontario, you’re a candidate.

Playing on nicknames, personality traits, and defining characteristics, each featured pup will be given a title/theme, complete with props and backdrops, for their own mini photo-shoot.    Van’s own pooch, Tyson, is a 14-year old mixed breed with some pit bull heritage, and has played the role of “The Old Man” in the sample photo below.

Her goal is not to “out” anyone, here, but to show some of the sweet, muzzle-free faces of dogs who have been judged due to an unjust law.  Their only crime?  Being born a “bully” breed… and some of them aren’t even guilty of that.  If BSL in Ontario has affected you, and you’d like to take part in The Pit Bull Project, get in touch with Vanessa and let her know.

Happy 5th annual Pit Bull Awareness Day, everyone!

Created by Jodi Preis of Bless the Bullys, “the National Pit Bull Awareness Campaign is a nationwide effort to bring positive awareness and attention to the American Pit Bull Terrier“.  If you have ever read this blog, you probably already know that we are very bully-friendly around these parts.

Recently, my good friend Vanessa of VBV Photography headed out to a rally for Hershey’s Bill against BSL in Ontario. She took some amazing photos, which I have been saving to share with you guys… until today!

On her blog post about the event, Vanessa says:

Before you judge, ask yourself, have I owned a Pit Bull, Known a Pit Bull, Saw a Pit Bull Attack…. NO? Then who told you to be afraid, likely the media? The same people who chase you down to make ratings when your home just burnt to the ground (personal reference) or that it will rain tomorrow…and you get a sun burn for listening? Make up your own mind, through education, and stand up for the 10, 000 dogs that have died under this law since it was passed in 2005.

Check out Van’s blog for more awesome photos from the event (and MPP Cheri DiNovo’s Facebook group supporting Hershey’s Bill).  And if you happen to live in Kentucky, go see my friend Jamie Hale of Bleed Blue Tattoo and Piercing – 25% of all tattoos in honor of your dog today will be donated to the Lexington Humane Society!

Name: Mayer
Breed: Pit Bull Terrier Mix
Age: adult
Gender: Male
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Shelter: Bullies In Need
Notes: Neutered, Housetrained

Show me a person who says they didn’t just instantly fall in love with Mayer from that picture.  That is one heart-melting boy!  And guess what?  Meyer is legal to stay in Ontario!!

He’s living the good life with his foster momma and canine brother but we know, even though he would never complain, that deep down he dreams of running along side his forever family one day.  Mayor is one of those dogs who is very active outside but who will snuggle up right next to you when indoors. He loves being with his people – so much so that he struggles when they have to go to out to work.  Mayor’s foster momma has been working very hard to make sure Mayor learns that when people leave, they will come home. He needs a mature family that will work with his current routine to continue reinforcing this.  Not to worry though, Mayor comes with his own special instruction manual.

What’s that?  One more picture?  …Well, okay.

If you’d like to give Mayer his forever home, please please please click here to visit his Petfinder listing.

The story of Patrick has spread around the Internet like wildfire, sparking outrage against his abuser and uniting people from across the world in their prayers and wishes for his miraculous recovery. Countless news sources have picked up Patrick’s story, including NBC and Fox News, radio station DJs have talked about his tale, and Facebook pages in Patrick’s name have been popping up for the past week, including Patrick’s Pals, Patrick’s Law, and The Patrick Miracle – the latter has reached over 43,000 fans thus far.

Garden State Veterinary Specialists have been working tirelessly to help Patrick recover from his horrible ordeal. Their Facebook page has an album devoted entirely to Patrick, and another that displays some of the gifts of clothing, toys, and treats that have been sent in for him. I called and spoke with one employee who told me that, so far, they have received “hundreds and hundreds” of phone calls from people inquiring about adopting Patrick when he’s ready to go home.

Patrick has touched hearts around the world – mine included – and I’m glad that so many people are rallying to support him. But I can’t help but wonder: What about all the other dogs who aren’t getting constant media coverage? Where are their donations and gifts and homes?

Recently, the Garden State website posted a message stating that “Patrick’s care has been assured through the generosity of animal lovers everywhere” and that they have discontinued accepting donations to their hospital. The message was echoed on The Patrick Miracle’s Facebook page, and met with a surprising amount of resistance. There were multiple comments asking how people could continue to send money specifically for Patrick’s care or how they could assure that donations they were making were being used for Patrick.

Patrick is taken care of, and Patrick has hundreds – if not thousands – of people fighting to be the one to take him home. And though I wish that Patrick’s case were unique, it isn’t. Dogs are starved and beaten and neglected every single day… but the media doesn’t pick up all their stories. And so they wait, still in their cages, still waiting for things to get better, for someone to bring them home to a warm house with a soft bed and pat them on the head and call them a good dog and tell them that they’re safe now.

My wish is that Patrick’s story serves as a voice for those forgotten rescues, the ones who haven’t made it onto TV or into newspapers. That all of those “hundreds and hundreds of people” who want to bring Patrick home will head to their local shelters and find another dog in need, one who is just as deserving of love and affection. And that everyone who had earmarked donations of money, toys, or treats for Patrick’s recovery will consider donating to all the “not-Patricks” in need.  Patrick is a beautiful boy with a miraculous story, and I’m so glad that his nightmare is over.  I hope his story attracts attention to shelter dogs everywhere.

Every day, the pet blogosphere is filled with really amazing posts on a variety of topics.  Trying to stay current on all the updates from my favourite “dog bloggers” is nearly impossible, but today there are two posts that I’m especially excited about and I have to share.

The first one is a guest post that I wrote for Will My Dog Hate Me.  Blog owner Edie Jarolim recently took to her blog to discuss Breed Specific Legislation – more accurately, the lack of a suitable term for what BSL really means:  a death sentence for banned breeds.  After posting about BSL in the United States, Edie learned that it was also taking place up here in Ontario and that’s where I came in.  Click here to read about what the breed ban has meant for pit bulls in Ontario over the past six years.

The next link has no hidden self-promotion, I promise!  My dear friend Jamie Hale has just been featured by Shauna of Fido & Wino as the newest member of the R.O.A.R. Squad, which I find super exciting!  Jamie and her boyfriend Roger have not one but FOUR rescued pit bulls:  Deebo, Mancha, Vader, and Stitches.  I remember when Jamie first found Deebo – she was fostering him and trying to find him a home.  I fell in love with his gorgeous face and I so badly wanted to adopt him, but there were a couple of problems – one, Jamie was in Chicago at the time and I was way up north in Ontario, and two, Ontario’s breed ban laws had recently passed.  There was no way I could try and get him over the border.  Obviously Jamie fell in love with his gorgeous face, too… years later, Deebo is still very much a part of Jamie’s family and the search for a home for him has long been over!  Go read about Jamie and her rescue dogs by clicking here.  Congrats, Jamie!

Article first published as Pit Bulls:  Vicious Killers or Much-Maligned Breed on Blogcritics.

The following post contains an excerpt from an article that I wrote for Blogcritics.org.  Please visit the link at the bottom to read the full article.

We’ve all seen it in the media—the headline reading “Toddler Mauled by Dog”, the snarling pit bull with teeth bared in a music video, the villain in the movie with menacing canine protection by his side. The majority of the images we see or the articles we read would have us believe that pit bulls are vicious, bloodthirsty animals to be feared and avoided. But is that really the case? Or, is it a matter of mistaken identity in reported attacks?

For starters, there is no such breed as “pit bull”—it’s merely a term that is often used to refer to one of several breeds of dog, most commonly the American Staffordshire Terrier, the American Pit Bull Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

In reality, there are more than two dozen separate dog breeds that are commonly misidentified as “pit bulls”. Such misrepresentations make it nearly impossible to know, with any certainty, how many attacks actually involve one of the three breeds most commonly referred to as pit bulls.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/culture/article/pit-bulls-vicious-killers-or-much/#ixzz1BXNQAtBc