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Sunday, June 29

FROM THE LAND OF THE FREE
by
Selma
on Sun 29 Jun 2008 10:32 AM EDT
From the comments on one of my Ohio posts:
We have posted a couple of responses to these letters at our blog:
http://pitbullrescuecentral.blogspot.com/
Please feel free to circulate. We need to stop the flow of misinformation.
Also from the comments at the same post:
Check our response to Councilwoman Thompson's raving lunacies at helpfido.blogspot.com.
Please feel free to cross post. And please add us as a favorite!
Thanks- your friends at HELP FIDO.
Sorry for the delay in getting those posted, I really have been busy with something important and large this week. I've added the PBRC blog and the Help Fido blog to my roll under Man's Only Friend.
Note to PBRC and other 'pit bull' rescues/support groups: Some of your content was taken out of context, no doubt. However, we have to be careful about what we put out there always keeping in mind that both the good and the evil among us can access and use the information to suit their purposes.
Case in point: The statements around aggression in dogs are unsubstantiated by any scientific authorities to date. There is no evidence that any breed, or in the case of most 'pit bulls', mixed breed, of dog is born with a tendency toward same-species aggression. Also, according to the experts, there is no difference between aggression towards other animals and aggression towards humans - it's just a matter of unchecked escalation. The most obvious explanation for this is of course that People Are Animals Too(c).
Is there same sex aggression among dogs? Absolutely. Is there a greater tendency towards aggression when owner expectation or behaviour reinforces it? Indubitably. Is there any genetic basis for most of the popular statements about dog aggression and how it arises? None, barring disease or disorder, ie, while it would be possible to breed a line of dogs exhibiting a psychopathology, it would be difficult and ultimately pointless.
All dogs tend to be naturally unafraid of humans, or friendly towards humans, which is the same thing. It's the nature of the beast and it explains why they've been with us for many millennia - around 50,000 years according to the latest information.
Other generalizations which are common among supporters of 'pit bulls' (and other types), for example that 'pit bulls' love people and were selected for this quality, are great with kids, etc can be just as harmful. No matter what the generalization, by differentiating 'pit bulls' or any other kinds of dogs based on tendencies or behaviour for which there is no evidence other than the anecdotal kind, you are isolating the dogs, making them different and attributing qualities to them that are not supported by the research to date. You don't take any dog out of the box, wind him up and get the finished product whether he's a Chihuahua or an Irish Wolfhound.
That's what the bad guys do, generalize and make statements founded on minimal anecdotal evidence - it's just the other side of the coin. So yes, they will cherry-pick from your information and use it to their advantage. Be careful what you put out there and be able to back up your statements with references if need be.
This issue is a matter of concern. While we fight tooth and claw through the courts and elsewhere at great financial and personal cost to prove that so-called 'pit bulls' (which don't technically exist) are the same as other dogs, some of the groups which are onside with our cause are providing the enemy with ammunition - even though they have the best of intentions.
****
There was a fatality in Florida this week. Since I doubt that the story will get the typically wide play that a death reportedly caused by another shape of dog would merit, I'll do my part to get it out there.
Brent posted the news and his take is, as always, a good one.
Luisa has a good post about the story which focuses on some of the comments by readers of the news item in Florida. Her piece points out how an already ignorant public has been propagandized (and thereby rendered more ignorant) into believing all the nonsense about 'breeds' of dogs by a lazy, pandering media and self-serving government drones.
No need to gild the lily, they've got it covered.
****
As always, if you want to keep tabs on what the trogs are plotting, No Pit Bull Bans is a great source for upcoming anti-dog owner legislation. I check in there regularly.
Later (I hope).
Tuesday, June 3

WILL THE REAL WAYNE PACELLE PLEASE STAND UP?
by
Selma
on Tue 03 Jun 2008 12:44 PM EDT
Somehow, I doubt it, unless what we see - a duplicitous, avaricious Lord High Executioner for millions of helpless animals - is the real 'Humane Wayne'.
There's a good post over at Nathan Winograd's blog about Pacelle, his batty aunts at Peta and the travesty that was H$U$ Expo 2008 - held, of course, in Orlando Florida - the home of Disney World.
"According to HSUS as presented in statements, media quotes, and workshops at their conference, dogs and cats can and should be killed in shelters (it is a “necessity” and the “kindest option”); No Kill is hoarding; and cronies come before the animals being needlessly killed.
So we are left to conclude that this is the real Wayne Pacelle, and that this will be his enduring legacy to the millions of animals needlessly being slaughtered in shelters each year. When someone shows you over and over who they really are, what they really believe, and what they stand for, it behooves all of us to believe them."
Read the whole thing here.
Friday, April 25

CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER
by
Selma
on Fri 25 Apr 2008 08:53 PM EDT
It's Alive Day over at BadRap.
Check out the great photo, I guarantee it will cheer you up.
Friday, April 11

RAMBO'S OWNER CAN VISIT HIM IN JAIL
by
Selma
on Fri 11 Apr 2008 08:56 AM EDT
I had the pleasure of making a presentation to the Mississauga City Council on Wednesday morning.
I was there to support a motion by Councilor Carolyn Parrish that would allow the owners of dogs incarcerated under Ontario's ill-begotten 'pit bull' ban to visit their pets while the wheels of justice slowly grind.
Mississauga's motto is 'Leading Today for Tomorrow', which seems apt.
After my presentation in which I briefly discussed the Ontario situation and presented some research findings into owner attachment and the effects of extended kenneling on dogs raised as housepets, Council voted unanimously in favour of the idea.
Well done, Mississauga!
Lori over at Wag the Dog has more, including the report from Mississauga News.
The Toronto Star had this report yesterday.
Sunday, March 23

YES
by
Selma
on Sun 23 Mar 2008 03:24 PM EDT
Thanks to Terrierman (on my sidebar) for the link to this excellent post.
Also, through sheer laziness and an aversion to clerical work, I have failed to link this outstanding blog until now.
Thursday, March 13

GUESS NATHAN WENT AND GOT 'EM
by
Selma
on Thu 13 Mar 2008 10:32 PM EDT
I'm sure you remember the horrendous story of the dog that died while in the custody of LA County Animal Services.
The No Kill Advocacy Centre got involved and filed a lawsuit against the county.
Things seem to be unfolding as they should. Here's an update on the case from the No Kill Advocacy Centre. (caution: graphic image)
h/t Michael A

NO, MR MULGREW, THANK YOU
by
Selma
on Thu 13 Mar 2008 09:43 PM EDT
Saving dogs by reading blogs more »
Tuesday, March 11

CHECK OUT THIS COOL COMIC STRIP
by
Selma
on Tue 11 Mar 2008 06:29 PM EDT
Heh heh heh. What a great comic. Go on, take the plunge, I'm pretty sure you'll like it, starting from March 3 and working forward.
Over the Hedge
I found out about it at this nifty blog, UnderDogged. I think you'll like that, too.
Friday, February 29

RAMBO VS MISSISSAUGA
by
Selma
on Fri 29 Feb 2008 12:16 AM EST
I moved this up because Rambo's case is being heard today and you can get updates by following my links. more »
Thursday, February 28

TOGETHER, WE CAN WIN THIS
by
Selma
on Thu 28 Feb 2008 07:24 PM EST

February 2008
Dear Fellow Dog Owner,
"I was just looking at my dog, Jack.
He has a short coat, a short muzzle and a deep chest. He's about knee-high. I think he's a brown Labrador mix but who knows? I got him from a friend when he was just a pup. There was a case in Toronto just last week where a dog that looks like Jack is at the pound because animal control thinks he's a 'pit bull'. I am nervous when I take him for a walk these days, people stare at us and make comments.
I worry a lot, being a dog owner living in Ontario. Is my dog safe? Can I be sure? Well, not really because nobody seems to know which dogs fit the law and which dogs don't. And that's one of the big problems with Ontario's dog ownership ban. Every dog and no dog is a 'pit bull'."
--Ontario citizen, received via email
*
Breed banning is spreading across the continent. Mandatory sterilization and complex ownership rules complete the hat trick used to limit the breeding and ownership of dogs. Using outright lies and distortions, the anti-pet owner groups have been busy. Their aim is openly stated: they want to end the domestication of animals, including dogs.
In Europe there is mounting pressure to restrict breeding and pet ownership. Unfortunately, what starts there often comes here - as we saw with the infamous Dangerous Dogs Act.
California, Ontario, Ohio, Illinois, Louisville, Albuquerque - with each passing day another town or district is talking about or enacting a new law targeting dog owners and breeders.
*
The Dog Legislation Council of Canada (DLCC) in partnership with other Banned Aid Coalition members, has been one of the driving forces in the constitutional challenge to Ontario's confusing legislation.
We realize that our goal, while simple, may not be clear:
We are determined to fight for the rights of every dog owner across the country. We oppose breed bans, mandatory spay/neuter laws, elitist property requirements, limit laws and other anti-breeder, anti-owner legislation.
We know that even some dog owners have fallen prey to the media hysteria and political lies that allowed the passing of the Ontario law and others like it. We know that myths about pet overpopulation, uncaring profit-driven breeders, dangerous breeds and more are widely believed.
We are fighting the Ontario ban through the courts, not because of a breed or mixed breed but because the Ontario government has taken away the rights of people who have done no wrong - people like us.
Dog owners in Ontario, regardless of their pet's breed, are now subject to warrantless entry and unreasonable search and seizure. They can be charged if a dog is considered to be 'menacing' - with no definition of it in the law. They are open to mischief and harassment.
Owners of some dogs are now subject to the above plus restrictions on mobility, presumption of guilt, reversal of the burden of proof in a hearing, discrimination, intimidation and stigmatization. How long will it be until more breeds are added to the restricted or prohibited lists? As we have seen, the Ontario law already casts a very wide net indeed.
The precedent for the banning of purebred dogs and dogs that are 'substantially similar' in appearance has been set into provincial law and was upheld in a recent Superior Court decision. Three purebreds, two CKC-recognized, one recognized by other registries, are restricted and prohibited in Ontario. As a dog owner, that should alarm you as much as it alarms us.
We cannot allow governments to take rights away from people on a whim or to decide what type of dogs we should own. We cannot allow governments to prosecute citizens, not because of their actions but because of the physical appearance of their living, breathing pets.
The case is extremely expensive and we need your help. We cannot fund a constitutional challenge against an opponent with bottomless pockets (the Ontario government) alone.
To date, we have raised and spent over $525,000 on this legal action and our costs continue to mount as we prepare for the Appeal.
The Dog Legislation Council of Canada is an all-volunteer, all-breed, not-for-profit corporation with members in every province. All funds raised, including membership fees, are put directly into the legal fund.
We need your contribution now to carry on the fight for dog owners' rights. Please help us win the battle to protect dog ownership in Canada.
It's time for dog owners to stand together and speak with one voice.
It's time to say 'No!' to anti-dog owner legislation.
You can contribute in one of four ways:
1. Send a cheque or money order payable to Banned Aid to:
Attention: Cathy Prothro National Secretary/Treasurer - Banned Aid Coalition 351 Pleasant Street Dartmouth NS B2Y 3S4
2. Send a cheque or money order payable to Ruby & Edwardh with
"Banned Aid - In Trust' on the memo line to:
Ruby and Edwardh
Barristers and Solicitors 11 Prince Arthur Avenue Toronto, ON M5R 1B2
3. Contribute online at http://www.doglegislationcouncilcanada.org/donate.html
4. By online banking transfer to treasurer @ doglegislationcouncilcanada.org (no spaces)
Every dollar counts.
Thank you for your support - together, we can win this.
The DLCC Executive
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Want to be heard? Join us! http://www.doglegislationcouncilcanada.org/membership.html
Sunday, February 24

ANOTHER REASON TO BUY 'REDEMPTION'
by
Selma
on Sun 24 Feb 2008 09:36 PM EST
Peta and H$U$ don't like it:
My book Redemption has received very positive reviews in or from the Dog Writers Association of America, Sacramento Bee, the San Francisco Chronicle’s SF Gate, Midwest Book Reviews, Library Journal, The Bark, Pet Connection, Air America, and more. The only negative reviews have, not surprisingly, come from groups like PETA, which I am highly critical of in the book for their anti-No Kill policies, and from minor blogs who are run by those who are either part of kill-oriented shelters, kill-supporting national organizations, or killers of dogs and cats themselves.
Well, this minor blogger thought the book was fantastic.
You can buy Nathan Winograd's book, Redemption, by clicking through the Amazon ads on my left sidebar. Once you're at the store, you can shop around and order whatever you like.
A portion of all sales go directly to fund the case against Ontario.
Thursday, February 14

LUCKY THIRTEEN!
by
Selma
on Thu 14 Feb 2008 08:31 AM EST
Picking on the media again
more »
Wednesday, February 6

SAVING 'PIT BULLS' FROM H$U$, PETA AND MICHAEL VICK
by
Selma
on Wed 06 Feb 2008 11:26 PM EST
Nathan Winograd has something to tell you about the (self-proclaimed) animal rights monsters, the ones who are making millions out of misery and death.
You can read it here and don't miss the links.

MARILYN CAMERON URGES OWNER TO FIGHT FOR RAMBO
by
Selma
on Wed 06 Feb 2008 12:27 PM EST
Well looky here.
Good old Marilyn heard about Rambo and voiced her support for his owner.
You should read the Guysborough decision by Justice Stroud at my left sidebar under Useful Links.
The Mississauga News deserves an award for accurate, balanced reporting. I don't think that would be a crowded field in our neck of the woods. Do you?
Monday, December 31

ARKANSAS: CHALLENGE TO 'PIT BULL' BANS
by
Selma
on Mon 31 Dec 2007 11:05 AM EST
Wednesday, December 5

REDEMPTION
by
Selma
on Wed 05 Dec 2007 01:33 PM EST
A very interesting look at the self-styled 'humane' movement in North America more »
Wednesday, November 21

MACKENZIE RIVER BASIN OFF LIMITS TO INDUSTRY
by
Selma
on Wed 21 Nov 2007 07:15 PM EST
Ten million hectares protected more »
Tuesday, November 13

SECURE YOUR FUTURE TODAY
by
Selma
on Tue 13 Nov 2007 11:46 AM EST
Do you want to have a dog? more »
Sunday, November 4

BULLETIN: ACCURATE NEWS REPORT ABOUT 'PIT BULLS'!
by
Selma
on Sun 04 Nov 2007 08:40 PM EST
Maverick news station seeks the truth, talks to knowledgeable people, broadcasts results.
For some reason the display isn't working, so here's a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGairk18L8g
h/t Jamie and Mac's Gang for making my day! Drop over to their place and watch Roo and Wallace sing the Star-Spangled Banner at an event - take a Kleenex.
Saturday, August 25

DEBUNKING THE BUNKO MEN
by
Selma
on Sat 25 Aug 2007 11:36 PM EDT
Lassie gets help... more »
Wednesday, August 1

RESPONSE TO DENVER'S MOTION TO DISMISS
by
Selma
on Wed 01 Aug 2007 06:43 PM EDT
Here is the 'Pit Bull' Band's response to the City of Denver's Motion to Dismiss their case. (opens as PDF)
I'd say the PBB has hired a pretty good lawyer. I hope they prevail in this matter, we need a win right now and where better than in Denver?

WALLY THE WONDER DOG HELPS THE HOMELESS
by
Selma
on Wed 01 Aug 2007 04:50 PM EDT
Enlists aid of owner Marsha Boulton... more »
Friday, April 27

NO FLIES ON BLUE DOG STATE
by
Selma
on Fri 27 Apr 2007 08:22 PM EDT
Or fleas, either.
Another great blog about the emerging AR fascism inherent in California's AB1634, the Louisville ordinance and all the rest.
Check it out.

CALGARY PAMPHLETS
by
Selma
on Fri 27 Apr 2007 06:25 PM EDT
On Bite Prevention and Pet Owner Responsibility more »
3 Attachments
Monday, April 16

SHOOTOUT IN THE MILE HIGH CITY
by
Selma
on Mon 16 Apr 2007 03:49 PM EDT
Interview with Sonya Dias of the Pit Bull Band more »
Friday, April 13

CANADA HAS ITS SHARE OF THEM TOO
by
Selma
on Fri 13 Apr 2007 12:11 PM EDT
PPs are everywhere these days... more »
Thursday, April 12

LIVE IN TORONTO?
by
Selma
on Thu 12 Apr 2007 11:36 PM EDT
Join the 'Pit Bull' Co-op more »
Tuesday, April 10

MORE ON DENVER
by
Selma
on Tue 10 Apr 2007 09:39 AM EDT
ABC News in Denver has a story on this, very similar to the Denver Post release. They also have a poll that asks a fair question, at the 'Pit Bull Survey' link under the picture.
9News has it too.
Monday, April 9

COMPLAINT IN DENVER LAWSUIT
by
Selma
on Mon 09 Apr 2007 10:09 PM EDT
Here's the complaint filed in Colorado on April 6 regarding 5th and 14th Amendment rights under the US Constitution.
Go get 'em, girls! Third time's a charm!

DENVER BEING SUED AGAIN
by
Selma
on Mon 09 Apr 2007 06:26 PM EDT
You'd think they'd give it up, use their noodles for a change instead of persisting with this nonsense in Denver... more »
Thursday, April 5

OHIO SUPREME COURT DEBATES 'PIT BULL' LAW
by
Selma
on Thu 05 Apr 2007 09:11 AM EDT
Let's hope common sense wins again more »
Tuesday, April 3

OHIO BAN CHALLENGED IN STATE SUPREME COURT
by
Selma
on Tue 03 Apr 2007 07:24 PM EDT
Gotta love Paul Tellings more »
Monday, April 2

BREED BANS FOR DUMMIES
by
Selma
on Mon 02 Apr 2007 02:58 PM EDT
Dog Politics grabs the brass ring with today's article.
Saturday, March 31

OUR AMERICAN FRIENDS SUPPORT BANNED AID
by
Selma
on Sat 31 Mar 2007 11:06 AM EDT
Nice post today over at Dog Politics.
Saturday, March 24

ONTARIO 'PIT BULL' BAN UNENFORCEABLE: CLAYTON RUBY
by
Selma
on Sat 24 Mar 2007 10:05 AM EDT
May have to be redrafted more »
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