ONTARIO: THERE ' S NO PLACE LIKE THIS

Update:  Great editorial in the Mississauga News today.

---

[...]

Oddly enough, Bowser’s master, 21-year-old Danny Truong, finds himself trying to prove the impossible – that his dog is not something that, technically, doesn’t exist.

Confused? So are many residents when asked about the law that prohibits ownership of pitbulls, a slang term for a number of cross-bred animals that carry some of the traits and genetic lineage of dogs such as those of the Molosser canine family.

The legistlation refers to bull terrier breeds and dogs that have “an appearance and physical characteristics that are substantially similar” to those breeds.

Both the legislation and its definitions are vague, about as clear as mud, leaving residents and law enforcers alike to wrestle with its application and to prove the unprovable.
[...]

---

Update: Danny's got a Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=7406&post=26375&uid=61941358224#/group.php?gid=61941358224


Remember I said I was in court last Friday?

The Mississauga News came down to cover the story.  I was a bit crabby about that (sorry Julia) because I hoped that the City would see the light before the screaming started.  Oh well, it's their party and they can cry if they want to.

Another innocent dog owner has been tagged by the Mississauga Christmas 'Pit Bull' Program. 

This time, a bargain-basement neutering-only clinic took it upon themselves to:

a)  Try to determine the ancestry of a mutt;
b)  Call Mississauga Animal Control to rat out the owner because of an alleged  illegal 'pit bull'.

Seriously, does the term 'prohibited dog' bother anybody else, or is it just me?

It is of some concern that almost every person charged in Ontario has belonged to an ethnic minority or has lived with a member of an ethnic minority.

Danny never thought his dog was a 'pit bull'.  None of his friends at the dog park, where he's been a regular since Bowser was little, ever said they thought he looked like a banned dog.  They're all furious and are writing testimonials for him.  His regular vet never mentioned it.  He's been all over the place, his dog is trained, socialized to play with other dogs, and is friendly with people.  He walks him every day.  Most of all, he loves him.  Bowser is the first dog Danny's ever owned.

People have a right to know whether or not they are breaking a law, in other words, to understand a law.  I defy anyone to accomplish that to any degree of certainty with DOLA. This law is not based on behaviour, it's based on appearance alone.  It's all guesswork and vagueness and the subjective opinions of unaccredited people based on unmeasurable qualities - which is why this law is completely rigged against a dog owner right out of the gate.  The government could never, ever win any other way.

I've said it before and I'll say it again:  The only owners of short-haired dogs who are safe in Ontario are the owners of the extremely rare banned purebreds.  They are the only ones who know exactly where they stand.  The rest are easy meat for any wannabe gunslinger or ignoramus on the street who thinks he knows his stuff.

Welcome to the Formerly Democratic Republic of Ontaristan, where we say one thing and do the opposite.  Of course, bilge trickles down and it doesn't get much more rancid than the effluent that oozes from Queen's Park these days.

Public safety, my ass.  What about our safety?  Danny's safety?  Oh, I forgot, dog owners are second-class citizens in this place now, especially if their dogs are mutts - like 90% of the dogs in Ontario.

They still have time to come to their senses in Mississippi Mississauga and face the fact that Bowser is not a 'pit bull' within the meaning of the law - enforcement of which is entirely optional, anyway.

If not, this case will go to court to prove that.  I guess Mississippi Mississauga will blow, oh I don't know, fifty grand or so of the taxpayers' hard-earned money trying to take a good dog away from a good owner who loves him because he might vaguely resemble another mutt in another part of the province that had an irresponsible owner many years ago. 

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

I didn't vote for McGuilty the first time, let alone the second time he ran for office, even though I am extremely liberal in outlook.  In case nobody's noticed, these guys are not liberal in any sense of the word, despite their name.  I didn't trust McGuinty.  If I were still in St Paul's I would not have voted for Bryant - didn't trust him either.  Yet both were elected and worse, re-elected.  Now everybody is whining about the nannying and the secrecy and the fiscal mismanagement and the overall failure.

Hey, where have you been?  They started at pathetic and have descended into abysmal.

Unless you're a fan of discrimination - then they're world-class.

Comments

[unknown]

Selma, what is the name of the veterinary clinic that ratted out Danny?
May I suggest a vigorous campaign to punish them for being Red Guard warn pet owners that their animals will be in grave danger if they patronize this place?
Creeps.

[unknown]

Yeah, whats the name of the vet clinic? Can you spill the beans on that one?
I cant believe Miss. AC is going after this dog. Have you talked to anyone there? Whats their point? Do they have a point? If they feel a need to reinforce their badass rap, why dont they go after something thats actually caused some public harm?

[unknown]

The clinic will be punished in due course. There are two with similar names so before I release the info, I wan to be sure its the right one.
Yeah, what a bunch of tough guys, eh? Methinks theres a bit of - ahem - compensation going on in that department.

[unknown]

Yes, theres been some talking going on. Soon, however, there may be a lot of yelling.
Which is fine by me. This shit needs to end. In fact, it should never have started if anybody had even the most basic comprehension of democracy and fairness.

[unknown]

Wouldnt it be nice IF criminals were prosecuted and taken to task for THEIR deeds and not caring responsible dog loving good citizens of On-SCARIO? The madness of discrimination, profiling and KILLING of innocents in On-TERRIBLE must end. What are the Liberals going to ban next? It would also be nice IF they would have taken care of their fiscal responsiblity and taken REAL criminals off the streets like ones who SHOOT people and deal drugs. What is WRONG with our elected officials? Makes ME think THEY are the ones on drugs.

[unknown]

Best wishes from the UK, I hope this has a good outcome, it sucks big time!!!!

[unknown]

ok one thing i do not understand about this is how can they honestly say just because it is one breed should it be put down do we put down a child just because of his skin color no this is stupid honestly if we compare a dog to a human we dont ever do anything to a human unless they mis behave correct so why should a helpless animal be any different not to say that this case is not importanant but to go to a general idea any animal nomatter what is it acts all based on the way they are trained shyould cops dogs be put down because they attack like they are trained to do now i dont think the polica would like that :S im sorry to hear what happend danny and i really dis agree with what has happen i used to have pure bread pitbulls and so did family members of mine and honestly they were raised that even when they had puppies i could climb in a cage with them there is no problems with the dogs its the owners that have messed this up for the rest of us and any vet that does that to someone should not be in that field they re supposd to be there to help animals not MURDER the animal i cant help but shake my head discusted on the way this world is going when a poor animal that is a loving pet and member of the family is about to become extinct just because of human stupidity i hope that this will all get worked out because i love pitbulls and even if yours was a pitbull or not it shouldnt matter all animals have rights just like we do and i wish you the best of luck with the idiots that are messing with you and your pup best of luck bud and dont ever give up we have to fix this and get the animals we love back in our lives

[unknown]

that vet needs to be hung out to dry.
A campaign to alert all owners of short-haired, boxy-headed dogs that he may betray them

[unknown]

Sorry, Anon, Im a huge fan of punctuation. I think I get your point, though which is the law sux.
No argument here.

[unknown]

I am a long time supporter of the DLCC, but this latest situation has put me over the top in my outrage meter.
We have started a new Facebook group and linked to Dannys Facebook page.
Please come and have a look and show your support. We need to develop a grassroots movement and get this archaic bill overturned.
Stop the Insanity - Boycott Everything Ontario Until Bill 132 is Overturned
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124035970525#/group.php?gid=124035970525

[unknown]

When I worked for a vet, we had a client who most of us employees felt should be turned in for neglecting/abusing the dogs she was mass producing, but the vet said it would be unethical to turn in a client. Too bad this stupid Ontario vet didnt go to the same school of ethics.

[unknown]

Talk I hear is that the second vet should have kept his mouth shut. Now, not only is he going to have to take unpaid time off to go to court and deal with a bucket of bureaucracy but he will likely also be hauled in front of his peers at the College of Vets for sticking his nose where it didnt belong. Vets, like doctors, are not supposed to be law enforcers. They fix up sick animals. Period. So, unless he had a good alternate reason for making the call about Bowser to MAC, he should have just zipped his trap.
The feeling is that Danny will get to keep Bowser (is Bowser with MAC or at home right now?) especially if Bowser is registered with his main vet as non-Pit Bull. Then its one vets opinion against anothers. Uncertainty equals innocence - I hope.
As for MAC taking this situation as far as they have, they must just have a hate on for pitbull looking dogs. If Bowser were in another jurisdiction in Ontario, say one just to the east of Mississauga, AC officers might have possibly in theory said something along the lines of maybe "Look, someones registered a complaint about your dog being a bladibla type dog and if you have paperwork proving otherwise then great but if you dont and your dog ever gets picked up for doing something it shouldnt be doing, then youre going to be in the shizz. Now get outta here and take your giant chihuahua with you."
This DOLA is a bad law and needs to be changed but even as it is, there is room for reasonable interpretation of the law. That MAC considers throwing the book at Danny and Bowser as reasonable interpretation, speaks to the mindset of the people who run the place.

[unknown]

Yeah, boo bloody hoo for the vet, who contravened the OVMA directive to not get involved in this garbage.
Sorry, Fred, mind and MAC dont belong in the same sentence. They are just wanking along with McGuinty et al.
Well see how it plays out. Were I an ACO and got a crank call like that, Id probably just give the dog owner a heads-up that somebody might think his dog is illegal so he should play it cool until the ban is overturned. Duh. You know, a warning to take it easy.
Can you believe that so much public money and time is wasted on arguing over whether a dog looks a bit like another dog? Arguing over whether a mutt might look a bit like a purebred? As if that makes any difference whatsoever to the price of beans?
Goebbels must be beaming from his balcony in Hell.
Yes, I have said that before but I like it.

[unknown]

PS Hes at home.

[unknown]

i say we boycott the damn place .. we have rights and for them to rat u out like that and get the dog taken away is a violation of our rights as human beings. you put trust in this place to help care for ur pup and they end up screwing you like that. hearing that this shit is going on pisses me off. keep strong boss...

[unknown]

I have always suspected as much but to see this in print is horrifying:

It is of some concern that almost every person charged in Ontario has belonged to an ethnic minority or has lived with a member of an ethnic minority.

Do you have more information?