Murphy turned 6 this year, unbelievably. Of course I had to find him a cake again this year, and luckily Big Dog Little Dog Bakery is now making wheat free cakes! I phoned them and went over all that Murphy could have and couldn't have, and it turns out their cakes are fine for him, but the icing is dairy based, so I had to make our own. Above we have Murphy licking the beater from his icing. I think this may have been his favourite part of the whole day. A few more shots of the cake below:

 

I had a heck of a time trying to find a birthday gift for Murphy this year. He needed a new collar and leash as the one I'd bought for him in Disney World was getting dirty and worn. Finding ones that are cute yet leather free was difficult, but eventually I found this one:

 

They are denim with studs, masculine yet fancy.That was only $30, less than what I'd normally spend on his birthday. But the thing he really enjoys is treats, yet we have a freezer full of them! I found him one new kind he hadn't tried before:

So that was about it that he needed for his birthday. I wracked my mind for what else to get him, and came up with donating money in his name to an animal charity.

I already make a monthly donation to WSPA - the World Society for the Protection of Animals. They very conveniently bill my credit card every month for a set amount. WSPA covers all sorts of bases, working all over the world doing things like rescuing bears from roadside zoos, running spay and neuter clinics in developing nations, and even campaigning for more humane dog population control in northern Canada. So I wanted to something different, preferably something specific to dogs.

What I decided on was the fight against Bill 132, an insane law in Ontario (Canada) that deems all "Pit Bulls" dangerous dogs. Courtesy of Advocates for the Underdog, the organization that I donated to, here is the gist of the law:

The law says that:

A “pit bull” includes,
(a) a pit bull terrier,
(b) a Staffordshire bull terrier,
(c) an American Staffordshire terrier,
(d) an American pit bull terrier,
(e) a dog that has an appearance and physical characteristics that are substantially similar to those of dogs referred to in any of clauses (a) to (d); (“pit-bull”)

Under the new law every “pit bull” should be:

• Spayed or neutered by a veterinarian. A pit bull is exempt from this requirement if, in the written opinion of a veterinarian, the pit bull is physically unfit to be anaesthetized because of old age or infirmity.
• Microchipped
• Muzzle your dog when in public. The pit bull shall be fitted with a collar or harness that is properly fitted to and placed on the dog. The movement of the pit bull shall be controlled by a person by means of a leash attached to the collar or harness on the pit bull. The leash is not more than 1.8 metres in length and is attached to the collar or harness. The collar or harness, the leash and the attachment between the leash and the collar or harness are all strong enough to prevent the pit bull from breaking any of them. The mouth of the pit bull is covered by a muzzle that is humane and that is strong enough and well-fitted enough to prevent the pit bull from biting, without interfering with the breathing, panting or vision of the pit bull or with the pit bull’s ability to drink.
• Muzzling of the dog does not apply when a pit bull is within enclosed property occupied by the owner of the pit bull or when a pit bull is within enclosed property occupied by a person who consents to the pit bull being off leash or off muzzle. Enclosed property is defined as property that is enclosed in a way that can be relied on to prevent the pit bull from breaking out of the property.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BILL 132

• If you leave Ontario for more than 3 months with your dog you will not be allowed to bring that dog back into Ontario.
• A peace officer may enter ANY home and seize any dog suspected of being a “pit bull” if they believe that there has been a contravention of the Act of any of its regulations. If the officer believes immediate action is required they do NOT have to obtain a warrant to enter your home.
• A peace officer may enter any home and seize a dog suspected of being an illegal “pit bull.”
• A “pit bull” is not allowed to be returned to its owner if it has been sent to a research facility. Any other dog is!
• If your “pit bull” gets picked up by Animal Control there is no way to get that dog back.
• Pound operators have 3 options for impounded “pit bulls”: 1) destroy the dog 2) transfer the dog to an owner outside Ontario 3) sell the “pit bull” to an animal research facility.
• If you own a restricted “pit bull” and you are convicted of ANY offense under the new Law , your dog must be destroyed.
• You may not visit Ontario with your prohibited “pit bull” with the exception of show dogs. If a peace officer identifies your dog as a prohibited “pit bull” they may confiscate and destroy your dog.
• Under the new Law, if your dog has puppies after November 26, 2005 it is an offense. You must surrender those puppies to a pound facility or you could face jail time or a fine. This applies to all dogs designated as a restricted breed….even registered show dogs.

How frightening is all of that? There are dogs that are certified service dogs that are unable to do their jobs anymore because of this law. Hundreds of dogs have been killed because their owners can't comply with these restrictions. Obedience dogs can no longer compete. People are losing dearly loved companions.

A lot of these dogs are having to be adopted out to new owners in different provinces to avoid being killed under this law. In fact one of them was profiled in the May 2006 edition of Dogs in Canada magazine. Neville was abandoned in Toronto, and pretty much doomed to being killed as his owner refused to take him back due to the restrictions of the law. The staff at the shelter thought there was something special about this dog, so they contacted Bullies in Need, a rescue group that is working to save as many of these dogs as possible by adopting them out of province. They shipped him to a shelter in Michigan, where he was picked to be trained as a law enforcement dog who sniffs out guns and explosives.

None of this law is based on statistical or scientific fact, and it is not supported by major canine organizations, such as The Canadian Kennel Club, the Humane Society or the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. Here are several problems with the banning of "Pit Bulls", as stated on Dogwatch.com:

"Pit bulls" are not inherently or genetically different than other breeds.

The top 4 biters by breed are German Shepherds, Rottweillers, Cocker Spaniels, and Golden Retrievers. My note: these are also among the most common breeds in North America.

Bites by "pit bull" type dogs account for less than 5% of all serious bites in Canada.

It is a myth that "pit bull" type dogs are unique in how they attack. Other breeds also have a bite and hold pattern.

There is no qualitative difference between a serious attack by a "pit bull" and one by another breed of a comparable size.

A bite and hold attack is not qualitatively more severe than a series of slashing bites typical for a breed like the German Shepherd.

Dogs in attacks are regularly misidentified as "pit bulls". If "pit bull" attacks were qualitatively different then this confusion should not exist.

You might wonder why I care about this, as Murphy is clearly not a "Pit Bull". First, I think it's all extremely frightening, unjust and stupid. Second, once they ban one breed it's very easy to start tacking on other breeds. Third, as stated in the legal arguments made before the Ontario courts, if these breeds are banned, then idiots who are looking for a "tough" dog will just move on to another breed.

The legal challenge before the courts in Ontario, to try to overturn this law, is supported by several groups, including Advocates for the Underdog, The Dog Legislation Council of Canada, and Banned Aid. All that any of these organizations is asking for is to punish truly dangerous dogs, rather than picking breeds and designating all members of that breed dangerous. They need money for both the legal fight and rescue efforts. All the groups I've listed on this page have ways to donate or help on their websites. Just a few days after sending in the donation I got a personal e-mail, addressed to both Murphy and me, from Advocates for the Underdog telling me which dog I'd helped to send out of Ontario to a new home.

So that was another birthday for Murphy! Stay tuned for the fall update, following closely behind this one.

Email me!

Meghan

Here's the link to the next update: October Part 1
Here's the link to the previous update: June 2006

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