Personally, I Support Breed Specific Legislation - Darrell Dexter, NDP Leader

"Personally, I support breed-specific legislation" - Darrel Dexter, NDP Leader  - Dogs Piss On Pro BSL Candidate Darrel Dexter's Campaign In Nova Scotia Election

Provincial Election Day in Nova Scotia is this Tuesday, June 13th, the race just got a little hotter. NDP leader Darrel Dexter has angered dog-owning voters in his district and across Canada for his stance on breed-specific legislation.

Rick Conrad,  Petpourri columnist, of the Chronicle Herald Newspaper, published an interview on June 6th of party leaders Darrell Dexter of the NDP, and Francis Mackenzie of the Liberal Party, concerning their stance on pet-related issues.  Direct quotes from the article:

Q: Where do you stand on breed-specific legislation that would ban certain breeds of dogs like Rottweilers or pit bull terriers?

Liberal Leader Francis MacKenzie - "We are not in favour of bans on certain breeds. There are bad owners but very few bad pets. These types of breeds, however, require knowledgeable owners and we would encourage owners to seek professional training. Owners must be held responsible for the actions of their pets. If any legislation is considered, it will look at the owner, not the breed".

NDP Leader Darrel Dexter - "Personally, I support breed-specific legislation".

Need we say more? No - but we will......................

Dogs To Darrel - Piss On You!

Reaction from the dog community was swift, and in the photo to the left, Pipp, the Border Collie, makes his voting intentions clear.

"Even though Pipp is a border collie, his  adopted brother Karma is a pit bull mix, and some of his best dog friends are rotties, pits and other breeds. He doesn't discriminate", according to a site run by Pipp's owner - www.nsdogs.com

We hear dogs and owners throughout  Nova Scotia are lining up for their chance to piss on Mr. Dexter's campaign. Darrel's pro-BSL stance must have pissed of a LOT OF VOTERS, as Darrel Dexter's handlers are trying to backpedal off of his statement. Too late, Darrel!

You Talkin' To Me?

Blogger Joan Sinden, of the Dogkisser blog was so angered by Darrel Dexter's remarks, that she removed the NDP sign from her front lawn, taking it back to the party office to tell them WHY.

But not before she took this shot of her beloved Rottweiler, Daisy, another victim of breed discrimination, posting it on her blog, crossing out candidate Michele Raymond's name and adding "My Dog Votes". Hey - ya think the NDP has a clue yet?

Joan writes, "I also told them that I actually have a bumper sticker on my car that says "My dog votes" - which is absolutely true. And which is true of 1,000's of other Nova Scotians".

The Grass Isn't Greener

A fellow dog-owner emailed Green Party candidate Dr. Chris Millburn regarding his views on BSL - see his answer below:

From: "Chris Milburn" <greenparty@ns.sympatico.ca>
Date: 2006/06/09

Hi - I don't have much time, but here you go: I have 3 cats and a dog, no kids, need I say more! :-) I am for breed-specific legislation.

The vast majority of serious bites I see in ER are Rottweiler or Pit Bull. There is no need for these dangerous dogs.

I think current animal-protection legislation is pretty good as long as it's enforced, and penalties are applied as prescribed. I think there needs to be much more restriction on breeding and sale of animals. In fact, I don't think a ban on the sale of animals is totally unreasonable - at least until our SPCA's are empty of unwanted animals.

Actually, Chris - you don't need to say anything more - you have said it all.

A Reprieve For Liberals?

Francis MacKenzie's stance on BSL was the right one, and Mr. MacKenzie may find himself with support from cross-over, dog-owning voters - and deservedly so.

That said, Francis, let me call your attention to the fact that it was your Liberal Party brothers and sisters who voted to pass Michael aka "The Puppy Killer" Bryant's Bill 132 - a bill designed to deliberately and systematically exterminate a breed of dogs - in Ontario, and that the Liberal Party subsequently suffered a defeat on the federal election.  I wonder - is there a trend here?

The Dog Legislation Council of Canada has brought suit in federal court to overturn Bill 132, and a decision is expected soon. (btw - please consider a donation to the DLCC to help cover legal costs to keep Canada dog-friendly and dog-safe.)  In the meantime, Michael Bryant and Ontario Liberals have so angered dog owners in that province that we can hardly wait for the election season to start.

Sending A Clear Message

One thing is for sure - elections have taken on a whole new dimension for dog owners of all political parties.  BSL - breed-specific legislation has become a hot button in local and provincial/state elections. 

Mr. Darrel Dexter of the NDP may support breed-specific legislation, but will dog-owning voters support him? Or will they take a whiz on Darrel Dexter, the entire New Democratic Party, and other pro-BSL candidates like Chris Milburn???

Personally, I support voter participation by dog owners to vote people like Darrel Dexter out of office. And you can quote me on that.

Here's a message from dog owners to Darrel Dexter and other candidates in Tuesday's election - - You'd better wake up & smell the dog because....

My Dog Votes

ELECTION UPDATE

The results are in!  Darrel Dexter won the race, but  not before his campaign people got a strong whiff of the power of the dog vote. 

Check out the sign that Nova Scotia resident and Poliscidog blogger Melissa Melissa McKerness,  made for her lawn, making sure that local politicians were clear on her position.

Feeling the pressure of dog-owning voters, Darrel Dexter quickly backed away from a previous position of supporting breed-specific legislation, according to an article in the Chronicle Herald:

"NDP says Dexter has no plans for breed-specific bans on dogs
The New Democrats say they’ve made a faux paw.

Spokeswoman Barbara Emodi said Wednesday said she made a mistake when submitting leader Darrell Dexter’s answer to a question about banning some dog breeds.

The questions were posed in The Chronicle Herald’s Petpourri column, published Tuesday.

She said Mr. Dexter does not support breed-specific legislation.

"I wrote it down wrong," she said.

Janet Chernin, the Atlantic chairwoman for the Dog Legislation Council of Canada, wrote to Mr. Dexter after seeing his answer in the paper. Ms. Chernin, the owner of two bull terriers and a Rottweiler, said she could not support a party that backed a breed ban".

Wrote is down wrong?  That's darn good spin - ROTFLMFAO - I'll have to remember that - have an underling take a 3rd grader "I wrote it down wrong" approach.

Moving on, it seems Liberal Party leader Francis Mackenzie lost his bid - too bad Francis - and that Green Party candidate Chris Milburn wasn't even a contender, as his entire party claimed just over 2% of the vote.

Make Some Noise

Lessons learned here, boys and girls - you've got the power.  Get out and use it. And anytime some sorry ass local politician wants to make his or her mark  at the expense of your dog,  make sure you tell them loud and clear:

My Dog Votes!

Comments

[Bren]

My next door neighbor's 10 year old son just got mauled by a pit bull. He's lucky to be alive. You people are ridiculous with your stupid dog rights. There are just some dog breed that should NOT be in residential neighborhoods with children present PERIOD. I support BSL!!!

[Dave]

Above you said an uninformed politician is suitable, perhaps you guys should get all the facts before you write blind letters of support for people without knowing any of the details.

I am writing in regards to Zonda MacIsaac and Celtic Pets. I currently have in my house a dog named Daisy who is a rescue of Celtic Pets. My association with Celtic Pets and Zonda began in 2003 with the fostering of Daisy and I have not regretted one moment of mine and Celtic Pet's times together. I have fostered for Zonda, done transports, and have been continually amazed that one woman in an area so rife with with animal abuse could continue on with such a positive attitude - and actually take a focus on older, hard to adopt dogs.

I have found Zonda to be one of the most committed, belligerent, persuasive, rescuers I have ever met in my life - even taking on a 2nd job in a vet clinic so she could get a discount on medical bills for her rescues.

The fact that she has developed absolutely horrible relations with a nasty neighbour who has made it his life's work to ruin her reputation so that he can gain some satisfaction should not be the cause of the end of HER life's work and the actual death of sentient beings - innocent dogs. That would be a crime that should hang squarely on someone's head - and it definitely will not hang on Zonda MacIsaac's. Cooler heads should prevail and this man's vendetta should be seen through so that Zonda can continue to run her rescue and kennnel on her own land as she's been doing and as she should be doing - and saving dogs - like my Daisy - who would've starved to death at the end of her chain if it wasn't for Zonda. I am eternally grateful for Zonda for giving me Daisy.

And 500 other people are grateful to Celtic Pets. That should mean something to the NS SPCA. Something good must be going on for 500 animals to be saved. I can attest to the fact that Zonda MacIsaac is a good woman. Her neighbhour, I am no so sure.

Sincerely,

Joan Sinden

[M. McKerness]

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b73/rottnpagan/provelection2006.jpg

Check out the picture above. My local liberal candidate was a K9 officer for 35 years and was hugging my rottweiler Titus. He understands that it's the DEED NOT THE BREED!

[D. Shields]

I did email Mr. Dexter & got a reply from,-

Dan O’Connor

Chief of Staff to Darrell Dexter

Leader, Nova Scotia NDP

He claims that Mr. Dexter was misquoted, that he does not support BSL, nor does the N.S. NDP. ?????????????????????

[Eve Nelson-Barry]

People need to use common sense on aquiring a breed, it did not make me comfortable to look out my front door the other day and see a woman and her young son both struggling to walk a cane corso.........I've seen small kids with adult rotts they can barely hold........an educated public (and parents!) should require obedience training with any dog, small or not, no matter what the breed, mix. BUT then whoever said people have common sense these days?????????? My rescue dobermans have been/are certified therapy dogs-I've had people ask if it wasn't dangerous to have a "rescue doberman"? NOOO, not if you do your homework, train, lots of TLC.......don't take an aggressive dog...............

[Eve Nelson-Barry]

There are definately certain breeds that certain types of people should never own, that's not the BREED'S fault. I do believe anyone owning a dog should be required to take some type of obedience class, it's a wonderful bonding tool, and I firmly believe that well behaved dogs are the best press! I have rescue dobermans, and our goal is to educate people.

[Cherrie Benton]

Darrel Dexter better rethink his statements before he says them. I would never support anyone with these narrow minded views. BSL is a complete outrage!

[Sandee Frascone]

I will be sure to forward this info to my dog loving friends in Nova Scotia

[Dianne Singer]

Mr. Dexter has proven that he is truly uninformed, and an uninformed person is unsuitable for public office. I hope that the Nova Scotia dog-owning voters send Mr. Dexter and his party a clear message - My Dog Counts, My Rights Count, and I Vote - by turfing Dexter and his minions from office.