Need help fighting the City

Hey Everyone!!

I need help fighting the City of Montreal on the whole Dog Tag ($25 license) issue. I was given a ticket 2 years ago for a foster dog, which I explained at the time that I rescued 10-15 dogs a year, and that the adoptive families are the ones who got the tags, that I felt I should be exempt. The law is not clear, saying only that "any keeper of a dog" must have a tag at all times. After 2 years of fighting this and the help of Pierre Barnotti from the SPCA as my prime witness (to the effect that no other foster home has ever had to take a tag, he had never heard of such a thing, doesn't even issue them to his temporary foster homes), I still lost. :mad: -

Mr. Barnotti wants to make a big stink, get the law changed so as not to have this problem again with someone else. However, I don't want to wait after him as it may not get me any further than his original testimony. I need to take this into my own hands. I am appealling the decision, but need help from other rescuers to present my case. By no means do I want to get the others in trouble for lack of licensing their foster dogs, but I don't want to be targetted anymore. They know my website, :evil: and know exactly how many dogs I rescue, and will be back to see me. The inspector has already sworn to me he would keep going after me.... Does anyone want to get involved? The point is to get the law to be clear, such as "any owner of a dog" , rather than "keeper" as the way it is now, if any of you find a stray dog and keep it while he/she is getting better or looking for the owner, you would be responsible to get him/her a tag and could be fined if you refused because it is not your dog. That is how crazy this By-Law is. :confused:

Anyone willing to help and get involved in making some kind of proof that I am the ONLY one on the Island getting harassed for dog tags (as a rescuer I mean), please contact me. You can e-mail me at sophie@rimasec.net or PM me for my phone number. Some of you know it, you may call me directly at home after 6:30 pm. Thanks guys, need all the support and help I can get as I rescued 4 dogs this week-end (pulled off death row), and they will be coming after me for tags... I will have no choice but to stop rescuing dogs altogether. I don't have that kind of money, at this point my adoption fees are not covering the expenses I've had anymore..... So to add $25 per dog, I'll have to stop all because of this.....

thanks everyone, and hope to hear from someone out there.
:grouphug:

http://sophie.rimasec.net

keep the pressure on. Take it to the press.

Suggested Headlines.....

City taxes rescued animals

Animal rescue closing due to red tape, 125 dogs to be homeless

City closes Animal rescue over $25.

You could add $25 to your adoption amount to cover this.

Hello Sophie

I rarely foster and the few times I did, I did not meet any city inspector so it was never an issue. I also agree with taking it to the press.

I wonder if the city would allow you to have a few tags specifically for rescue. You could keep them on the dogs while they are with you and re-use them for the next rescue dog. I wonder if that would work...

Lyne

Take it to the Press...it's unfortunetly the only way to get anyone's attention.. :(

What are the bylaws concerning how many dogs you can have?
there are ways around getting a licence for each dog.
what is your website?

You could add $25 to your adoption amount to cover this

That's a good idea.

Unreal. Someone is being penalized for trying to save dumped dogs and keep them out of the shelter, while the people who dump them get away free.

Try contacting Tara Schwartz at CF-12.

We have a foster who has experienced the same thing. She works for a tv station and they are interested in doing a story, now there is another instance of this gives back up to our foster. I have put her in touch with Lil'Ricky'sMom so hopefully they can get this some air time. It was so bad our foster is moving from the countryside, where she moved to be able to help rescues as she has no neighbours to bother, strange the cities have nothing better to do than bother women who are just trying to make a difference as best they can.