The Reality of Breed Specific Legislation

I've created this blog as a voice for the families who have been affected by Breed Specific Legislation in Ontario. Wonderful people have shared their stories and pictures with me regarding BSL and I thought they should have a permanent home somewhere. Some stories will break your heart and some will make you angry. This blog will never be open to comments or discussions of any kind.



If you would like to share this blog, please do. If this blog makes you want to act out against BSL, please write your MPP and voice your concerns.



If you have a story specific for Ontario, please share with me by writing to me at : lyndac@gmail.com and I will put your story on this blog.




Lynda Crawford

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Rebekah, Shadow & Roxy




This is our story and how BSL has affected our lives.
Shadow is our 2 and half year old APBT (black) and Roxy is our 9 month old APBT (tan and white). My name is Rebekah and my fiance is Rey, and baby #1 on the way.
Shadow came into my life about 2 years ago. She has been through an abusive relationship with me and is my partner in crime. Shadow was hit constantly by my ex and also was screamed and yelled at. She is one of the best dogs I have ever known and has grown to bring people to love her dearly. I always thought that because of being hit that if Shadow had the chance and another dog started a fight with her that it wouldn't end nicely. But to my surprisment Shadow was attacked by another dog last year and all she did was stand there and look at me with a scared and helpless look in her eyes just screaming help me. It took a lot to get this other dog off of her and thankfully for her pink spike collar there wasn't any damage done to either dog. Unfortunately ever since that situation Shadow is very unsure of other dogs but is completely content with being with her human family and our other dog Roxy. According to the law here in Ontario both my dog's shouldn't be alive. I live in constant fear everyday that I will walk outside and have my dogs taken away from me.
Roxy wasn't supposed to stay permanently but I mean, you can't put a little puppy in someone's lap and say "OKay, we will give her back tomorrow, she just needs somewhere to sleep." Yeah, I didn't think so. As I previously said, Shadow was apprehensive of other dogs so I wasn't really sure that this would work, but we would keep a close eye on it. Well, Shadow took right to Roxy and loved her to pieces. She was a little rough at first but Roxy learned how to play back and they are best friends. Roxy loves every dog that comes around and all she wants to do is play. She's a little scared of people for reasons that are unknown to us but will play with your dog in a heartbeat. BSL has ripped families apart, and killed innocent dogs for no reason. Living in an apartment building I make sure that people I come into contact to know about my dogs, that they are friendly, that Shadow doesn't play with other dogs and Roxy wants nothing to do with you, but would love to play :) .
Roxy and I had a recent confrontation with my neighbor's wife. From what I understand from what my enighbor has told me, his wife has never been attacked or bit by a dog, has never known anybody that has been attacked either. So, Roxy and I walk into the hallway to bring her outside to use the bathroom and my neighbor and his wife happen to be in the hallway as well locking up their apartment. Roxy lets out a little bark letting me know they are there, ANDDDD then his wife starts screaming. Now just so you know I can hold my 50lb dog with no problem and she always sits the second she comes into the hallway. His wife keeps yelling in the hallway and Roxy tries to hide behind me, tailed tucked between her legs and trying to get away from this woman. It was completely unnecessary. Her fear is completely based upon the stories that she sees on the news and reads in the paper. She is only scared of PITBULLS. The golden retreiver that lives across the hall from her is perfectly fine, EVEN THOUGH the owners can't hold it whatsoever and are dragged everywhere by it. Little does this woman know that I could give her page upon page of information and research showing her that my dogs are just as dangerous as that golden retreiver. That according to temperment testing my dogs have a better rating than the majority of breeds in my apartment building. Ignorance must really be bliss. BSL is destroying Ontario and my fiance and I are really considering moving out of this province until they do something about this stupid law. If they hadn't noticed it hasn't reduced dog bites, it HASN't reduced the amount of pitbulls in this province, it is just simply putting a not needed fear into peoples eyes.
My dog's are not a dangerous breed if they were I wouldn't still have them, as we are expecting a child in December. What people need to realize is that the monster isn't the one with the collar around it's neck, it's the one at the other side with the leash in his hand. BSL is BS, it's like the holocaust where they tried to wipe out the jews but now they are trying to wipe out one breed of dog. It's racism for dogs, breedism if you will. Take a stand for the dogs that have no voice, speak for those that cannot.

"My kids are around pit bulls every day. In the '70s they blamed Dobermans, in the '80s they blamed German Shepherds, in the '90s they blamed Rottweilers. Now they blame the Pit Bull."
- Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer)