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Old September 25th, 2004, 08:26 PM
Akeeter Akeeter is offline
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Post THS fires employee over 'Bandit' fiasco.

In this case, i have to go along with the permanent staff, & several Vets at Toronto Humane Society who felt that Bandit was a danger to the public. That & the fact that the 300 stitches to the 3 yr. old were his second bite on a child, not his first.

(For what it's worth, Bandit has been labelled as a Labrador X Pit bull, or sometimes LabX Staffy. -?)

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TODAY'S PAPER: Globe & mail


Humane Society fires worker who spoke out about Bandit

Man earlier said pit bull that bit boy was a 'loaded gun waiting to
go off'

By PETER CHENEY
Saturday, September 25, 2004 - Page A12


The Toronto Humane Society has fired an employee who went public with
his concerns about aggressive dogs being offered up for adoption.

Al Wright, 47, was dismissed late yesterday after being told that his
actions had violated the Humane Society's policies and compromised
its ability to protect animals. Mr. Wright's firing marks the latest
round in a months-long war between THS management and rank-and-file
workers who oppose its policies.

Mr. Wright, who earned $17 an hour as an animal-control officer, has
cast himself as a Jeffrey Wigand figure who has been persecuted for
blowing the whistle: "As far as I'm concerned, I was fired for
speaking the truth," Mr. Wright said yesterday after his firing. "And
I think the public deserved to have the truth."

Mr. Wright's battle with management went public this summer when he
spoke to the media about the Humane Society's handling of Bandit, a
pit bull who bit a three-year-old boy last year, leaving a wound that
required more than 200 stitches.

Humane Society president Tim Trow has steadfastly refused to
euthanize the dog, arguing that the society's job is to protect
animals, and that the attack on the boy should not be used to
characterize Bandit's behaviour. Mr. Wright made no secret of his
opposition to Mr. Trow's views: In an interview with The Globe and
Mail this year, he called Bandit "a loaded gun, waiting to go off."

The Bandit case has become something of a cause célèbre, highlighting
the delicate balance the THS must strike between the rights of
animals and the humans that surround them. After the THS refused to
euthanize Bandit, Toronto officials took the matter to court, asking
a judge to order the dog destroyed. A decision is expected on Oct. 15.

After the Bandit case hit the newspapers, Mr. Wright went public with
internal THS records indicating that veterinarians had assessed the
dog as aggressive and ill-suited for adoption. Mr. Wright has said
repeatedly that under Mr. Trow, the Humane Society has lost its
perspective.

Other THS workers have echoed Mr. Wright's concerns. One described
the mood inside the facility as one of conflict between upper
management and the workers who care for animals every day.

Yesterday, Mr. Wright defended his right to go public: "There's no
reason why I shouldn't speak," he said. "There has been blatant
disregard for public safety."

Mr. Trow and THS managers did not return phone calls requesting
comment on Mr. Wright's firing. In his termination letter, Mr. Wright
was told that his behaviour had hurt the THS, and could not be
tolerated.

Mr. Wright had worked at the Humane Society for 11 years.
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  #2  
Old September 25th, 2004, 08:34 PM
LL1 LL1 is offline
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I can't believe they fired Al - well I guess I can believe it. Big loss for THS and the animals.
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  #3  
Old September 25th, 2004, 09:58 PM
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LavenderRott LavenderRott is offline
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Gee, I could have sworn that Bandit was labeled a rottie mix when this all started.
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  #4  
Old September 26th, 2004, 12:38 AM
skunkney skunkney is offline
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Anyone who owns a dog that goes out of control and inflicts serious injury on a person, especially a child, should face heavy fines and even jail time. These dogs would not be wreaking the havoc that they are if their owners were acting responsibly using leashes, muzzles, whatever needed to control their dogs. These poor dogs don't know any better, and most of the time they are put down while the owner just walks away. These people need to start payin up!
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Old September 26th, 2004, 07:56 AM
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chico2 chico2 is offline
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I have followed this story since day 1 and Bandit is NOT a pitt-bull
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  #6  
Old September 26th, 2004, 09:04 AM
LL1 LL1 is offline
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They have been calling Bandit a Pitbull/Lab cross since day one.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Toront...pf-168232.html

The poor dog has now lived over a year in a cage.
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  #7  
Old September 26th, 2004, 07:09 PM
skunkney skunkney is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dinah
Do you feel that way about dogs that bite after a child has hurt the dog? There are too many children who've no idea how to behave around and respect all animals, let alone dogs.
Any child that is allowed to be in the presence of a dog and gets close enough to make contact should be well supervised by either the parent, the owner of the dog, or both. Unless the dog is part of the childs family and they are used to one another, common sense dictates that this situation needs to be monitored. In most cases I think the child would get a scare or a nip from a bothered dog, but in extreme cases of course this could be much worse. In any case, the dogs' owner is responsible in the end for ensuring that the animal is not put in a position where something bad might happen. It's not worth the health of the child or the life of the dog to tempt fate if it is avoidable.
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Old September 26th, 2004, 09:18 PM
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wAggie wAggie is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LL1
They have been calling Bandit a Pitbull/Lab cross since day one.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Toront...pf-168232.html

The poor dog has now lived over a year in a cage.

er... from that link, all I caught was "black dog." I couldn't catch any mention of pitbull OR lab...?
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  #9  
Old September 26th, 2004, 09:36 PM
Akeeter Akeeter is offline
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Post In the 1st paragraph is says:

"...Bandit, a two-year-old pitbull-Labrador cross, in quarantine facing death. "

Round 2 set to go in court Oct. 5, I think.
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Old September 26th, 2004, 09:46 PM
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wAggie wAggie is offline
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oops, and I'm wearing my glasses too!


shesh.... sometimes... i swear...
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