[Purple]

Councillor sides with death row dog



Ward 6 councillor Carolyn Parrish has gone to the dogs — at least, to one dog.
As Gabriela Nowakowska met today with the lawyer who will try to prove her seized dog, Rambo, is not a pitbull, Parrish vowed the 20-year-old Mississaugan will eventually get her dog back.
"We're going to win this one," a confident Ward 6 Councillor Carolyn Parrish told The News. "She is going to keep this dog."
Parrish has come to the assistance of Nowakowska, who intends to go to court to dispute the City's contention that Rambo, a 10-month old dog identified as a Texas red nose pitbull by animal control officials, should be destroyed under Provincial legislation.
The Ontario government passed legislation in 2005 to force already-owned pitbulls to be muzzled in public and to prohibit several specified breeds born after Nov. 30, 2005 in the province.
If Nowakowska loses her case, her dog could be euthanized.
"The more I look into this law, the more foolish (I think) it is," said Parrish, a former member of parliament who admits she supported the dog control law at one time.
"It's not based on facts, science or common sense," she said.
Parrish said she supports the euthanasia of dogs who are clearly dangerous or who attack children.
Given the imprecise definitions of a pitbull (which is not a specific breed) in the Act and the fact that parts of the definition have been struck down and are still under appeal, Parrish said, she believes Rambo can be proven not to be a pitbull and is not dangerous.
Nowakowska bought the pup at a flea market and gave animal control officials the documentation she received from the vendor, which indicated the dog was some kind of bulldog cross. He was caught running loose near her home Christmas Day.
Ward 1 Councillor Carmen Corbasson and Parrish, alarmed by a story this week about a rabies scare with dogs sold at Dr. Flea's flea market at Hwy. 27 and Albion Rd. in Etobicoke, have asked the City's legal department to look into regulating the sale of animals at flea markets.
The City is investigating controlling the sale of turtles, dogs, snakes, etc., by, among other avenues, expanding the definition of a pet shop to cover flea markets.
"We can at least prevent this from happening again," said Parrish, adding a proposal will be made to Council soon.
Meanwhile Nowakowksa, who works part-time in a restaurant and a retail store, is preparing for her first court appearance Feb. 29 in Mississauga.
"I'm really grateful and I want to thank everyone for their support," said Nowakowksa, who hired her lawyer through contributions sent to a bank account she established to help pay for Rambo's defence. "I really appreciate the support I'm getting to try to save his life."
The east Mississauga resident is having a tough time adjusting to life without her pup, who is confined most of the day to a cage in the City's animal control centre.
"It's very lonely and sad," she said. "There's no one there to comfort you."


http://www.mississauga.com/article/10718

[Searcy Jeff]

Some of these animal control officers are morons.

A Texas Red Nose Pit Bull?

Get the F**k out of here!

That just gets me going when these so called "experts" voice their idiotic opinions.

[Renee']

A Texas Red Nose Pit Bull?

Oh gawd, give me a break, why dont they just say " Texas Toast Red Nose" that is a new one for me, Texas Red Nose Pit Bull, does the dog have an accent when it barks?

Good grief....

The more I look into this law, the more foolish (I think) it is," said Parrish, a former member of parliament who admits she supported the dog control law at one time. "It's not based on facts, science or common sense," she said.

Yeah because those Texas Red Nose Pit bulls are just all evil and run around town trying to hang people with a rope while on horse back and drinking whiskey!


(Poking fun at the Texan stereo type here and know not all Texans are like that just like not all pit bulls evil and Beer For My Horses just came to mind by Toby Keith...)

[Zoe]

Wouldn't he be a Mississaugian Red Nose Bulldog than?

[Wyldmoonwoman]

Looks like a Brooklyn Red Brindle to me

[Miakoda]

I guess to me, what's more sad than the TX Red Nose Pit issue, is the fact that this owner KNEW that "pit bull" type dogs were banned and yet she got one anyway. It's this blatant disregard for the law that irks me and it's the main reason this dog is now in the situation it's in.

Don't get me wrong, I despise breed bans, but for people to continue to break the law concerning these bans only serves to prove that "pit bull" owners are law-breaking criminals.

[Renee']

Don't get me wrong, I despise breed bans, but for people to continue to break the law concerning these bans only serves to prove that "pit bull" owners are law-breaking criminals.

I agree 110 percent and because of this lack of responsibility you get dumb comments like Texas one with it.


But yes your right on the money, it serves to proves that pit bull owners are law breaking citizens when this happens.


And again shows why bans dont work people are going to do what they want and you will have shelters, media and so forth tied up with this issue for as long as it takes.

Its all such a big mess but usually that is what happens, a big back lashing mess when you have a knee jerk reaction like a ban take place.

Not to mention new breeds created like Texas Red Nose Pit bulls...the whole thing sucks..

[DryCreek]

Nowakowska bought the pup at a flea market and gave animal control officials the documentation she received from the vendor, which indicated the dog was some kind of bulldog cross.

Just needed to point this out.

If the dog was not sold as a banned breed and the owner didn't have the experience to identify it as a banned breed (almost impossible with a pup) I can't agree that she was negligent in purchasing the dog. The vendor may be accused of misrepresentation if he knowingly sold a dog that is of a banned breed as something else and as such should be charged.

We won't go into the negligence involved with purchasing any dog from a vendor at a flea market.

[Miakoda]

Originally Posted by DryCreek Just needed to point this out. If the dog was not sold as a banned breed and the owner didn't have the experience to identify it as a banned breed (almost impossible with a pup) I can't agree that she was negligent in purchasing the dog. The vendor may be accused of misrepresentation if he knowingly sold a dog that is of a banned breed as something else and as such should be charged. We won't go into the negligence involved with purchasing any dog from a vendor at a flea market.

Who knows since this is the media reporting, but in one of the first articles about this dog, it was reported that the woman bought the dog as a "pit bull" mix from the fleamarket.

[Diana]

Well, still a pit in need. I will love to help if possible.