April 2005 News

New SBTCC eBay Auction item!

Our auction site will have this rare Royal Doulton Bull Terrier figurine, donated generously by Squibs Mercier, starting on April 30, 2005. The auction will run for 7 days. Because of the item's rarity, there will be a reserve bid of $400 on the item.

This lovely collector’s item was discontinued in 1959 and is considered rare. Please note the coloring is white with black and brindle patches.

Royal Doulton BULL TERRIER STANDING
HN2511 Bull Terrier standing (Style Two) 4" in height 1938-1959

SBTCC eBay Auction raises $300 and a Matching Donation of $300!

Our first item up for auction was a beautiful hand made lap quilt crafted and donated by Maureen Pyke.

This quilt was designed & stitched under the strict supervision of 2 CKC registered Staffordshire Bull Terriers in protest of Bill 132, and breed specific legislation.

23-Apr-2005 08:41 AM

Prince Edward Island decides against Breed Specific Legislation

As reported by the CBC, the government of Prince Edward Island has amended its provincial Dog Act to allow Humane Society officials new powers to deal with dangerous dogs. The Act also gives the courts direction on how to deal with the owners of dangerous dogs.

However, the changes do not include breed specific measures. The bill deals with dangerous dogs that are a menace or actually bite or attack people or other animals.

Despite Ontario Attorney-General Michael Bryant's claims in a news story in the Toronto Sun on April 7th, other Canadian provinces are not following Ontario's "progressive" legislation for dealing with dangerous dogs.  In the past 6 months Ontario, New Brunswick and PEI have considered how to deal with dangerous dogs at the provincial level.  All three provinces have heard the same arguments from the experts and from responsible dog owners.  Only Ontario has decided to single out specific breeds to somehow deal with all dangerous dogs.  As well, unlike PEI, Ontario has not made it more likely that courts will actually make use of the increased fines and penalties that Ontario has introduced.

19-Apr-2005 08:32 PM

Algoma Dog Fanciers and Rideau Kennel Club Support Fight against BSL

The Algoma Dog Fanciers (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) and the Rideau Kennel Club (Ottawa, ON) are adding $1 to entry fees for their up-coming shows in May and June. That money will be donated to the SBTCC Legal Defense Fund to fight Bill 132.

The SBTCC thanks all members of both groups who supported this! A special thanks to Kathy Lake - President of ADF - for the original idea and for following through with her club.

15-Apr-2005 08:08 PM

Updated! The SBTCC eBay Auction Site is Live!

In a further effort to raise funds to fight Bill 132 and Breed Specific Legislation, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club of Canada has opened an auction site on eBay. Here is a preview of some of the items that have been donated so far:

The vintage walking stick by J.T. Wallace, donated for sale, by Les and Kay Aspin of Scarthwaite to raise funds for our Legal Defense Fund. The Executive of the Club wish to thank Les and Kay for their very generous donation. It is truly appreciated.

This quilt was designed & stitched under the strict supervision of two CKC registered Staffordshire Bull Terriers in protest of Bill 132 by Maureen Pyke. The quilt is 39" x 51" and is suitable as a lap quilt or a large wall hanging ... or as the quilter found out while trying to photograph it on the floor ... a dog blanket. Several of the fabrics are "doggie" novelty prints, including an array of paw prints & the quilt backing is black with a variety of dog words such as arf, woof & bow wow printed in white. This quilt was sewn as a labour of love because Staffords have truly left paw prints on the heart of this quilter! The entire proceeds from the auction of the quilt will bedonated to the SBTCC BSL legal defense fund.

Check back for more information on the eBay auction.

10-Apr-2005 08:11 AM

Staffies and other Bull and Terrier Breeds Under Assault: Ladysmith, BC Adopts Breed Specific Bylaw

On April 18, 2005 the town of Ladysmith, BC will adopt Dog Licensing, Control and Pound Bylaw, 1995 No. 1155 Amendment Bylaw (No. 2) 2005, No. 1554 (includes new regulations, licensing and impoundment fees). http://www.town.ladysmith.bc.ca/pdf/05_1554_Animal_Control.pdf

The amendments define "pit bulls" as restricted dogs and "pit bulls" are defined as a:

Pit Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, English Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier; and any dog of mixed breeding, which includes the aforementioned breeds.

07-Apr-2005 07:22 PM

Coming Soon to Your Jurisdiction?: Ontario's Breed Specific Legislation

Today in the Toronto Sun Ontario's Attorney General Michael Bryant mentioned that his office has had some informal discussions with other attorneys general in Canada and the United States interested in Ontario's "pit bull ban".

What Mr. Bryant does not mention in the Toronto Sun are those states in America (such as Illinois) that have explicitlybanned breed specific bans, those U. S. municipalities like Cincinnati,Ohio that repealed breed bans in favour of generic dog controlordinance that tightens restrictions on the ownership of all dangerousand vicious dogs those Canadian provinces such as New Brunswick that have recently (December 2004) rejected breed specific bans infavour of tough generic laws, or those Canadian municipalities such as Calgary, Alberta that have dramatically decreased serious bites over the past two decades by all types of dogs using strictly enforced licensing and leash laws, education and adequate human and technological resources (funded by monies raised by that city's high licensing rate).

Further, Mr. Bryant does not mention that his example of New Mexico wanted to ban pit bulls and classify certain breeds as dangerous dogs by mere fact of their breed including Akitas, American or Old CountryBull Dogs, Chow-Chows, Doberman Pinschers, Boxers, Perro de Presa Canarios, Alaskan Malamutes, German Shepherds (a breed once owned by Mr. Bryant's family), Great Danes, Rottweilers, Siberian Huskies, andWolf hybrids. New Mexico's own Fiscal Impact Report of Bill SB188 covers the issues raised by Cincinnati's repealed ban,including problems with breed identification, enforcement costs, andother approaches to diminishing the number of dog bites and enhancingpublic safety.

One final note: if the Toronto Sun had followed up on Mr. Bryant's example of New Mexico, you would have learned that Bill SB188, died in comittee on February 9, 2005 -- three weeks before the Ontario Liberals voted for Bill 132's breed specific ban.

Contact your local, provincial or state lawmakers; ensure that they do not intend to import a bad idea from Ontario.

05-Apr-2005 06:08 PM

Call for Submissions to Staffie Tales

Ourclub magazine is published four times a year. It is one of the mostuseful tools our Club has to keep members informed, entertained, and intouch with other Stafford owners.

Please let us know about your special dog! Staffie Tales depends on members for contributions.

HowCan You Help? Submit Photographs, Original Articles, Cartoons,Advertisements, Letters, Poetry, Children's Art & Stories,Drawings. All work should be original or accompanied by writtenpermission of the author allowing us to reproduce the material.

Send to (email preferred):

Coleen Wilkinson, Editor
110 Birchwood Street Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 5R8
Phone (705) 946-3771 Fax: (705) 946-0599
e-mail: cwilkinson@sympatico.ca

03-Apr-2005 09:48 AM

Now Banned in Ontario: Staffordshire Bull Terrier is most popular dog breed in UK

According to a census of over 118,000 dog owners in the UK, Staffordshire Bull Terriers are the nation's favourite 'pedigree pooch.'

The PDSA Best of Breeds census shows the breed of choice for celebrities such as star striker Michael Owen of Real Madrid and the English national team and Coronation Street's Mike Skinner, is 'top dog' in 2005 after charting only 8th five years ago.

Published by leading veterinary charity, PDSA, the 2005 Best of Breeds census is the first in an annual series that will track the changing trends of dog ownership in the UK and influences that affect their popularity.[full story]

Hundredsof thousands of people around the world have chosen Staffies as theirbreed of choice. They were never banned in the UK, and the breed whichnumbers under 650 dogs in Ontario has a remarkable safety record inCanada. Yet 1 man - Attorney General Michael Bryant - and his 70 Liberal colleagues in Ontario have decided that Staffies must be eliminated. We ask Mr. Bryant, who is also the Minister for Democratic Renewal, where is justice or democracy in this? We see only his prejudices and his colleagues' inability to think for themselves.

02-Apr-2005 09:41 AM

Pit bull ban and dangerous dog provisions proclaimed -- Staffordshire Bull Terriers face elimination in Ontario

Update - Regulations Published!

Ontario's pit bull ban and other amendments to the Dog Owners Liability Actwill go into effect on August 29, 2005, Attorney General Michael Bryantannounced on March 31, 2005. The regulations associated with the Act have been published: ONTARIO REGULATION 157/05 - Pit Bull Controls . The Act defines "pit bull" as (a) a pit bull terrier, (b) a Staffordshire bull terrier, (c); an American Staffordshire terrier, (d) an American pit bull (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"). In determining whether a dog is a pit bull within the meaning of the Act, a court may have regard to the breed standards established for Staffordshire Bull Terriers by the Canadian Kennel Club.

There will be a 60-day transition period that follows the August 29, 2005 effective date. Owners of existing pit bulls will be required to have them spayed or neutered, leashed and muzzled while in public, and must comply with any additional requirements set by municipalities. For the full press release, see: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2005/31/c0450.html

Now, more than ever, we must focus our efforts. Please see the link to the SBTCC's Anti-BSL Action plan above, and consider donating directly to our legal defence fund or purchasing items through our legal defence fund store (above). The SBTCC is a member of the Banned Aid Coalition, which will be mounting a constitutional challenge to the changes to DOLA introduced by Bill 132. Attorney Clayton Ruby has been retained to oversee the challenge.

01-Apr-2005 09:01 PM

Why We Are Outraged

Dog owners in Ontario are outraged by the McGuinty government's decision to proceed with a province-wide breed ban at the same time that New Brunswick and other jurisdictions in North America are rejecting breed specific laws.

One of the breeds listed in Bill 132, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Stafford), is no more a "pit bull" or a threat to public safety than a Bull Terrier, Boston Terrier or Pug.

Why then, did the McGuinty government vote down a number of proposed amendments to exclude purebred breeds including one to exempt the Stafford? They knew that Staffordshire Bull Terriers:

• Have never attacked a person in Canada.
• Are a small breed, standing below the knee and weighing 28-38 pounds.
• Are rated as one of the best 10 breeds for children by university researchers.
• Are the most popular terrier in England and the English speaking world.
• Are not banned in England.
• Are not banned in France.
• Are not banned in Kitchener.

The decision to vote against the exemption of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and other purebred breeds was unreasonable, unjust and was not in the interest of public safety.

Dog experts are also outraged by Michael Bryant's lie when he said on City TV: "You don't ask an Attorney General to be the dog expert... The bottom line is it's going to be up to the experts."

The experts soundly rejected breed bans. At the hearings they disproved the pro-ban arguments, arguments that were put forward by people with little or no dog expertise. Michael Bryant and the McGuinty Liberals have not listened.

Dalton McGuinty did not honour his election promise and allow Liberal MPPs a free vote. Michael Bryant did not honour his own promise and listen to the advice of the experts by withdrawing Bill 132. Liberal MPPs voted without exception for Bill 132, which is a shoddy, unreasonable and cruel piece of legislation.

Michael Bryant, who is also the Minister for Democratic Renewal, has sent a clear signal that Ontarians can expect the Liberal government to base its legislation on ignorance and fear while the rights of responsible citizens are completely disregarded.