Faceless
April 16th, 2005, 11:38 PM
THE TORONTO STAR
Apr. 16, 2005. 01:00 AM
Fighting to save `a lovely little dog'
BOB HEPBURN
Julie King describes herself as "just a 905 soccer mom" who never wanted to become an activist fighting politicians, organizing demonstrations at Queen's Park and lobbying the media.
"Please reconsider and give us a chance, even if it is just 10-15 minutes, to attend one of your upcoming meetings and introduce a breed that may become extinct in Ontario," King said recently in an e-mail to me.
King was writing in protest of the Star's editorials that supported Ontario's coming ban on pit bulls. In particular, she was upset one editorial had specifically mentioned Staffordshire bull terriers, one of the dogs cited in the legislation. King and her family have three Staffordshires.
"An important side issue that was missed by most people, including your editorial board, is that the Staffordshire bull terrier is a lovely little dog that does not belong in any breed ban," she wrote.
Since the pit bull ban issue arose last summer, the Star has been besieged by readers either trying to convince us to change our editorial stand or to reaffirm our support for the Ontario government decision to ban the dogs.
Since our initial editorial, we have declined to meet with advocates on either side of this emotional issue.
But Julie King was different. She wouldn't give up. So I agreed to meet her at the home of neighbours Holly and Tony Marshall, who also have a Staffordshire. I wanted to learn how she became involved in a grassroots campaign to fight the ban and how the campaign is being conducted.
The ban goes into effect Aug. 29, with a 60-day phase-in period. Under the law, owners must have their existing pit bulls spayed or neutered, and leashed and muzzled while in public. It also sets fines of $10,000 for owners of dangerous dogs and allows for jail terms of up to six months.
Ontario Attorney-General Michael Bryant introduced the legislation, the first province-wide measure in Canada, after a series of vicious dog attacks.
One pollster says the ban is supported by up to 90 per cent of voters.
As Maggie, a dog that "drools and snores," slept in Tony Marshall's lap, King tells of how she first learned of the ban when she saw a headline in the Star that read: "Pit Bull Terror."
"I couldn't believe it," she says, "because Staffies are so gentle. There's never been a problem with them in Canada, and yet they wanted to ban my dogs, to make me feel like a criminal when I walked down the street."
Interjects Holly Marshall: "We've had people scream at us for walking our dog. I'm afraid I might lose Maggie just because some neighbour says there is a problem. I've gotten physically sick at times because it makes you feel as if you have an attack dog."
King contacted the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club of Canada and offered to help. Now she spends 30 hours a week trying to save the dogs and to get the entire ban tossed out.
"Who am I? I'm a mom and a small business owner — and I'm facing the entire government and the media. It's like David and Goliath," she says.
She spends her days writing letters to friends and opinion makers. She helped organize a protest last November at Queen's Park where 36 Staffies and their owners met politicians. She sends e-mails to Bryant and has talked to his staff, but never has received a response directly from him.
King has read all the official transcripts and prepared summaries from public hearings held across the province, showing who was for the bill, who was against and what were the main arguments made by experts and government agencies to back their positions.
Passionately, she argues the real problem is irresponsible owners, who should face stiffer fines and penalties for dangerous behaviour by their dogs. She also says there is no such animal as a "pit bull," and that the legislation's weak definition will make enforcement difficult, if not impossible.
But she is losing the fight.
"The government had public relations savvy; we didn't," she says. "We didn't know how to tackle the issues."
Still, she and other Staffordshire owners aren't giving up. With other groups, they have hired prominent lawyer Clayton Ruby to challenge the law on constitutional grounds as soon as it goes into effect Aug. 29.
Until then, Julie King is planning more protests, trying to raise more funds — and writing more letters.
Apr. 16, 2005. 01:00 AM
Fighting to save `a lovely little dog'
BOB HEPBURN
Julie King describes herself as "just a 905 soccer mom" who never wanted to become an activist fighting politicians, organizing demonstrations at Queen's Park and lobbying the media.
"Please reconsider and give us a chance, even if it is just 10-15 minutes, to attend one of your upcoming meetings and introduce a breed that may become extinct in Ontario," King said recently in an e-mail to me.
King was writing in protest of the Star's editorials that supported Ontario's coming ban on pit bulls. In particular, she was upset one editorial had specifically mentioned Staffordshire bull terriers, one of the dogs cited in the legislation. King and her family have three Staffordshires.
"An important side issue that was missed by most people, including your editorial board, is that the Staffordshire bull terrier is a lovely little dog that does not belong in any breed ban," she wrote.
Since the pit bull ban issue arose last summer, the Star has been besieged by readers either trying to convince us to change our editorial stand or to reaffirm our support for the Ontario government decision to ban the dogs.
Since our initial editorial, we have declined to meet with advocates on either side of this emotional issue.
But Julie King was different. She wouldn't give up. So I agreed to meet her at the home of neighbours Holly and Tony Marshall, who also have a Staffordshire. I wanted to learn how she became involved in a grassroots campaign to fight the ban and how the campaign is being conducted.
The ban goes into effect Aug. 29, with a 60-day phase-in period. Under the law, owners must have their existing pit bulls spayed or neutered, and leashed and muzzled while in public. It also sets fines of $10,000 for owners of dangerous dogs and allows for jail terms of up to six months.
Ontario Attorney-General Michael Bryant introduced the legislation, the first province-wide measure in Canada, after a series of vicious dog attacks.
One pollster says the ban is supported by up to 90 per cent of voters.
As Maggie, a dog that "drools and snores," slept in Tony Marshall's lap, King tells of how she first learned of the ban when she saw a headline in the Star that read: "Pit Bull Terror."
"I couldn't believe it," she says, "because Staffies are so gentle. There's never been a problem with them in Canada, and yet they wanted to ban my dogs, to make me feel like a criminal when I walked down the street."
Interjects Holly Marshall: "We've had people scream at us for walking our dog. I'm afraid I might lose Maggie just because some neighbour says there is a problem. I've gotten physically sick at times because it makes you feel as if you have an attack dog."
King contacted the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club of Canada and offered to help. Now she spends 30 hours a week trying to save the dogs and to get the entire ban tossed out.
"Who am I? I'm a mom and a small business owner — and I'm facing the entire government and the media. It's like David and Goliath," she says.
She spends her days writing letters to friends and opinion makers. She helped organize a protest last November at Queen's Park where 36 Staffies and their owners met politicians. She sends e-mails to Bryant and has talked to his staff, but never has received a response directly from him.
King has read all the official transcripts and prepared summaries from public hearings held across the province, showing who was for the bill, who was against and what were the main arguments made by experts and government agencies to back their positions.
Passionately, she argues the real problem is irresponsible owners, who should face stiffer fines and penalties for dangerous behaviour by their dogs. She also says there is no such animal as a "pit bull," and that the legislation's weak definition will make enforcement difficult, if not impossible.
But she is losing the fight.
"The government had public relations savvy; we didn't," she says. "We didn't know how to tackle the issues."
Still, she and other Staffordshire owners aren't giving up. With other groups, they have hired prominent lawyer Clayton Ruby to challenge the law on constitutional grounds as soon as it goes into effect Aug. 29.
Until then, Julie King is planning more protests, trying to raise more funds — and writing more letters.