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For the Love of Dogs . . .

Northern Ireland's Draconian Dog Law

Eleventh Hour Mercy Plea to Save Death Row Dog Bruce:

Dog lovers around the world have reacted in horror to the recent news that the high profile case of pet dog "Bruce" may finally be over as a court orders he be destroyed in a few days time ending an exhaustive twenty one month battle to save him.

Bruce was a young Staffordshire Bull Terrier living happily with his family in Northern Ireland. On September 19th 2007 Bruce was seized by council officials as an alleged "pit bull type" and taken to secluded kennels whilsthis owner was taken to court for owning a banned type of dog contrary to the Dangerous Dogs Act (Northern Ireland) Order 1991.

Whilst incarcerated in kennels his family were allowed to visit their dog in October 2007, Bruce had lost weight, muscle tone and had an open cut to his muzzle. Five months later Bruce was allowed a second visit from his family in March 2008, they were shocked with what they found: The wound on Bruce's muzzle was larger, weeping and had become infected, he tail had been amputated due to damage and infection, he had open pressure sores, was underweight and looked totally broken and rejected, yet despite the clear pain he was in, is described by experts as being a friendly dog that poses
no danger to the public.

See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRJYVszJ7tE&feature=fvsr


A trial was heard at Bangor Magistrates' Court on 27th August 2008 and the court determined that Bruce was "of type" despite the evidence from two expert identification witnesses who said he was not. Judgement was given two weeks later on the 12th September and Bruce was ordered destroyed devastating his family and supporters.

A legal appeal was lodged and a brief hearing on the 12th November 2008
listed the case for mention on 12th January 2009.

A further hearing in March 2009 was scheduled to set a date for the full
Appeal. But, as we understand it, at this hearing the Judge gave Bruce a
reprieve, as she believed Bruce does not pose a danger to the public. It was unclear how this potentially groundbreaking ruling would proceed as the Judge did not contest that Bruce had been found to be a pit bull type but decided as he posed no danger to the public he could be returned to his owner under the conditions that apply to pit bull types in England: Bruce's owner was trying to obtain third party liability insurance for him as a pit bull type in Northern Ireland. As it is illegal to have a "pit bull type" in Northern Ireland no insurance company was able to offer insurance cover.

A further court date was set for 29th June 2009 to decide how this ruling for Bruce could proceed and the Judge ordered destruction.

In a desperate attempt to save Bruce, owner Shannon Brown, supporters and neighbours have created petitions, online networking groups and videos resulting in worldwide support to "Bring Bruce Home". Bruce remains on canine death row, removed from his family home, alone and unaware of theworldwide support he has to spare his life.

Despite being debated several times, Northern Ireland has not adopted the provisions within the1997 Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act allowing friendly pet dogs found to be unlawful by appearance, but posing no danger to the public, to be allowed to live. In England, Scotland and Wales, a dog found to be "pit bull type" by the courts can be ordered entered onto the Index of Exempted Dogs as an alternative to destruction. If the Amendment had been accepted in Northern Ireland, the court would have been able to exercise discretion as with the rest of the UK - Bruce is likely to have been home long before now, alive and well registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs.

If Bruce lived across the border in Southern Ireland where no breeds are nationally banned he would never have been seized and imprisoned at all. Bruce has been offered a place of safety with a dedicated rescue and sanctuary in Southern Ireland where he could legally live out the rest of his life; this offer has been conveyed in writing to the solicitor but has sadly not been accepted by the court.

Bruce hasn't actually ever put a paw wrong; he is sentenced to death due to the way he looks and the fact that NI has a mandatory death penalty unlike the rest of the UK who gave the courts discretion when sentencing twelve years ago.

Bruce and his family have endured much mental and physical anguish and pain solely due to a draconian law. His owner is simply a young dog owner who has been struggling for nearly two years to save her dogs life.

All that needs to be done to let a friendly dog live is for Bruce to be
allowed safe passage from Northern to Southern Ireland and Bruce needs your support again during his eleventh hour.

We are asking supporters to contact the Secretary of State for Northern
Ireland (Shaun Woodward MP) and Ministers urging them to use compassion and discretion by granting Bruce a Pardon removing the penalty imposed - the mandatory death sentence with the provision that Bruce is moved to the rescue placement ready and waiting for him in Southern Ireland. For a nation who claims to be animal lovers this would be the expected outcome.

As the court has ordered that Bruce be destroyed someone will be expected to administer the fatal injection. Veterinary surgeons take a sworn oath and promise to safeguard the welfare of animals committed into their care. In line with this sworn promise we are calling on all veterinary professionals within the UK to take a stand and refuse to kill Bruce - a healthy, wanted animal who poses no danger to the public & has a rescue space waiting for him in Eire. Bruce's legal owner does not give consent for Bruce to be destroyed.

Please help by contacting the relevant authorities (template letters
available) - details below to add your support to "Saving Bruce".

For Further Information & Updates - Please Contact:

DDA Watch - www.dangerousdogsact.co.uk

Email: mail@dangerousdogsact.co.uk

Tel: 0844 844 2900

Endangered Dogs Defence & Rescue - www.endangereddogs.com


Email: mail@endangereddogs.com

How You Can Help Bruce:

Urgent Plea for a Pardon/Intervention to Allow Export of Bruce to Eire:

* The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland - Shaun Woodward MP

Northern Ireland Office, 11 Millbank, London, SW1P 4PN

Fax: 01744 24306


www.shaunwoodward.com/enquiry.html

* The Rt Hon Peter Robinson MP MLA - First Minister
* Martin McGuinness MP MLA - deputy First Minister
* Jeffrey Donaldson MP -
www.jeffreydonaldson.org
* Gerry Kelly MLA

Email: ps.ministers@ofmdfmni.gov.uk

Letters to: GD36 Stormont Castle, Stormont Estate, Belfast BT4 3TT

www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk

* Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP - Home Secretary

Letters to: 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF,

Email:
public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Urgent Plea to Refuse to Administer Fatal Injection:

Please urge your members not to participate in the death of Bruce.

* Veterinary Ireland - Representative body for veterinary surgeons in
Ireland

Email: hq@vetireland.ie

* Veterinary Northern Ireland (VetNI)

Email: info@vetni.co.uk

Secretary General - jo.gibson@vetni.co.uk

* Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)

Email: admin@rcvs.org.uk &
registrar@rcvs.org.uk Fax: (020) 7222 2004

Urgent Plea to Help & Support Innocent Dog Bruce:

* Northdown Borough Council

The Mayor

C/o Town Hall, The Castle, Bangor, BT20 4BT

Email: tony.hill@northdown.gov.uk

-- Please crosspost --

'Twas the Night before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse
The stockings where hung by the chimney with care
In the hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

But at the North Pole sudden changes arose
All down to Rudolph and his ruby red nose
Clipboard in hand, a breed expert arrived
He motioned to Santa saying," please step aside".

A smooth haired coat and a muscular build
A broad deep chest our Rudolph did yield
The breed expert's pen, created pages of ticks
Then he suddenly called out "good lord, we've been tricked!"

"This creatures no donkey and clearly no horse!
I know these things! I've attended the course!"
Look at my clipboard the boxes are full!
It's very obvious to me: Rudolph is a pit bull!

Out with the measuring sticks, he explained to Santa the law
And he measured poor Rudolph from shoulder to floor.
As the spectacle continued Santa said with a sigh
He's a reindeer you fool! Why must he die?

"The law is the law" the expert said standing tall,
Then picked up his mobile and made a quick call
The sound of sirens filled the peaceful night air
and Rudolph removed to who knew where?

Days turned to weeks and confused and alone
Rudolph pined for the place he called home
As the first snow started falling Rudolph gave up the fight
And he took his last breath on a cold winters night

You may think this is funny, if a little untrue.
But how would you like it, if it happened to you?
If your dog was taken because of its look?
Because it ticked enough boxes in some silly book?

Regardless of parentage it doesn't matter what breed
If it ticks enough boxes then it's a done deed
So humour me here and pretend this is true
Think how you would feel if it happened to you.

Cuddle your hounds while you have them close by
For some spend this Christmas, waiting to die.
Now back to the story, it doesn't end there
One more short verse I need to share

Santa fetched Rudolph's body and cried for his friend
And swore to himself, this would not be the end.
And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight
"The law is wrong, please help us to fight!"

Author: Alison Green
Permisson to crosspost granted but please include credit to author and link
back to DDA Watch (link here:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=27 193457689 )

Anti-Dog Owner Law in Ontario

CROSS POST EVERYWHERE PLEASE!

------------------------------------------------- -------------------------

Remember the old saying, "If Looks Could Kill"?

These days in Ontario, Canada, they can and do.

Do you own a short-coated dog with a boxy snout? Is he brindle, white, brown or red? Then you may very well own an Ontario "pit bull".

Everything from Boston Terriers to Great Danes, purebred or mixed, have been identified by those enforcing the Dog Owners Liability Act (DOLA) as "pit bulls".

Due to the anxiety and confusion this law has created, many national
breed clubs have asked for official exemptions from Ontario's Attorney General. In fact, people are writing to the Attorney General before they get a dog to make sure they are making a safe choice.

For owners of mixed breed dogs (in other words, most people), the
confusion means that they are unaware of how this ban directly affects them. After all, there is no valid method to test the breeding of a mix and there is nothing in the law that says how you prove your dog is not a "pit bull" - yet the onus is on you, the dog owner, to do just that.

The latest decision from the Ontario Court of Appeal states that if even a tiny risk exists, it is the responsibility of government to regulate it by whatever means possible - even if this means exterminating it.

In restoring the law to its original form, the Justices told all
Canadians that despite credible research and evidence proving otherwise, the mythology surrounding the "pit bull" is taken at face value by our courts.

In other words, uneducated opinions, gossip and hearsay from any source (such as news reports) can be used to prove anything - and worse, such flimsy evidence can influence our rights and freedoms in all aspects of our lives.

Do you now see that this not just about dogs anymore?

In the words of Clayton Ruby, our lawyer,

"According to the Court of Appeal, so long as the government puts forth some evidence in support of its legislative decision, regardless of its credibility, reliability or value, it cannot lose. And it's not just
about dogs anymore. This ruling, if left unchallenged, will become case law and as such can be applied to anything, from dogs to donkeys."

Ultimately this means that the life of every dog and every breed is just a pen stroke away from extinction. All it will take is a little bad press.

We refuse to quit. We must take this case to the Supreme Court of
Canada so that dog (and all property) owners can take back control of
their and their dogs' lives.

But we have a problem. In order to move forward, significant financial obligations must be met. The Banned Aid Coalition must raise $100,000.00 within two weeks in order to pay for the outstanding costs to date and to finalize our application to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The DLCC and Banned Aid Coalition firmly believe in the importance of this cause. We are prepared to carry this burden farther but we need your help. Don't sit this one out because the future of dog ownership, if not all property ownership, is what's at stake.

Many have stepped up to help us along the way but we are again in a
crunch for time and money. Please join dog owners and others from
across our great country in standing up for fair and equal treatment for all.

Most of all, stand up for your best and only friend, your beautiful dog.
He is depending on your help during his darkest hour.

Thanks to everyone for your ongoing support. Together, we can win.

Please donate today - every dollar counts.

"We must all hang together, or, assuredly, we shall all hang
separately." - Benjamin Franklin

There are several ways you can donate.

You can mail your cheque payable to the DLCC to:
Cathy Prothro
351 Pleasant Street
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 3S4
Canada

PAY PAL. Please go to www.doglegislationcouncilcanada.org and click on
the "Donate!" link for the Pay Pal tool.

For your convenience you can deposit from any bank directly into the
Banned Aid Legal Fund by depositing to:
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce,
Penhorn Mall,
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Account 00513 010 1526839

You can also make an online payment from your financial institution's website by sending a bill payment to
treasurer@doglegislationcouncilcanada.org

Send cheques or money orders directly to Mr Ruby at the following
address,c/o BANNED AID LEGAL CHALLENGE FUND


Ruby & Edwardh
11 Prince Arthur Ave.
Toronto, Ont.
M5R1B2
416 964 9664

LeeAnn O'Reilly, Pres.DLCC
president@doglegislationcouncilcanada.org
www.do glegislationcouncilcanada.org
"Fighting ignorance since 2003..it's taking longer than we thought."