|
Title: STOP BRINDI FROM BEING UNJUSTLY EUTHANIZED IN HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA CANADA View count: 1226 Rating: 4.5555553 (36 ratings) Description: On May 27, 2009, Peta had sent a letter in support, but, it was just ignored. Contacts to Protest: Mayor Peter Kelly kellyp@halifax.ca Tel: (902) 490-4010 Andrea Macdonald, Manager of Animal Services, Nova Scotia SPCA macdonaa@halifax.ca Tel: (902) 490-7371 http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/free-brindi-this-dog-must-not-be-euthanized http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1105881761649&f=1&e=0#/group.php?gid=35473542760 http://freebrindi.blogspot.com/ Our goal is to save the life of a rescue dog named Brindi, return her to her rightful owner and beloved human companion, Francesca Rogier. Brindi is a good-natured five year-old mutt that was rescued from a shelter in 2007. She was involved in a few run-ins with other dogs, apparently never serious enough to lead to charges. Brindi never attacked a human. On July 24, 2008, a few days after a minor encounter with another dog, animal control officers armed with a warrant and a euthanization order seized Brindi from her home without notice. Details Between Aug. 2007 and July 2008, animal control got four calls. Once Brindi got loose but was back home in minutes; three times, she managed to grab a dog on the edge of her property. After the second of those, an AC officer said he would fine Francesca $222, but later ordered a muzzle instead. It seems the other dog owner asked him not to issue a fine: Francesca had urged her to see a vet and offered to pay. After the bill reached $143 because it included two visits and antibiotics (for a small puncture wound!), the owner feared Francesca might not pay the whole thing. So the AC officer withheld a fine, but imposed a muzzle order, which was worse, because by law, any dog with a muzzle order is automatically deemed dangerous, and the next step would be euthanization, according to him. This was in May 2008. Francesca wanted to have a fence built right away, but her land was being dug up for a new foundation. Her house was up on stilts, with narrow ramps suspended 10 feet up when one early morning in July, as she was on a 24 wide ramp, tying Brindi out to pee, Brindi wriggled out of her grip, her muzzle slipped off, and she ran to the front yard. A man was walking by with a lab and a Chihuahua. Though he kicked at her head many times, Brindi never bit him, and she never bit the dog, because seconds later a passing driver honked his horn, startling Brindi. She ran to Francescas front door and waited. The man with the dogs scolded Francesca, but turned and left before she could apologize. She didnt know who he was. She apologized to the other owners and offered to pay for a vet exam even when their dogs were not injured. She had no idea he called animal control until the moment the AC officer came to take Brindi four days later. In the man's statement he said would not have even called if he hadn't heard stories about Brindi. He later claimed his dog was injured, but there is no documentation. The AC officer decided to euthanize Brindi without even conducting the required investigation after seizure. He used false information to get the seizure warrant errant neighbors who claimed Brindi bit people! Like the muzzle order, he refrained from laying charges, which would have given Francesca a chance to go before a judge. There is no appeal process. Her only alternative was to immediately file a lawsuit against the city for wrongful seizure, to put the order on hold. The later by-law case was meant to speed things up, as lawsuits take years. It was bound to win, as the by-law wrongly awarded AC officers the same powers as a judge, which also denied her due process. The Supreme Court quashed the euthanization order in January 2009. But because it did not specify releasing Brindi, Halifax refused to do it. Right after the judge's ruling, Halifax charged Francesca with by-law violations, in a bid to get a judge to issue a new euthanization order. This was the first time Francesca was charged. The six-month statute of limitations was one hour from expiring. The charges stem from the prior six-month old incident of July 2008 - one hour before the statue of limitations. And rather than issuing a fine, the city is hoping to turn a guilty verdict into court-ordered euthanasia. By provincial law, a judge is not required to hear any evidence about the dog. So despite plenty of positive affidavits and an assessment that rejects euthanasia, Brindi's life is not safe!! When Brindi was seized, Francesca immediately gathered support from qualified professionals and the community. She hired a private trainer, built a 65-foot dog run attached to her back door, with gates on her entrances, and even offered to pay fines if the city would charge her then instead of kill her dog! With all the letters, Halifax had to admit in August that Brindi is not a threat to people, yet they would not let her go in January 2009. video by http://www.TheDogLiberator.com http://www.GiseleVeilleux.com Tags: brindi, euthanasia, halifax, nova scotia, canada, spca, pound to kill dog, free brindi, death row, brindi nation, Author: carolmailhot |
