London, Ontario City Meeting on PIT BULLS

From my friend's blog My World According to Conners

The dog to the left is Shasta... one of the loving, sweet and innocent lov-a-bulls that BSL seeks to exterminate :(

Please be sure to read the whole article.....

As many of you know, BSL is fast becoming the hot new way to address dog bite issues.... if only it did ANYTHING to actually prevent dog bites!!! Oh no my friends, it has nothing to do with prevention... it IS about extermination! The powers that be have decided that certain breeds are unfit to live with humans, and this is hysteria NOT fact, and are now looking for "legal" ways to exterminate every last dog. And the worst part of this....... CRIMINALS DO NOT ABIDE BY THE LAW!!!! What? You say... they DON'T??? Well, that means that only good, law-abiding, responsible dog owners will lose their most precious and loved K-9 companions! How can this be!?

That's right.... that IS how it will be. Hundreds to thousands of dog owners per large city will continue to have their rights, their beloved dogs and their faith in the system ripped away from them as BSL plows its way thru every country on the planet. And what do you think will happen when the not only the dog bites continue, since it is not just pitties that sometimes bite people, but the irresponsible pit bull owners continue to breed, fight and train their dogs inappropriately and unethically in underground rings?????? Oh yes, what WILL happen? How will the law-abiding public feel about that!?! Will the government that passed the laws just shake their heads and say "Hmmmmm.... this BSL doesn't seem to be working to help fix the actual problem. But, we are making lots of revenue off of the people who were never even a problem to begin with! Haha! Let's keep this going.... we will control the people with more propaganda and hysteria in order to keep our backing for this faulty legislation!".... that's probably about the jist of it >:(

Please read the full post, and the information that Conners has gathered on the proposed BSL in Ontario, and you tell me...... does it fix anything!? :(

Soon as I hear there was a City Hall meeting today, which I thought was at 4PM, I quickly grabbed Shasta's leash, baggies and my bike. We had to bike pretty far...well, considering I was concerned for Shasta as she was running and I wanted her to pace herself knowing it was a long way.
Since everyday has been warm, I decided to take a light sweater just incase...I should have taken something a lot warmer as the meeting didn't start until 7PM, so it was a long, COLD wait.
While I was waiting a reporter approached me and asked why I was there. I told him I was opposed to the specific breed ban and how London is making it virtually impossible to own a pit bull even by abiding to all the laws the Province of Ontario laid out.


We talked a little off camera and then I was more relaxed and felt more free to talk. I explained about my disabilities and how Shasta had succeeded to get me out of my of my phobia's...explaing that I was housebound, but taking Shasta for short walks, that slowley became longer and then the biking and told him where we had biked from.
I explained that people such as I was multiple disabilities and only a set income shouldn't be penalized for the breed of dogs we have, nor anyone else as long as they are RESPONSIBLE owners. I didn't set out to get a PIT BULL, it just happened and we bonded and she's my trusted and most wonderful companion that doesn't have a mean bone in her body.
He also took a lot of video of me playing with Shasta and then camera ham Shasta, decided she wanted a close up head shot to the camera. She was GREAT!!! No doubt about it. I'm glad we went as she showed the best of a pittie. Even a squirrel went by and she just sat and watched it to everyones amazement.
Since I didn't get to hear the meeting, I did get some information from the others.
This is just a 'bit' of it and I will post more as I learn more.
Here's the pertinent stuff from the 177 page agenda!! Unfortunately, you can't access the Environment & Transportation Committee agenda at www.london.ca at this time, as the agenda is not coming up...so here's what I can tell you. Hang on to your hats!!It's agenda item # 20, page 98. Try to view later.....
*States that London has about 756 licensed pbs. No estimates on unlicensed.
*States that major advantage of passing a pit bull dog bylaw is to provide dor a licensing system (money grab ) for pit bulls that the DOLA does not provide...
*PB licences would only be issued from the date of the passing of the bylaw until Dec. 31, 05; leaves 3 months for owner to get a grandfathered PB licence for the 2006 yr. After that, no more issuing except annual renewal of 2006 licence and any owners of pbs that do not have a pb licence MUST REMOVE THE PB FROM THE CITY OR HAVE IT DESTROYED!!
*No such tag, not allowed in town! At around the 16 year from now mark, no more pbs will exist in London or be allowed in the city. (can you say extermination?);
*No pbs in off leash area(s);
*must post pb property warning signs;
*$1,000,000 in insurance to be purchased;
*No pbs in multiple unit dwellings: too much insurance for landlord; this makes it possible that many pb owners may be required to move or have their dogs destroyed so city decided not to include such a strict provisin in the bylaw as it's "more desirable" to have the money from licences! and to account for the pbs! Mentions that it can be challenged in charter of rights too! Bless the city for this part: "the owner has the right to move with the dog (either out of London or to a non-multiple dwelling in London), to have the pb destroyed or to transfer ownership of the pb to someone who does not live in a multiple dwelling. Furthermore, the owner would have until Dec. 31/05 in order to move, should he or she chose to keep and licence the dog."
*goes on about muzzling;*enforcement: London bylaw used along with DOLA. For instance, searching for and seizing pbs is left to DOLA. There are 2 ways to lay charges:
1) issuing a Part 1 ticket;
2) laying a Part 3 information.Part 1: used at time of offence; defendant can plead guilty and pay fine w/no court. States disadvantage is that the max fine is only $500.
Part3: defendant must go to court and can't pay out of court; max fine is $5000.00; can seek probation order. Disadvantage: cumbersom administratively . Anticipate serious or repeat offences and orders to destroy would then be sought.List of ticketable offenses:
1) own non grandfathered pb: $500;
2) transfer a grandfthrd pb not by gift or bequest: $500;
3) allow pb run at lg: $500;
4) " " " " in off leash area: $500;
5) fail to renew pb lic: $200;
6) fail to attach tag to pb: $200;
7) fail to ensure pb has muzzle: $500;
8) fail to secure pb w/leash: $500;
9) fail to purchase warning sign: $200;
10) fail to post warning sigh: $300;
11) fail to apply to Licence Agent for chng in ownership of pb: $500;
12) fail to ensure pb has microchip: $300;
13) fail to ensure sterilization of pb: 500;
14) fail to provide Lic agent w/new address, phne #: $200;
15) " " " " w/name address, phone# of person to whom giving possession of pb: $200;
16) " " notify " " immediately if pb running at large: $500;
17) " " " notify " " " " " bitten/attacked: $500;
18) fail to remove/destroy pb: $500
The rest of the document, is ammendments to DOLA, definitions of Who's who and what powers they have, what dwellings are running at large, tags, control of pbs, apps for licence guidelines, when destroying dog is called for, fees, sterilization, muzzling etc excemptions, general provisions blah blah blah....so overwhelming and surreal!
Well that's a bit of 177 pages of agenda.
On a positive note, I didn't just sit there and do nothing. I was collecting signatures galour to fight against the Ontario Governments new law as of Aug. 29th. It can't be fought until it is actually law and then we fight for the new amendments.
If we can change the amendments to the Ontario Law, then that should also dismiss what London council is proposing.
If you are from another city, province or country, I think it wise to see what we are going through, just incase you happen to get targeted somewhere down the road. At least this gives you insite of what is possible and if we can change this, then you know the route to take, or something simular.
My goal is not just for Shasta or my city or my province. My goal is to give information of our goings on to possibly help you if it comes around to you.

Please be sure to stop by Conners blog and website for not only more information about pitties and BSL, but also detailed information about the fight against BSL in Canada!