Pit Bulls at Queen's Park

A lot of the people in the building behind me want me dead

That makes me sad but I'd probably still give them a kiss anyway ...

... because people don't always know what they're doing ...

... and I will always forgive them for their trespasses against me

I took an early lunch and went over to Queen's Park for the demo today only to discover that it had been moved an hour earlier and I'd missed everything. Oh well. Talked to some Pit Bull owners and met their dogs instead.

They told me maybe 50 - 75 people showed up for the morning event and that the speeches by Cheri DiNovo, Clayton Ruby and some other people, whose names I don't recall - sorry - were all well received. Someone videotaped the whole thing so when that comes out, I'll post a link to it.

The bill would've been presented in the legislature in the afternoon for first reading and it's most likely that it would've been passed. That doesn't mean it's law. It just means it's made it past first reading like almost every potential bill does. Sometime later, next fall, I think, it gets voted on for real.

Here's the clip from CTV which is rather uninformative really.

Yeah, nothing new there from McGuinty who kind of reminds me of a plastic shopping bag full of muddy water for some reason (something Freudian there probably but I'm not sure what). Does he even know what a Pit bull is? He acts like he kinda does but he could use the same phrasing to talk about large rocks or discarded banana peels or little children shooting elastic bands.

I would never advocate people not picking up after their dogs but if ever someone deserved to step in a soft pile of dog shit, I'm sure we could find that someone, a whole mess of someones, behind those big wooden doors of the legislature.

Here's a much more informed clip from a radio show on Talk1010 hosted by John Tory with guest Cheri DiNovo and Bill Bruce.

Cheri DiNovo, Bill Bruce, John Tory on radio today about anti-Pit Bull law

Cheri DiNovo, MPP, and Bill Bruce, from Calgary Animal Services, will be guests on Live Drive with John Tory today at 5:30pm. It will be especially interesting to hear what Tory has to say about breed specific legislation since there's a chance he might be Toronto's next mayor.

Update: Listen to them online here.

Also, from REPEALING BSL in Ontario's Dog Owner's Liability Act Facebook group:

Tomorrow is THE DAY Cheri will put forth her bill to remove all aspects of BSL from Ontario.

PLEASE, I know we are ALL busy, BUT this is HUGE and I implore YOU to show up at Queens Park between 9:30 and 10 am to SUPPORT her.

If YOU are coming please bring a piece of information with your name, address, phone and email and give it to one of the Organizers or Marshalls.

Dogs HAVE to be in Compliance with current laws.

T-Shirts, decals, etc will be available for purchase. This has to be outside of the Queens Park property. Ask the Organizers/Marshall's where and when.

Please bring signs etc. Please review the DO's and DON'T's on the EVENT page.

For those that cannot be with us on this HISTORIC day, we know your hearts, minds and prayers ARE with us. However, we ask that you check out the news reports later in the day and MAKE ONLINE COMMENTS on them. Please, be on the case as WE need YOU to state YOUR opinions.

Once again, thanks to EVERYONE who wrote letters and emails.

Now, let's all say a prayer that legalized discrimination and profiling will END in Ontario. Hold your MPP's accountable for their votes.

YOU ARE the only VOICE our fur friends have. USE IT.

Warmly and Respectfully,

Fran

Support Cheri DiNovo. Repeal BSL rally at Queen's Park

From the Facebook group, REPEALING BSL in Ontario's Dog Owner's Liability Act:

INFORMATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE ATTENDING THE RALLY ON NOV. 18 FROM 9:30 TO 12 NOON.

Signs are allowed. No signs can be inserted into the ground or hung on monuments.

“Marshalls” will be available if anyone has questions or needs assistance. Look for signs around neck.

If people are bringing their dogs, please remember to bring “doggie bags” for messes.

All DOLA dogs must comply with current restrictions.

The “event” will be on the North West corner of the south lawn by the large statue. THAT is on the left side of the Queens Park building (if one if looking directly at the FRONT DOORS). We will be south of the front steps, on west side of lawn.

PARKING:
No parking is permitted in the Queens Park lot. There is limited street parking on Grosvenor St. People can also park at the University of Toronto. For Green Public parking lots. Please see this link and type in Queens Park.
http://www.facebook.com/l/66347;parking.greenp.com/find-parking/
Button’s, T-Shirts and anything they would be deemed “protest” material is allowed “OUTSIDE” only.

INFORMATION FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SIT IN THE GALLERY DURING BILL PRESENTATION.

It is estimated that Cheri Di Novo will be presenting her private members bill when the house reconvenes around 3 pm.

Gallery entrance is South Basement Level, to the left side of the front doors to Queens Park.

Visitors will need to obtain a Public General Visitor’s Pass upon entering.
There is a coat check available where one can leave their cell phones, camera’s and coats.

No cell phones, camera’s or Protest buttons or materials allowed inside of the Queens Park Building.

No dogs allowed inside the Queens Park building.

While in the gallery no clapping, cheering or vocal outbursts are allowed.

NOTE: There are two restaurants close-by. On the west Corner of University and College there is a Tim Horton’s and a Swiss Chalet. For those who will be staying for the afternoon presentation of Cheri’s bill, one can “hook up” with other supporters at either of these places.

Cheri DiNovo on Pit Bulls and Breed Specific Legislation

Cheri and Miss Vickie

Here's Cheri DiNovo, MPP for Parkdale-High Park, talking about breed specific legislation and how she's going to introduce a bill to remove it from the Dog Owners' Liability Act. Please excuse the pops and scratches and my humming and hawing. I was originally going to transcribe the interview and you would've been spared the noise but then realized I didn't want to stay up all night hitting play and rewind.

It's more interesting listening to Cheri talk anyway (the sound quality gets a bit better after the first few seconds):


So, if you can make it, please come out in support of this bill on Wednesday, November 18 from 9:30 until noon where there will be a rally in front of Queen's Park.

Update: Cheri also did a radio interview on this. Here's the link: http://www.drmcnasty.com/Chrei-NewsTalk-1010.mp3

Cheri DiNovo is my neighbour and I'm proud of it

I have this thing with coincidences and I don't know if it's just me being attentive to them or if it's like some useless superpower I have. My latest coincidence happened last week while I was returning home and I happened to see a neighbour, who lives four houses away, on the sidewalk with her English Bull Terrier. This neighbour happened to be Cheri DiNovo who is the MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament) for my riding and though I knew she lived on the street, I'd never had the opportunity to say hello to her.

So, I stopped and we chatted and I patted her happy pup and then I continued on.

That night, as I was blog surfing, I read on FROGDOG BLOG that a Private Member's Bill is going to be presented at Queen's Park, the provincial legislature, on Wednesday, November 18th between 10am and 11:30 to try to remove the breed specific portions of the Dog Owner's Liability Act. In other words, some brave politician is going to try to get rid of Ontario's anti-Pit Bull law and it turns out that politician is Cheri DiNovo.

How cool is that?

Finally, someone in a real position to help is standing up for the dog owners of Ontario who don't want to see their loved ones arbitrarily plucked out of their hands and killed by local animal control.

I phoned Cheri's office and arranged a short sidewalk interview with her for today. Turns out she knows quite a bit about the issue and I'll be posting up what she has to say about it tomorrow.

More coincidences like this one, please.