This article is from the K9 Magazine archives, subscribe to our newsletter & get our best dog news, tips and articles ---->The following is an interview from last Friday regarding Bruce, the dog who was taken from his owner in Northern Ireland having never acted dangerously, never attacking anybody, never even so much as raising his lip to anyone. Bruce was taken – and condemned to die – because of nothing more than what he looks like. BBC Radio takes up his plight…
To listen to the listen to the interview in audio stream, click play on the music player below:
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July 28, 2009 at 9:02 am
Well said, lets hope the message got through to more people out there to help Bruce & to become aware that a single breed is not the problem, it is the TYPE of owner/handler that is the issue.
One point that is so important to me as an animal rescuer of many years is the sheer volume of dogs being bred, if the government do not introduce a law controlling breeding then I don’t think you will ever lessen dog attack incidents. As it stands anyone can get a dog & anyone can breed a dog, & any of these people can pass a dog on or sell to anyone they want.
I have to deal with a broad spectrum of society & meet the very good to the very bad & believe me it is a scary place out there for some dogs & for us rescuers on the front line, threats, abuse & human aggression, a frightened dog feels like a kitten compared to some of the people I personally have had to deal with!
There are so many dogs being destroyed every day in pounds & even in some well known Rescues who say they cant possibly re home the amount of dogs they take in… & it is not just the aggressive dogs that are put to sleep, many are loving & friendly but unfortunately for them look a certain type or simply their time is up & no one offered them a home… so they too are destroyed.
I have taken in many pound death row dogs most of them staffordshire bull terrier types & crosses, some of them nervous & displaying guarding or fear aggression & some of them as soppy as a puppy, but I can say of late most of them showing hand shy behavior & some urinating out of fear, indicating physical abuse has been inflicted on them…. in the 20 years I have rescued dogs I have never put a dog to sleep, every dog I have worked with has eventually shown trust again & for some that has been instant even when they are emaciated & broken in physical & mental terms.
From my point of view & many others like me, the way forward is a law that will license all breeding, & see that all dogs are microchipped to an owner & neutered if that dog is not to be bred from. I believe harsh fines should be put in place for anyone breaking this law which will in turn make them think twice when they say they don’t want to spend money neutering or chipping their dog, help with costs should be offered to those on lower incomes i.e. the elderly or disabled.
I agree with Ryan whole heartedly that lengthy prison sentences should be given to people involved in dog fighting, & that should be the case also for those found guilty of animal cruelty & neglect.
Sorry people for rambling on, but as you can tell this is something that I feel passionate about…
For every pair of eyes that have looked into mine,
some with fear, some with love, some empty…
For every shape of body in front of me,
that cowers in the corner, that rolls submissively on his/her back, that throws itself tail wagging into my arms, that shows me their teeth unsure..
For every damaged mind & body that finds itself with me in the lottery of life,
Scared, Angry, Relieved, Loving, Scarred, Injured, Bleeding, Broken Bones, Emaciated, Worn Out, Dehydrated…
For all of those I have encountered…. each & everyone has gone on to show love & trust once more… & each & every one is as lovable as your doggy companion.
We must all stand together & change the law for the dogs & for ourselves.
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July 29, 2009 at 12:44 am
BRUCE SHOULD GO HOME,TO HIS OWNERS.HE IS INNOCENT.TO KILL HIM IS A CRIME AND A SIN.
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July 29, 2009 at 5:06 am
Liesa,
You brought tears to my eyes … well said. Licensing is most definitely the way forward!
Thank you for all the hard work and love that you give to dogs in need.
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Yvonne Turner Reply:
July 29th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
I totally agree with Mr O’Meara who has explained the problem in this show perfectly, compulsory dog ownership suitablilty tests and licensing is the answer. I also think that unless someone is a registered dog breeder that by law all dogs male and female be castrated/spayed so it becomes less easy for unsuitable people to buy a puppy.
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August 7, 2009 at 10:50 am
A new petition has been created on Care2 please support,the name
is “Spend no pounds in Northern Ireland”I created this petition lets see if a money threat can help.I am convinced they are trying to murder this poor animal.
smarock10@yahoo.com
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August 30, 2009 at 7:37 am
Is your magazine not doing a follow-up on the Bruce issue,the poor family-pet is still incarcerated.
smarock10@yahoo.com
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September 5, 2009 at 2:04 pm
selwyn thats exactly what i was wondering. this poor boy is still obviously incarcerated. i would love to know if there have been any new developments
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Ryan O'Meara Reply:
September 5th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
As soon as there are any developments that we hear of, we will report them.
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September 2, 2010 at 7:38 pm
as far as taking a test before getting a dog/cat, how about folks taking a test before having children. how does that one suit everyone!
punish the owner, not the breed, and if the owner is a good person, because his/her dog looks like a pit bull type, do not punish either one.
i don’t believe what has happened to people in the last 20 yrs, it seems that all commonsense and logic has gone away!
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