We can count in hours the time left before the Ontario polls open. The Canadian Kennel Club respectfully asks for your time over the next 10 minutes to review our message and emails received from candidates with their personal stand on Bill 132.
The CKC, established in 1888, has the mission to "service its membership and the community at large by giving support, understanding, help and guidance in all their canine related endeavours" and today we continue to do this.
We know Bill 132, the "Pitbull Ban", has affected many CKC members in Ontario (approximately 10,000) and countless others in a broader provincial community of responsible and loving dog owners.
We all know the issues, cite expert criticism of breed banning and show support for dangerous dog legislation that is not breed specific.
We also know the reasons Bill 132 is ineffective and should not be part of our lives. We must go beyond the statistics and the making of laws and consider the everyday impact on the streets of Ontario ignited by this campaign issue.
Bill 132 has;
- changed the perception of dog ownership in Ontario
- changed lives of responsible dog owners in general, for many, in specific costly and painful ways
- changed the way our own neighbourhoods respond as we walk with our dogs
- changed our security of ownership as we realize that additional breeds could be added
Bill 132 changed the lives of all dog owners to the point where every dog and owner is now scrutinized when previously we were not. This social damage goes well beyond the technicalities of any law.
The Canadian Kennel Club urges you to ask each and every candidate in your riding the following questions and tell them their answer may be a deciding factor in your vote.
"Are you personally against the implementation of Bill 132 - Ontario's Bill to ban specific dog breeds? If so, will you commit to working within your party to remove Bill 132?"
Send us the responses at [email protected] . We all want to know and we will post them.
Expressions of support have been received including the following and, for many, they capture the essence of the day.
"I have no intentions of voting for any Candidate who supports Bill 132 - Ontario's Bill to ban specific breeds. I will tell them that MY DOG VOTES!!!
"Most definitely, my dog votes through me and it will never vote for this Liberal Party."
"John O'Toole Conservative incumbent for Durham has assured me that he personally will lobby and work to get the Breed Ban lifted and he assured me that this is his party's official stand. I am wearing his button, have his flag on my car and have asked him to put his sign on my lawn."
Now, not later, is the time to wave the flags wear the buttons, put up the signs and take your dog for a walk preaching to people to "think twice, vote once and choose to make a difference."
To see correspondence received from candidates to date visit www.ckc.ca, go to CKC Resources/BSL Resource Centre/MY DOG VOTES or click here.
Walk your dog on October 10th and stop in to cast your ballot, because in Ontario it's "MY DOG VOTES" day!
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