tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29342733689870843442024-03-05T02:13:58.273-04:00FREE BRINDI<i>Brindi is my pride and joy, my best friend.<br> Please help me get her back home!!</i>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.comBlogger222125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-74376526337938827002018-09-24T23:11:00.001-03:002018-09-25T02:01:32.215-03:00September 24, 2010: the day they took Brindi for the second time <div data-contents="true">
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<span data-offset-key="8s1me-0-0"><span data-text="true">Eight years ago today was the last time I saw my dog Brindi alive. Only 10 weeks earlier I had finally managed to get her away from the clutches of the city’s rogue animal control officers and the SPCA, where she was locked up for two years and held without contact to other dogs, me, our vet, or our trainer. On the 14th of September, a strange incident happened that – just as the first time they took her – resulting in no significant harm to anybody, human or canine. But just as in 2008, that fact wasn’t going to stop the animal control people – most prominently, one Lori Scolaro – from taking yet another shot at killing my dog. </span></span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="6evgb-0-0"><span data-text="true">I can’t even talk about what happened in the period between the 14th and the 24th; as it is, telling any of this sets off triggers that are painful and unbearable enough to send me into depths of despair. Suffice it to say that, realizing from minute the incident on the 14th happened that Scolaro and Co. would be after us, I tried and failed to keep Brindi safe from harm, and can barely live with myself today because of that alone, not to mention what transpired the years before and since. </span></span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="5u164-0-0"><span data-text="true">On September 24, 2010, sometime around 6 pm, a rookie animal control officer, eager to please her murderous supervisor, busted into my home with the aid of an overzealous RCMP officer. She found Brindi in the only hiding place I could think of at the moment – I later kicked myself for not thinking of the upstairs knee-wall – leashed her and put her into one of the closed, airless metal compartments of the animal control truck. Not long afterwards, Scolaro made sure to send me, along with bogus paperwork, her intake photo of Brindi, muzzled and looking absolutely terrified and traumatized. One look at that photo and I burst into sobs and screams. I've posted it here and on Facebook, but I still can barely handle the sight of it. </span></span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="5u164-0-0"><span data-text="true">Photos were all I had of Brindi from 2010 to 2012. The last photos I saw were in local media, sometime in January 2016. Since then I haven't seen Brindi in person or in a photo. Nobody else has either, at least as far as I know.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="83t02-0-0"><span data-text="true">It was no surprise that Scolaro and her rookie officer would not allow me or the vet or the trainer to see Brindi. Ever. For the next two years, I was only able to see Brindi through photos taken by our vet every three or four months, visits I paid for, necessitated by the fact that due to the inevitable neglect and poor care that comes from caging a dog for two years, Brindi had been suffering symptoms of pancreatitis and gum disease for over a year. In tacit admission of guilt, HRM did not refuse to allow Brindi to see the vet, though it would not allow the vet to see her at the kennel, so my poor baby was taken by car back and forth. No doubt on that first post-seizure visit, she was fooled into thinking she would be coming home. At least she saw a friendly face now and then; the photos show her happiness at these brief releases from captivity. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="eu1hi-0-0"><span data-text="true">The vet visits ended in 2012, sadly, when a judge made unprecedented statements and rulings that supposedly gave ownership of my dog to HRM. The prosecutor, in a typical about-face, promptly declared Brindi “isn’t sick” and therefore needed no further medical care. This happened just one month after the vet, at my urging (and my cost, as with all the visits) prescribed a stem-cell stimulating medication that finally stabilized Brindi’s pancreatic enzymes for the first time in two years, thereby reducing the chance of cancer developing. But that success and the hope of better health were both crushed now that HRM flatly refused her vet care and supervision, along with the stem cell meds. Sure, one could have tried to stop this through the courts, but I already had the work of the appeal to do, which I began immediately, and every legal step, big or small, was laborious, costly, and extremely difficult to manage – without the convenience of electronic filing, every document and brief had to be bound, filed in person, in triplicate or more, at a fee, and then delivered to the city. Costly and time-consuming, especially if one lives 45 minutes away from the courthouse.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="neki-0-0"><span data-text="true">The 2012 ruling was incredibly outrageous, not least because, being unprecedented and not at all contemplated by the by-law, it went beyond legislating from the bench. In giving ownership of my (lawfully owned, well mannered, obedient) dog to the city, for the animal control officials to do with her as they pleased, ignored the finding of the Supreme Court from 2008, six months after HRM first seized Brindi, that in that seizure, animal control officials had violated my Charter rights, as did the by-law that they relied on. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="f1c7s-0-0"><span data-text="true">I can’t go into this any more right now. I’m sorry, but it’s too complex to summarize in brief, too painful to reconstruct in my mind again without getting more upset, and, perhaps not surprisingly, I’ve spent years trying to distance myself from it and the entire experience. Not consciously, and not controllably. I know I must have PTSD, not just because the symptoms are there, but because I cannot feel, I don't feel, as I once did. Something blocks it. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="1udkr-0-0"><span data-text="true">Nevertheless, I have been wanting to do something, a lot of things, all year. It's imperative. Something to mark the ten year anniversary and a lot of things–if not to sue the city for the malicious and irreparable harm done to me and mine for eight awful years, then at least, to demand HRM tell the truth of what they did with, or to Brindi, in 2016, and, somehow, to resume the battle for a civilized animal control law, in the hopes that no one else or their dog has to experience even a minute of what we suffered, ever again. And in my mind, I envision grand things, covering every angle, and these turn into expectations that I hate to admit are increasingly unrealistic and consequently unlikely, especially given the memories of the local hostility, borne of misinformation, that burdened my (and others’) every effort to get Brindi out alive. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="54fgn-0-0"><span data-text="true">I simply haven’t been strong enough emotionally to mount an effort of any kind on the key days, the big one being July 24, the day they seized Brindi the first time, ten years ago. One month out, on June 24, I was hit with news of the death of a friend and neighbor from cancer. Jean Myers was a woman who never tired of helping people, including me. Without her cheerful, faithful support, through haircuts and prayers to water and food (in countless pump failures and several power outages), I honestly don’t believe I’d be alive now. I am still feeling the loss of Bob Riley a year and a half earlier – an older man from Cole Harbour who first turned up at a gathering in October 2008, incensed that I was not allowed visits to my dog, who became the staunchest Brindi supporter in town, putting in countless hours writing letters, showing up for court, helping me with the house and car; even taking me to and from the hospital in 2015. Like Jean, Bob always came through. So Jean’s death is not a loss I can exactly bounce back from. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="26anc-0-0"><span data-text="true">Still, I told myself I’d get it together by September 14, the day of that stupid scuffle that HRM used as an excuse to do it all over again. But as both dates approached I found myself doing no better than before. No clearer in mind, no more disciplined, not even to attend weekly yoga class. I don’t have the benefit of professional therapy, despite many, many attempts at securing it. I already had ADD and fibro all my life; neither of them were exactly helpful in this ordeal. I tried tapping, I tried mindfulness (which the health system is apparently now pushing in lieu of actual therapy), but somehow I’ve been uncontrollably bent on its opposite – mindless escapism. Absence, not presence. Hours and hours of binge-watching online day after day, and gradually less and less activity, mostly confined to scraping through paying bills with assistance, food bank visits twice a month, and feeding the pets twice a day – now four in total, with Bob’s cat JoeJoe along with my two cats, Amelia and Katerina, plus Casey, a 12 year old golden mix a kindhearted neighbor gave me three years ago. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="2d5b3-0-0"><span data-text="true">Day after day, I keep up the idea, increasingly a fiction, that I’ll kick into action again any day now. I’ll put aside the feelings of shame that come from being wronged, being victimized, and helpless to stop it. I’ll get it all done and then go on to complete the unfinished business of my life, pre-2008: the house, my research, and maybe even some semblance of actual practice. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="13bgv-0-0"><span data-text="true">And yet I can’t persuade myself to invest in even a few minutes of daily meditation – the wounded part of me thinks, I did that in 2014, what did it get me? Cancer and a motion to dismiss the second appeal based on lies, despite the fact that I’d completed 9/10ths of it – only the brief was lacking, and that was for a good reason: I’d come to accept the reality of the court system: judges here just don’t like me representing myself (and at the same time, refused to appoint an attorney, nor would Legal Aid provide one), so the odds of a three-judge panel overturning the rulings of both the first appeal judge and the trial judge, however sound my arguments, were astronomical. I was too aware of this and way too worn out to even try to come up with convincing wording that might have any chance. And I’ve never been cute or charming enough in person to get anyone, let alone three middle-aged Nova Scotian men, to give fairness a try for a change. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="f27at-0-0"><span data-text="true">Still, with a little more time, I would have put something together; down inside, however, I didn’t think I could withstand the experience of having them follow the lead of the previous judges who had pulled what I now gather are classic tricks they use to get around the truth. Decision after decision alternately misrepresenting, ignoring, and inventing facts, rulings, testimony – it was less a matter of avoiding more humiliation than a wish to simply preserve my sanity.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="1592q-0-0"><span data-text="true">The word of the day now, though, is weakness. Today, I am not happy to report, I am not even as physically strong as I was in July, unfortunately. Either my fibromyalgia is getting worse or some other illness is happening, because the chronic fatigue (a component of the fibro) is so bad, every two weeks I seem to sleep two or three days straight. Every three or four weeks since July, I’ve had a very painful sore throat – starting with bona fide strep. It came back this weekend, along with earache, a headache, and muscle weakness. No cold symptoms, no sniffles.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="2drra-0-0"><span data-text="true">And so here it is: I don't know whether Brindi is alive or dead. only know this: in 2010, not long after they took her on that horrible day of September 24, I met with the city prosecutor, Katherine Salsman (who was very reluctant to meet and insisted it was not a negotiaion), and, after assuring her no judge would ever order Brindi put to death - which proved true - I proposed every possible alternative to death, including adoption to someone else in town. The prosecutor, a recent graduate apparently given the green light to torture me, blithely refused every one of them. She later threatened me with some sort of court action if I disclosed the memo to the judge (or the public?), in a bid to make it confidential after the fact.</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="1icst-0-0"><span data-text="true">So, it seems extremely unlikely that six years later, the city - or rather, its contracted pound operator, Hope Swinimer, and her subcontracted kennel operator, Christine Graham, because no actual HRM official was present - were being at all truthful in January 2016 when they told local reporters that Brindi would be adopted and they were looking for a new home for her. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="5nmqk-0-0"><span data-text="true">This is extremely unlikely for several reasons, and not only because they announced they'd found a home only two days later, but because the previous August, desperate for a way to cut the court torture short, I asked a cousin, a lawyer in Florida, for help. He decided to offer a deal to the prosecutor: let him adopt Brindi and I would drop my appeal. A week later, she inexplicably told him no, because they already had an adoptive family picked out. I was incredulous - and furious, because this would have been a huge about face, and if it were true, why hadn't they approached me? But she refused to discuss it further, and even denied any offer had been made when I mentioned it to the chief justice in a scheduling session. Why?? By then, Brindi had been locked up for eight years!</span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="4ohgb-0-0"><span data-text="true">I also know that the 2016 adoption announcement was unlikey because the city refused to provide any proof of adoption, on the strength of some claim to confidentiality - a moot point given Brindi's fame - and because there was no sign of Brindi ever since. All that summer, I mounted a twitter campaign. </span></span><span class="_5zk7" data-offset-key="4ohgb-1-0" spellcheck="false" start="231"><span data-offset-key="4ohgb-1-0"><span data-text="true">#whereisBrindi</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="4ohgb-2-0"><span data-text="true">, hoping at least for some word that she was alive and well. No word came. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="4dq5e-0-0"><span data-text="true">It was that last twist, that January 2016 announcement (claim) of adoption, that really did me in. I had been terrified they would put her down without a word, and even phoned one of the vets the city uses for that purpose to beg him not to do it. That media show, with poor Brindi, unmuzzled, looking ten years older but as warm and sweet as ever, in the control of a kennel owner (also breeder, trainer, boarder) whose husband spent two years or more cyberbullying me, the idea that they now said they would adopt her, plus other lies the media swallowed whole - without bothering to call me, by the way, for a reaction or even a fact check - was another turn of the screw that damaged the last bits of drive, of strength, I had left. No one, not even my two dear friends, could do or say anything to fix that. </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="epusl-0-0"><span data-text="true">I don’t feel confident about anything, least of all, the prospect of using social media to get things done. I seldom interact with people anymore, in person or online. The terrible thing about it is that, suffering already from compounded PTSD symptoms, I shrink at the thought of actually finding out for certain Brindi that is dead – which is more than likely – and equally at the possibility of actually seeing her, in her old age and poor health, for one more heart-destroying meeting. Unbearable to even contemplate. </span></span><span data-offset-key="epusl-0-0"><span data-text="true"><span data-offset-key="epusl-0-0"><span data-text="true">Actually, 99.9% of the time, the thought isn't even there. </span></span>But my brain keeps insistently projecting the goals I must achieve, by hook or by crook. And some part of me is fooled into believing they'll get done. A complete timeline, backed up with references to documents - to set down the truth, possibly refute all the "fake news". A full account of what happened the night of September 14 and the following days and weeks. I did upload the 2012 transcript, corrected, to Scribd; I don't know if I uploaded the 2014 appeal transcript, but I should do. I should upload every single email exchange with HRM as well... </span></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="epusl-0-0"><span data-text="true"><br />So far, this is all I can muster. <br /><br />Brindi, if you are still out there, please know, you are the BEST dog ever!!! Life will never be the same without you. I love you and will love you forever and ewver. </span></span></div>
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href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-75663204822486593802016-01-13T21:19:00.001-04:002016-08-06T15:41:31.474-03:00A Whole Website Showing Brindi Was Already Well-Trained & Never Considered Dangerous<br />
Here's an entire website I set up back in 2008 that shows that nobody ever thought Brindi was a dangerous dog going back to the start: <a href="http://supportbrindi.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Support Brindi!</a><br />
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<b>There are letters from neighbors, friends, the local dog groomer, the local kennel, and even the mail carrier. </b>They constitute abundant proof (as many were submitted to court and were not contradicted) I had already trained Brindi before HRM seized her, and that I had trained her pretty darn well. I should hope so, because I put off the foundation work on my house for a year specifically to get Brindi to a point where I could take her anywhere on or off-leash and depend on her to behave well!! She is a fast learner and wants to please, but no dog trains itself. <br />
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And even the incidents that occurred where she got loose accidentally and went after a dog nearing her territory - things HRM appears to have used as reasons to seize Brindi - in reality prove the opposite of dangerous, as she did so little harm or none at all each time. No sign of escalation. <br />
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<b>If this wasn't the truth, HRM would have laid charges against me way before it took Brindi, and likely taken her way before July 2008; and, I would never have been able to save her life!! </b><br />
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<a href="http://supportbrindi.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Support Brindi</a> has been online for all these years on purpose, as a resource intended for the average local reporter and the average newsreader in the Halifax Regional Municipality, so they don't have to rely only on whatever story HRM tells.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>At the time the letters on <a href="http://supportbrindi.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Support Brindi</a> were written, I was a newcomer here. So nobody wrote their letter purely out of loyalty to me. They wrote
because they knew Brindi and did not want the city to put her down. And they wrote expecting that the city would give due consideration to their letters, which, as it turns out, it didn't. <br />
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<b>Of course, it has to be said, HRM never officially deemed Brindi dangerous at any juncture</b> - not when they took her in 2008, and not when they took her in 2010. And even not when a judge in 2010 "strongly recommended" to HRM that it should deem Brindi dangerous. Since the law didn't prevent the judge from doing this herself - it virtually allowed her to do anything - the fact that she didn't go ahead and deem Brindi dangerous speaks volumes. <br />
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No, despite everything the city and its prosecutors did to create the
impression of "dangerousness", there was never an actual designation of
dangerous. The judge in 2012 - ignoring the trainer and vet's opinions, and the trainer's proof of the extra training work I did with Brindi voluntarily after she was released in 2010 - did all she could to create that impression as well. But at no time was Brindi even remotely in the running for "dangerous". <br />
<br />
Brindi can't be no longer considered something she never was considered. It's a lot like that famous question to a defendant, "When did you stop beating your wife?" <b><br /><br />So for HRM and Christine Graham and whoever else to say at this late date, years and years later that "Brindi is no longer considered dangerous," as if it represents a sudden momentous and merciful finding, is doubly</b> <b>incorrect. </b><br />
<br />
<b>The story put out by the CBC and other media, that Brindi's disposition improved under the "care" of Christine Graham, and that Graham trained Brindi in obedience, is entirely untrue. </b><br />
<br />
<b>Check out <a href="http://supportbrindi.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Support Brindi!</a> Read pound owner <a href="http://supportbrindi.blogspot.ca/search?q=hope+swinimer" target="_blank">Hope Swinimer's letter of support!</a></b><br />
<br />
There are other statements on this website attesting to Brindi's good nature, such as the sentencing statements from 2012: <br /><a href="http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/2012/06/letter-submitted-to-court-from-brindis.html" target="_blank">Vet letter</a><br /><a href="http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/p/temperament-test-results-and-statement.html" target="_blank">Trainer's statement</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-37424196900197659492016-01-11T04:57:00.001-04:002016-01-12T04:57:04.194-04:00What are your chances if Halifax decides to seize your dog?<br />
<i>Compiled before and after HRM's bizarre staging of an adoption process the first week of January... </i><br />
--------------------------- <br />
<b>Don't care about me or whatever - for those inclined not to. It's fine. </b>I don't matter. What really matters is whether you're okay with living in a place where the city can get away with such blatant abuse of the law and its power, year after year. And not just with Brindi. <br />
<br />
<b>This could have happened to anybody - whether perceived as weak or not. </b>It could have been a dog that actually did bite somebody once - a dog not trained in obedience - a dog with a higher aggression level. And its owner would never have been able to save their dog's life. That very thing has already happened at least once since they took Brindi.<br />
<br />
<b>I was able to stop HRM from killing Brindi for the simple reason that Brindi is an excellent, well-trained dog that succumbed to instinct - yet exhibited good restraint. </b>And the fact is that I am the one who trained Brindi to behave so well, both at the SPCA and the Graham's. She is so good because I spent a whole year drilling obedience training with her, and did it again for two months after I got her out after two years in the slammer. She is so good because she was able to remember that training even after two years. <br />
<br />
<b>Read the trainer's statement and the vet's statement for evidence! </b>Both are posted to this blog (see above and the left-hand column).<b><br /></b><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>Sure, Brindi had a couple of scrapes with other dogs.</b> I hated that they happened, I acted quickly to regain control, and I freely admit they happened due to unintentional mistakes on my part. However, they were pretty harmless by any comparison. But HRM has eradicated any connection between the mistake and the harm done. HRM inflates my mistakes (1 every 2 years) into "refuses to obey court orders".<br />
<br />
<b>Contrary to popular belief, I obeyed every rule as far as humanly possible. </b>And I went the extra mile. There's no lack of evidence for this - videos, affidavits, testimony, photos. <br />
<br />
<b>Brindi's had lots of chances to really do harm and she chose not to. </b>This simple significant fact is one that HRM hates anyone to know. But nobody is better than Susan Jordan at dealing with dog aggression, and she cited Dr. Ian Dunbar in saying Brindi has "good bite restraint". And Susan swore under oath that on a scale of one to ten, Brindi is at the LOWEST LEVEL OF AGGRESSION. Minimal territorial aggression that leads to little or no harm: over the course of years it didn't escalate one iota. <br />
<br />
<b>So if my dog is so harmless, then even if I were the worst dog owner ever, there is no reason I can't have her - she wouldn't attack people even when they kicked her</b>. And even after two years of isolation from other dogs, where she could still smell and hear them but not see them or play with them; after two years in a concrete cell, she did beautifully in an assessment - in which she was tied to a pole and strange male dogs approached her! Look up the videos!<br />
<br />
<b>They want to take credit now for <i>training and socializing Brindi</i> - the very people who took her and locked her up on death row! </b>Harming her health, depriving her of a good home and the opportunity to play with dogs, run on the beach, a normal life. The same people who at any point up to this year would have killed her the second I stopped fighting - that's what HRM sought to do all this time and I have no doubt it would have happened. <br />
<br />
<b>They - the Grahams, backed by Hope Swinimer, all of them on HRM's payroll - now even want people to now believe Brindi was not locked up in isolation all those years HRM lawyers tried to get a court to grant them permission to kill her!! </b>The very people who were her would-be executioners are now saying she is a great dog to be around, yet they stood by & did nothing as I struggled to fight for her life in the court! What kind of terrible swindlers and scammers are they??<br />
<br />
<b>Why should they be praised in any way for such a terrible deed?</b> <br />
<br />
<b>The question to you is - are you okay with living in a place where such things can happen to anybody?</b><br />
<br />
<b>Do you want a person with few or no qualifications to decide to muzzle or seize your dog?</b><br />
<br />
<b>Do you want to live in a city that decides on its own (no hearing) to kill your dog Bruno or Binky, let's say, then seizes Binky and holds him for months and months where you can't go see him?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Do you want to live in a city that then prosecutes <i>you</i> in the overloaded provincial courts with the aim of getting the judge to order Binky destroyed or any other thing the judge wants to order? </b>(unless you agree to allow them to kill it)<br />
<br />
<b>Do you want the city to force you to hire a lawyer or take on the burden of representing yourself, so Binky's life depends directly on your ability to win in court against the city's well-paid lawyers?</b><br />
<br />
<b>Does it sound to you like maybe this violates your rights? </b>Well, you're right!<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Do you want the law to support your rights so that this is not done? </b>Good luck, because I learned that the courts are not willing to act rationally when it comes to HRM.<br />
<br />
<b>And do you also want the law to help protect against you or your loved ones being attacked?</b> Well, it doesn't do a good job. Turns out that a number of dogs that kill have escaped death because the
owners were acquitted or never even tried. The law is such that unless a trial produces a
guilty verdict, court's hands - and HRM's hands - are tied. <br />
<br />
<b>So are you okay with the fact that HRM fails to consistently protect public safety yet punishes some dogs and owners disproportionately?</b><br />
<br />
<b>A lot of people just don't realize what the city does and what it is allowed to do by law.</b> Many people assume, like I once did, that a dog that never bit a person would not be seized no matter how many times it was reported for something. The law provides for higher fines for repreat offenders and that is standard across all areas of law. Nothing justifies adding on the life of the dog.<br />
<br />
<b>And people report lots of things lots of times, it doesn't necessarily mean the reports are accurate</b>. The reports aren't always true. Yet the city doesn't wait until a trial is over to seize your dog & decide to kill it! The city first takes the dog, asks no questions later; it just puts you on trial. On average, this takes some eight months after arraignment, and arraignment is typically a month after charges are laid. <b>So there is a guaranteed period of nine months of your dog being impounded.</b> And while you suffer from that pain, you're expected to either pay through the nose and hope you can trust your lawyer, or try to represent yourself to save your dog's life.<br />
<br />
I<b> could barely do it; I mean, I couldn't believe it would ever be necessary but I had to literally throw everything else aside and risk my life to do it.</b> Because frankly, few dogs are as well-behaved as Brindi. And not only did she not do anything remotely serious enough to deserve death, and not only was it easy to get positive assessments on her - but in court I was able to rely on research and writing skills (honed from years of academic research and writing). None of that made any difference when I was up against HRM. The judges gave even its most outrageous assertions - and zero evidence - more weight than all the assessments and affidavits and videos and solid legal principles on my side. Year after year. And each time, the courts added more factual error to their written decisions, making it impossible to get them corrected before the next round! <br />
<br />
<b>Other dogs are going to be targeted from time to time, dogs that the city singles out, that are typically owned by people with little money and few or no connections, like me. </b>And it's certain most if any of their owners are not going to succeed in saving their dogs. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>So, Halifax dog owners, do you feel lucky? </b><b>Or will you speak out before it happens to you or someone you love?</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-61136951638598445812016-01-09T15:26:00.001-04:002016-01-11T05:05:58.971-04:00Secrets, Lies, and Abuse: thoughts from late 2015 <br />
<br />
I am posting this text from late 2015 now, in light of what Halifax - in the form of Katherine Salsman, Hope Swinimer, and Christine and Derek Graham - did to me and Brindi for over five years, topped by their blatant lies about adoption last week. They have essentially stolen my dog and neglected her health for five years. She looks ragged and worn and yet they told media she's been living in the Graham's home all this time - and allowed to play with other dogs! Clearly untrue, especially since they swore to the court in 2012 that she was kept away from dogs and locked up in the kennel!<br />
<br />
For what it's worth this is how I felt a lot of the time, as I struggled to keep going so I could keep Brindi alive:<br />
<br />
_______________________________________________________<br />
<br />
Victims of abuse .... often hide their abuse from others.<br />
Abusers often count on this as well. It's an age-old mechanism: the more they intimidate their victims, the less likelihood their misdeeds will be discovered.<br />
<br />
I just realized I may be doing this unconsciously to some degree. And I suspect it may be a mistake. Why hide it? Maybe because I don't think of myself as a victim of abuse. It's not like there's support groups out there for victims of municipalities - and admittedly, this goes pretty far beyond bureaucratic bullying. <br />
<br />
But maybe also that despite evidence surrounding me, I don't like to think of myself as a victim. Who really does? <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
I even seem to have buried my awareness of ovarian cancer - a pretty neat trick, considering that I am still very much experiencing the effects of major surgery for the malignant (thankfully stage 1) tumor. I have no idea when it started growing, but it had reached sizeable proportions (9x10x14 cm) by the time they removed it. I can't say I was so happy or willing to lose other parts of my body along with it. I never had the opportunity to make good use of my uterus and cervix, but I was kind of fond of them nevertheless. I mean, they were a big part of me. Made me what I am. Or was. The pre-surgery scans came back negative; post-surgery lab tests confirmed they were free of blame. No cancerous growths, doing a fine job of secreting their various hormones.<br />
<br />
Tests showed that one of my ovaries was perfectly fine too; the other sadly unable to fight back against the blob forming around it,<br />
<br />
And then there's the foot-long scar that starts above my belly button, circles around it, and plunges straight down again, well below what would be my bikini line, if I ever wore a bikini, the bottom end thickening and red. Sort of like a long flattened earthworm.<br />
<br />
Maybe it's part of PTSD to kind of extinguish yourself - to shrink into the smallest thing you can. Like when my boyfriend was mugged and I saw him drop to the pavement and curl up into a fetal position as he was still being pummelled.<br />
<br />
So I forget - or avoid.<br />
<br />
And so even when I already knew the city's lawyer had likely told a big fat lie to my cousin, as her response to his offer to adopt Brindi just made no sense,<br />
<br />
It was shocking all over again when she refused to disclose anything about it - it pretty much established the lie<br />
<br />
I live in constant fear and loathing. <br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-40796879049039756462016-01-07T21:46:00.001-04:002016-01-13T21:38:35.258-04:00Brindi no longer considered dangerous? GIVE HER BACK!<br />
<br />
<b>Please pinch me!!! Or don't, just hit me over the head with something, just knock me out forever and ever.</b><br />
<br />
<b>My anger is a mask for deep, deep sorrow and despair. My anger is my shield from the image of my poor, poor beauty. </b>Grinding and stomping the last bits of my shattered to the ground,
it seems like all local media outlets, silent for five years, suddenly jumped aboard the "Let's
blame Francesca" wagon.<br />
<br />
<b>Yet most of the day, it looked to me as though HRM was done for - the more they tried to show they had really done a great thing for Brindi by locking her up for 7 years and by now adopting her to a "good home" (never to be named or pictured), the worse it looked. </b>For a fraction of a second, I may have even started thinking things just might turn my way. <br />
<br />
<b>After all, the more that HRM talks about adoption, the more it looks totally in the wrong. </b>And I was and am in the right. But. I didn't count on the fairy tale factor. The spin-dry cycle. The great fictional talents of this municipality and its stewards. <br />
<br />
<b>HRM is turning the screw yet again, telling a tale of how they have rehabilitated my good dog, and now </b>(just in time for HRM to land a dismissal order using similarly shameless fictions), <b>now, thanks to them, she is "no longer considered dangerous."</b> So there's a whole new script: Brindi, in the wonderful care of HRM, has been transformed - not into a chronically ill senior with a dull coat and glassy eyes, but into a - gosh! - "good dog."<br />
<br />
<b>And the CBC headline? </b>"Brindi the dog to be adopted after lengthy court battle." The insinuation? <b>BIZARRELY: that the lengthy court battle part is MY FAULT!!! Nothing at all to do with HRM's seven years of mindless determination to refuse all reasonable alternatives to KILLING MY DOG!</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Please Lord! Only people with devious minds and damaged hearts are capable of such webs of deceit about their own misdeeds. About a (now once) beautiful, exceptionally smart and loving dog. <br />
<br />
<b>Only hollow-hearted people would lock up your beloved companion for no good reason, hold her hostage day after day, year after year, and then turn around and boast about how wonderful they were for doing it!</b> How lucky Brindi truly is! <br />
<br />
<b>And then, chapter two of this fiction to put the blame on that selfish "appeal queen" who just was so wrong to demand her dog back</b>. That's how they describe my appeal grounds, incidentally; no mention of the substance of the appeal. (Who expects to find actual information anyhow?)<br />
And all because I, Brindi's "ex-owner", "refused to obey a muzzle order". Really?? News to me! Or just as incorrectly put, "failure to comply with a muzzle order". Ahem. Even the judges didn't put it that way. This comes straight from one place and one place only, and its initials are spelled Halifax Regional Municipality. Where prosecutors acknowledge unintentional mistakes yet pursue an order to destroy anyhow. <br />
<br />
<b>The CBC of all platforms served as the mouthpiece for it! </b>Facebook friends from here to Hong Kong have been shaking their heads at such blatantly one-sided and even farcical "reporting". <br />
<br />
<b>Missing mention of the real history in the history timeline.</b> For example: not a word about my successful application to the Supreme Court, that quashed HRM's order to destroy because it was procedurally unfair (trans: no due process). Or that the order relied on an unconstitutional, ergo never valid by-law section - which the review also quashed. Where was Christine back then, I wonder?<br />
<br />
<b>Not a word about how HRM lost yet refused to give Brindi back, and instead, chose just that moment to lay charges against me, confident the public, and the media, it turns out, wouldn't catch the sleight of hand that passed for actual lawful authority to impound a dog for weeks, days, months.</b> No.<br />
<br />
Christine Graham is now depicted as being not only an empathetic person who wears splashy sweaters; she's putting herself across as a great dog trainer, a miracle worker. Because in her care, Brindi suddenly became a "good dog that is "no longer considered dangerous" - and by the way, Brindi didn't get seized and impounded unlawfully and then sent to the kennel where nobody not on HRM's payroll saw her for the past three years - she <a href="http://Under court order, Brindi enters the care of Christine Graham, dog trainer, and owner of Wyndenfog Kennel." target="_blank">"<i>entered the care of Christine Graham</i>".</a> Just like a spa or a clinic!?!? <br />
<br />
<b>According to Christine on CBC, Brindi's been living <i>in the family home</i>. </b> Not here, where, in her 2012 affidavit (two years in), Christine swore she was keeping my best friend for the previous two years? Where she bragged that Brindi could look through the family's kitchen window and see the family sitting down to dinner? <br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
So when did they supposedly move Brindi from here</blockquote>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uHBo4qQhP97IS4TC4hooVz60uOQQqfOsz6reaLUnsuvBj6gqLbCjeeO2_Eh8Ts8AGSpbQoiExrliVEN51szoqODCLlWYoD6zbLIKF5Mcs8Ytt5pNxaM_m7yxbQp7Nq2WP7h2bGAJGKU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-07+at+9.02.37+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uHBo4qQhP97IS4TC4hooVz60uOQQqfOsz6reaLUnsuvBj6gqLbCjeeO2_Eh8Ts8AGSpbQoiExrliVEN51szoqODCLlWYoD6zbLIKF5Mcs8Ytt5pNxaM_m7yxbQp7Nq2WP7h2bGAJGKU/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-01-07+at+9.02.37+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
to here? <br />
And why is she leashed? <br />
Why don't I believe this? Wow, I could write a few chapters about it! <br />
Or I could just post a string of very nasty tweets by Christine's husband from the past five years. Or his posts to Facebook hate groups. <br />
Or I could tell you how Christine screens prospective clients by asking them which vet they go to, and if they go to my - Brindi's - vet, she sends them packing.<br />
<br />
<b>And overhearing CTV last night, I swear I heard a
woman - Christine or Hope? - say something to the effect of, "She's been
in a place that's<i> even better than a family home</i>." </b>Whoops! <br />
<br />
<b>Graham also makes the radically revelatory finding that, "Brindi is well behaved around people."</b> A miracle!!!!! Funny, whenever <i>I s</i>aid that kind of thing in court, Ms. Salsman and her predecessors would leap on it as proof that I didn't take my dog's "issues" seriously. Cue the judge to take Brindi away from me for being defiant.<br />
<br />
<b>For those not in the know, way back in 2008, the first HRM prosecutor on the job, Scott Hughes conceded that exact thing in writing. </b>Why? Because I, not any lawyer, I, provided ample proof of it, that's why! And it was no problem to collect over a dozen letters from upright citizens, moms of infants, other dog owners, groomer, trainer, mail carrier in less than a week, and dumping it on his desk. That is because I trained Brindi to behave beautifully, and good training allows a dog's inner goodness to shine forth so that everyone feels it. I took her everywhere. The beach, the beach, the beach! The woods, the park! And, the hairdresser, the hardware store, even a bank and a grocery store. We regularly an elderly dude on the Post Road and took his feisty shih tzu along on our walks. And she always behaved like the lady she is. <b><br /></b><br />
<b><b>Way back in 2008, moments after HRM first seized Brindi, that's when
Hughes said it. That's when other trainers spoke up. Did Christine
Graham? </b></b><b><br /><br />The "attacks"? </b>You mean the "four dogs" she scuffled with briefly between 2007 and 2010? Leaving this terrible wound?<br />
<br />
<h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02QT5_zUsWjDlXTFKJvSjz_KYBmzLa0FWo71Dd1di8GLB0Jeoaq-2-fWl86Gia41d1PfpYIpIS_1yq5ol9gwy-3FnFYcgeqe6r8Kjo9gtzvRK_-tzyquISYXITVd8xzhxGDOFy3DMRmc/s1600/Lucy+puncture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02QT5_zUsWjDlXTFKJvSjz_KYBmzLa0FWo71Dd1di8GLB0Jeoaq-2-fWl86Gia41d1PfpYIpIS_1yq5ol9gwy-3FnFYcgeqe6r8Kjo9gtzvRK_-tzyquISYXITVd8xzhxGDOFy3DMRmc/s200/Lucy+puncture.jpg" width="200" /></a>Even better: According to Christine Graham, Brindi is"no longer considered a dangerous dog."</h2>
Apart from the fact <br />
And - then why the muzzle?? <br />
<h2>
If Brindi is no longer a dangerous dog, why is she still locked up?? <br />Why did HRM keep fighting? </h2>
<b><i>When</i> did HRM make this significant shift to "no longer dangerous", and who started
it?</b>? Was it this year? Three years ago? Five years ago? While Ms. Salsman was in court blocking every effort I made to get Brindi OUT? <br />
<br />
<b>Why won't she say? </b>Doesn't it sort of <i>change everything, in fact? </i>If HRM has stopped saying Brindi is dangerous - joining the long chorus of trainers and vets and groomers and kennel owners (Belle Kennel) and the SPCA and rescue groups and about ten thousand petition signers and ME - then why can't I have my <i>not dangerous, well-behaved dog back?!</i><br />
<br />
<b>Let's get something straight, once again, CBC!</b> <b>HRM took Brindi and held Brindi year after year for one reason only - it was determined that she should be put down, regardless of any standard for dangerousness, regardless of the strong contradictory evidence and expert opinion.</b> Regardless of lawfulness, and regardless of the conditions in which she was kept. Which medical records show led to chronic ailments early in 2009 that plagued her from then on. The muzzle order? Just a handy ploy to convey<i> the appearance of dangerousness. </i> <br />
<br />
HRM never stopped trying to get an order to kill Brindi? Why would it fight my appeal otherwise? Why would it have spent a ton of money on prosecutors in two different trials? <br />
<h3>
Why would HRM block a judge from reading the results of a behavioral assessment <i>even before the assessment was done, </i>and seven years later pretend that Brindi had undergone some sort of transformation to a non-dangerous dog?? </h3>
I suppose some are always ready to join a mob, but this really beggars belief. And I would have thought such fourth-rate journalism is beneath the CBC. But I guess not; Chiu never bothered to call me for my comments. And when I gave them over the phone this morning, she promised to put them in, but I don't see any. Thanks so much! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
As I write this, I am deliberately trying to control my thoughts so I don't collapse, ever since I saw that photo of Brindi yesterday, that a CTV newsman so kindly thrust in front of my face, on camera, to record the moment I set eyes on a photo of her since 2012. I just can't.<br />
<br />
Of course, the article says, "she is muzzled when outside." Huh. And yet, during the 2012 trial, Katherine Salsman skinned me alive with knives of "she must be muzzled AND in an escape-proof enclosure." <br />
<br />
<b>And "she will have to keep on the muzzle for the rest of her life."</b> REALLY? Honestly? So, um, it's never happened that HRM lifted a muzzle order after a dog owner showed that the dog had been trained out of its aggression, eh? Not much! And look at this poor dog!!!! HONEST TO GOD!!! <br />
<h3>
<i>The truth: </i>HRM could easily get a judge to sign off on lifting the muzzle order. In less than an hour, on any given day. Easily!</h3>
I myself witnessed the Hon. Judge Alanna Murphy, whose errant wording of "and" instead of "or" created so much grief for me later on, rubber-stamped a request by HRM -Animal Services and prosecutor Kishan Persaud, my tormentors - to alter a muzzle order on a black lab that had run at large and thrashed the daylights of a whole series of small dogs, on the owner's husband's say-so that they had worked with a trainer. No trainer in the courtroom, no documents I could see; the change was to allow that dog to run on the family's property without a muzzle. The family's unfenced property, I learned from the husband. Why? HRM said it was because the wording of the muzzle order contradicted the wording in the law, which does not require muzzling on the owner's property. The good judge deliberated all of about thirty seconds, signed off on it, done deal. <br />
<br />
<b>But for Brindi - different story! Brindi not only had to be muzzled on my property; HRM tried to insist she had to be muzzled even in the purpose-built dog run!!!</b> And she NEVER sent a dog to emergency treatment to the tune of eye-rolling vet bills! Not even CLOSE!!! Even when I politely reminded Judge Murphy of the change she made to that dog's muzzle order, and the numerous vet bills in the hundreds of dollars, she just brushed it off, even using a hand motion to do it. <i> </i><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58Jgg36lFUOeIGIVJZvn7ydxOZrlyxyBYOewVaARjspx8ORTlOclmcKNjcIcopqiQB7HWXHlvKQ7VL80abkYoCUZt89EF7kMR71_nYODUWQ_wYTKMzShqaX0wMXEVxKr6mMcVAgxrJ9o/s1600/SPCA+birthday+photo+with+Brindi+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58Jgg36lFUOeIGIVJZvn7ydxOZrlyxyBYOewVaARjspx8ORTlOclmcKNjcIcopqiQB7HWXHlvKQ7VL80abkYoCUZt89EF7kMR71_nYODUWQ_wYTKMzShqaX0wMXEVxKr6mMcVAgxrJ9o/s320/SPCA+birthday+photo+with+Brindi+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Back in July 2010, cyberbullies Wayne Croft & Co. (who true to form already cropped up again on FB and posted an anonymous comment here), and very likely Derek Graham, Christine's husband (in disguise) flooded the interweb <b>talking about how dare I hold a party for Brindi in a space I rented, with my friends, and not muzzle her, indoors - what a scandal! </b><br />
<b>The emphasis on the muzzle right now is doubtless because lately I've been retweeting the famous SPCA birthday photo from 2009, which showed, and I saw firsthand for nearly a year, that the SPCA NEVER MUZZLED BRINDI even when infants were nearby and she was eating. </b>Surrounded by smiling people, including a vet in white - who, had I dropped my court case at any given moment, would have given Brindi the lethal injection. If not her, maybe the manager in blue; I understand they did it too sometimes. <br />
<h3>
And then, maddeningly, Christine is quoted
about how great a dog Brindi is. REALLY? NO KIDDING!!!</h3>
<h3>
And, to my amazement,
Christine is taking CREDIT for this fact! <i><br /></i></h3>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"...Brindi has learned social skills around other dogs." </i></blockquote>
Oh no, no no no no no. No, just no.<b> NO!</b> How dare you!!! Honest to God, what kind of person are you? <br />
<br />
<b>This woman really has some balls to put over this wretched fairy tale about how she rehabilitated MY DOG. </b>NOW
she is good around other dogs, NOW she is a great dog to have around?
Tell Bob Ottenbrite, tell Susan Jordan, tell all the people who appear
on the http://SupportBrindi.blogspot.com page! <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"She's been out for walks, she's been out for play dates, she's with me
out in the field," Graham said. Their time together, she said, has "been
really rewarding. Brindi's a really good dog." </i> </blockquote>
<b>First of all, hello, have you met Katherine Salsman?? Jim Janson? </b>Until just a
few days ago, there was no way she would be considering adoption;
nothing but death for Brindi! Just last September, Salsman even lied to the Court of Appeal when I mentioned that we were in negotation for ADOPTION. Knowing full well I have the email she wrote to my cousin, a law partner, in August. <b>Have you read what Jim Janson said about HRM, now a pet owner, having the right to have its pet put down on a whim just like all pet owners? </b>(Clearly Mr. Janson was acting; God forbid his kids or nephews should hear that!) <br />
<br />
Going back to 2008 with Kishan Persaud and Scott Hughes, through to 2010, and then from 2010 on, from my memo in 2010, from requesting to know HRM's plans for Brindi before appealing, to my offers to enter into judicial mediation through 2014 and 2015, Salsman, doubtless under orders from some unknown source,<b> refused my offers to resolve the whole thing out of court so Brindi could get out of the kennel sooner.</b> Uses strongarm tactics and fictions of her own to get my appeal dismissed.<br />
<br />
And now there seems to have been a family all along that she never mentioned to me (to my cousin, yes; to me, refusal.) <b>I would have thought it is an HRM prosecutor's duty to come forward to tell me, a kind of concerned party here after all, hello, okay, we changed our minds, will you drop your appeal, here's a family willing to take Brindi! IF there is a family</b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<b>But hold up: exactly who authorized all this playdating??</b>
Naturally I am thrilled to hear it - if I could only believe it. Not without proof. You and HRM taught me that. <br />
Honestly, Lori Scolaro, Ms. Let's Kill Brindi herself, is okay
with that?? Really. Me, I begged and begged and there was nothing but
isolation for Brindi for years at the SPCA AND at your kennel. Huh.<br />
<br />
Nobody believes you, Christine, that it's your good care
and training, that Brindi is "<i>no longer considered a dangerous dog</i>." <b>
Newsflash: NOBODY considered Brindi a dangerous dog, nobody able to read or think, or breathe, nobody
this side of Oz!</b> Or the other side.<br />
<br />
<b>And nobody believes how old Brindi looks. I just can't. Almost unrecognizable. Clear signs of stress, distress, premature aging. </b>I just. Want. To. Die. And who dares post claptrap about it being MY FAULT? Only pond-scum - and no offense to pond-scum!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Here is what it comes down to: you, Mrs. Graham, stole my great dog and robbed us both of our lives together. </b>You and HRM. You locked her up, your husband cyberbullied me for years, and both of you got to enjoy my exceptionally great dog's company for five long years. And all the while, be honest, you neglected her health. And now you want to be praised, and most of all, you want me to be condemned for having the selfishness to just keep appealing because... oh yeah, because HRM wanted to <i>kill Brindi!</i><br />
<br />
<b>And I must say, I don't believe for a second she's been in your house for all five years. </b>She looks like an old fleabag, I weep to think of it! Her eyes look terrible. She looks like she's 18 years old. If she really did live in your house, what the hell is wrong with your house?? <br />
<br />
Let's be real here. You have show dogs, you teach obedience, you run a boarding kennel, you attend dog events all the time. <b>Tell the truth, exactly how much time did you, do you have left over to spend with Brindi? </b>Nobody was around and the house was dark on Christmas Eve 2011, I know that. Remember when I dropped off a giant stocking for her, after you told the vet "no more photos"? And your husband called the RCMP and sent two constables to my home on Boxing Day to tell me "Brindi's owner doesn't want you going to her house." <i>Brindi's what? </i>Now I realize that was no slip-up, it was Freudian slip by proxy!<br />
<br />
And if you really are truthful, and maybe over time, her flowing unconditional love affected even you, as it warmed everyone who met her,<b> then what a horrible, horrible person you still are, that you kept collecting the HRM checks! That you never even had the decency to ask HRM to drop its campaign of death. That you didn't ever think to yourself, wow, I can understand why Francesca loves her so much, and she must be so anxious about her not knowing if she's healthy or not, and Brindi must love Francesca as well, must miss her - not <i>once</i> did you say, "Let me send a photo," let alone, "Let me talk to HRM and see if they'd be willing to compromise and let Brindi go home. To. Her. Good. Loving. Disciplined. Home. HER HOME!</b><br />
<br />
No, not once. Instead you put the kaibosh on the few photos the vet techs took to keep track of Brindi and give me a chance to see how she looked every two months for two years. Instead, you sicced your husband on me. That's why it's just so hard to buy your story, Christine Graham, and Hope Swinimer, who is your shadow.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u> </u><br />
<br />
*<span style="font-size: x-small;">There's another good reason why, by the way; the second they did it I'd be
challenging it in court. Not only because there's no basis for it, but
also because the by-law allowing that registration suffers from the same
flaw as the section I got quashed - s. 8(2)d - allowing AC officers to
seize and destroy dogs, with no strings attached. No obligation to even
notify the owner; certainly no court order, no criteria, nada. Same
exact legal arguments apply to the dangerous registry, as well as to
the muzzle order, and microchipping. They are all in the new version of
the law, A-700. Anybody is welcome to a PDF of my lawyer's brief for s.
8(2)d, they can just file it and sit back and wait. </span><br />
<br />
** <span style="font-size: x-small;">Even the notorious liar (not me, ask the Canadian Forces) AC officer, Tim Hamm, who first seized Brindi in 2008 made a point of saying - contrary to
the law as well - "I am not deeming her dangerous." He wanted to kill
her, yet was not deeming her dangerous. ? It gets better: since
dangerous dogs are not required to be killed here, it's not a crime to
have one! I have yet to understand how the seizure warrants are valid, because
all they say is "...reason to believe X is harbouring a dangerous dog." </span><br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-71656348817380042562016-01-03T10:29:00.000-04:002016-01-13T21:40:21.558-04:00HRM Solicitor Katherine Salsman Said No to Adoption & All Alternatives to Killing Brindi: 2010 Memo<br />
Another dismal end of year, and the most dismal end.<br />
<b>It's time to get things straightened out once and for all. </b>This is not your average dog case. From the outside, it's not always clear. I forget this often because I am in the thick of this struggle. What gets said and proven in court isn't reported. In between, the press passes on whatever the city says. The public fills in the blanks, based on general knowledge of other cases. So I am going to put this out as clearly as I can:<br />
<h2>
<ul>
<li>I did not prolong Brindi's time in the pound.</li>
<li>I am not a dog owner who doesn't know anything about dogs and doesn't train their dog.</li>
<li>I did not fail to take incidents seriously.</li>
<li>I did not ignore a muzzle order on Brindi twice, or at all.</li>
<li><a href="http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/p/my-december-2010-memo-to-hrm-prosecutor.html" target="_blank">My memo to HRM from 2010 </a>is the first of many documents dealing with adoption. <span style="font-weight: normal;">In that memo I listed five offers I made in person to the HRM lawyer. I offered to plead guilty and pay fines if they would let Brindi go on any one of those offers. This would have avoided a costly trial and gotten Brindi out of the pound right away.</span></li>
</ul>
</h2>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/p/my-december-2010-memo-to-hrm-prosecutor.html" target="_blank"><b>I asked HRM to choose one of these measures and I would plead guilty and pay fines:</b> </a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/p/my-december-2010-memo-to-hrm-prosecutor.html" target="_blank"><b></b><b><span style="color: #1a1a1d; font-family: Times; font-size: 13pt;">1. Release Brindi to me pending trial, and if HRM wanted, I would put up a bond as high as $10,000, or,</span></b> </a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/p/my-december-2010-memo-to-hrm-prosecutor.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #1a1a1d; font-family: Times; font-size: 13pt;"></span></b><b><span style="color: #1a1a1d; font-family: Times; font-size: 13pt;">2. Let Brindi go to a foster home pending the outcome of the trial, or,</span></b> </a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/p/my-december-2010-memo-to-hrm-prosecutor.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #1a1a1d; font-family: Times; font-size: 13pt;"></span></b><b><span style="color: #1a1a1d; font-family: Times; font-size: 13pt;">3. Drop the prosecution's request to the judge to order Brindi to be killed, or,</span></b> </a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<u><a href="http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/p/my-december-2010-memo-to-hrm-prosecutor.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #1a1a1d; font-family: Times; font-size: 13pt;">4. Release Brindi to me and I would take her out of the country and go back to the States.</span></b> </a></u></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="color: #1a1a1d; font-family: Times; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/p/my-december-2010-memo-to-hrm-prosecutor.html" target="_blank">5. Let Brindi go to another owner, either here or anywhere else, i.e., ADOPTION!</a></span></b></blockquote>
<h4>
<a name='more'></a>What did I do? What did HRM do? What did Brindi do?</h4>
Maybe if I lay out these three categories and discuss... maybe it will help. As I said, I have these things documented and entered into evidence. In a fair and just system, you'd think a small fraction of it would have been enough to get the case tossed out of court.<br />
<br />
<b>Let's be clear before we go on that none of the above fictions about me being to blame, etc. etc., if true (and they are not) justify what HRM did. </b>Lord knows there's been plenty of cases where HRM didn't try to muzzle or kill a dog that severely harmed a person or killed an animal, so it's not like the judges are so tough, or the law is so strict. Not at all.<br />
<br />
The truth is that this nightmare is not about fairness and justice. It's not about public safety. It's not about an irresponsible dog owner. It's not about a dangerous dog. What's left after that for it to be about? Well, power, I guess, sheer power. Best guess.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: cyan;"><b>Me<u> </u></b></span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: red;">I did not prolong Brindi's time in the pound. </span></i><br />
I did everything I could to put a stop to Brindi's time in the pound. I spent practically all my time trying.<br />
<br />
And don't forget for a minute the fact that if I didn't keep fighting for her, HRM would have killed her. They wanted me to sign her over right away so they could do it.<br />
<br />
The court proceedings don't force HRM to keep holding her. The law doesn't connect impounding a dog to a trial against the owner. It may appear that it does, but if it did, then there would be a lot of dogs in solitary confinement all the time. And people would really not stand for that!<br />
<b><br /></b>
I begged HRM many times to adopt a reasonable alternative to killing Brindi. I did it through my lawyers, I did it on this blog, I did it directly by phone, email, letters to HRM.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><span style="color: red;">I am not a dog owner who doesn't know anything about dogs and doesn't train their dog or understand anything about dogs. </span></i><br />
Please. My last dog was much bigger than Brindi and went everywhere with me off leash. No issues ever. With Brindi, we passed an obedience course with Bob Ottenbrite. I had her spayed, licensed, insured, you name it, I did it. I kept drilling what we learned from Ottenbrite for a whole year, putting off my renovation in order to do it. Brindi was the best-behaved dog among all of our friends. She played with other dogs all the time, we were welcome everywhere. It was easy for me to get letters of support for her, she was that good.<br />
<br />
In 2008 I proposed the same exact conditions that the judge later in 2010 made into requirements for her release. And before the judge released Brindi that July, I completed 30 hours of extra training myself, alone, and then 20 hours with Brindi. No dog owner did more than I had to do in such a situation.<br />
<br />
And yet I continued to do training beyond that because I was not satisfied that the in-kennel training was any help in curbing Brindi's low-level territoriality. My trainer agreed. You have to work with the dog on its home turf. So I exceeded the court requirements. That is not what an irresponsible dog owner does.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: red;">I did not fail to take incidents seriously. </span></i><br />
Hardly!! First of all, I put a stop to them myself in a matter of seconds.<br />
I always apologized on the spot and looked after the other dog and was polite and open and honest with the other dog owners and with HRM. I immediately called trainers for advice even when all that happened was a harmless scuffle. I offered to pay for a vet exam even when the dog was not injured.<br />
I acted like any responsible dog owner would. There is abundant <i>evidence</i> - actual concrete proof - for this. Just because a judge didn't acknowledge the evidence doesn't mean it isn't proof. I never had a fair hearing on anything. Every single proceeding was tainted.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: red;">I did not ignore court conditions on Brindi twice, or at all. </span></i><br />
Far from it. The condition people usually mean is the muzzle order. I did not "ignore" anything - I made an honest mistake. And first of all, let's revisit how that muzzle even came about. It began as an order by an animal control officer. The email he sent to another dog owner (I have it) makes clear that he did this as a way to take her and kill her the next time anybody called HRM without investigating, even if no attack happened.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So back to mistakes. Okay, I made two. Honest mistakes. The first was harmless - there was no contact between dogs, nobody got hurt. The second involved maybe six seconds of dogs scuffling. Not much harm to speak of. No emergency treatment.<br />
<u><br /></u>
<u>It's kind of important to know that the second mistake happened over two years after the first. Knowing what happened during those two years is also kind of important. </u>If you want to know, read the blog, read the court transcripts. Read the decisions too - but with a critical eye, because there are a number of factual errors in every court decision, and a lot of inferences and claims that are simply not supported by the evidence before the court, and/or out of sync with the law and routine enforcement! </div>
<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: cyan;">HRM<u> </u></b><br />
<br />
<b>What does HRM say Brindi actually <i>did</i> to deserve being seized and killed? Not much.</b> Salsman talked in blanket generalizations most of the time. However as time went on, she embellished the truth quite a bit, to the point that she had the judges believing there were "puncture wounds" in incidents dating back to 2007 (So why didn't HRM do anything back then? Because they didn't happen!) Judge Buchan embellished even further on these things, despite the fact that HRM's own evidence contradicted her. Salsman never corrected the judge on her errors.<br />
Where are the photos of all the big puncture wounds from 2007, for instance? Nowhere. They don't exist! (Why didn't the media report on any of this? Ask the media!)<br />
<br />
<b>HRM and Salsman did everything to avoid releasing Brindi, everything to keep right on locking her up. </b>They even broke laws, as far as I can tell, or rather, paid other people to break laws. And to harm an animal. HRM's lawyers sure fought hard to stop a judge from hearing about these tings, so I am pretty sure I'm right about it being unlawful. I know I am. Judges seem so allergic to it and that's no surprise to me now.<br />
<br />
<b>HRM decided to seize and kill Brindi even though it knew she is a good dog. </b>HRM blocked me from getting an assessment to make a fair determination about my dog. Why wouldn't HRM want a fair determination? Why wouldn't it want to be sure there was no mistake?<br />
<br />
I know why. The 2009 court ruling that quashed the city's order to destroy established beyond doubt that HRM did not act fairly at all. It didn't follow procedure. Didn't do a proper investigation. Didn't interview all the witnesses. And as it turned out, HRM didn't use accurate information to get a seizure warrant, either. Once there was a decision was to seize and kill Brindi - a decision the AC officer made in advance, when he muzzled her - HRM didn't want a fair determination.<br />
<h4>
If an investigation thoroughly reviewed this case from 2010 to the present, it would find that HRM's actions have been very consistent as far as fairness goes.</h4>
<b>HRM did not want to be fair or avoid killing an innocent dog. </b>HRM didn't want an assessment because it knew the result would be positive and it wanted to avoid having to explain why it wants to kill a dog that a trainer doesn't say is dangerous. To avoid letting people know it wanted to kill my dog, no matter what an expert said.<br />
<br />
<b>HRM continued to ignore positive assessment after positive assessment.</b> Never changed its death march one iota. No judge took it to task for that. No newspaper or TV station did either. People did, but HRM didn't care, doesn't care.<br />
<br />
<b>HRM couldn't get a trainer or a vet or animal group to back it up. </b>Again, no judge took it to task for that. No newspaper or TV station did either.<br />
<br />
<b>HRM did everything to hide the truth about Brindi. </b><br />
HRM blocked the results of an assessment from going into evidence in 2009.<br />
<br />
HRM went behind my lawyer's back to communicate with a judge ex parte and prejudice him to decide against releasing Brindi before my lawyer had a chance to be heard. HRM told the judge it wanted to kill her. This doubtless made the judge believe, mistakenly, that HRM had a good reason to kill her.<br />
<br />
<b>HRM had to go way out on a limb on this case, because Brindi is not your average dog. </b>It couldn't ever get a canine expert on its "side". So in 2012, the HRM prosecutor told the sentencing judge to ignore all the positive expert assessments of Brindi - the judge should order Brindi killed not because she poses an excessive risk of safety compared to other dogs, but that she poses <i>a risk </i>- along with other similarly open-ended, unqualified, and thus empty claims. There's lots of dogs around, they all pose a risk. Shoelaces pose a risk. And even dogs that actually are dangerous, unlike my dog, don't even make the top fifty of the leading causes of accidental death. (Storms kill a lot more people. Falling in the bathroom does too - thousands more.)<br />
<br />
<b>HRM ignored its own poundkeeper's opposing views. </b>The SPCA and staff at the current pound agree with the trainers and our vet and me and lots of witnesses that Brindi is a sweet and friendly dog trained in obedience commands.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>HRM lied to the public. Wasted money. Wasted court time. </b>People should be very angry and outraged at HRM. Not me.<br />
<br />
<b>HRM hurt my dog permanently.</b><br />
HRM, through the SPCA, made my dog sick and ruined her teeth.<br />
HRM, through Hope Swinimer, took her off needed medication and stopped her regular vet visits.<br />
<br />
<b>HRM played dirty. </b><br />
I could write volumes, quoting and citing from all the documents from 2008 to today, to show this.<br />
One telling fact may be enough for now: the two previous HRM prosecutors from 2008 to 2010 all but apologized to me. Each one said about the whole thing, "I feel bad." <br />
<br />
<b>HRM repeatedly refused to negotiate a better solution than killing Brindi. </b>The <a href="http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/p/my-december-2010-memo-to-hrm-prosecutor.html" target="_blank">memo I wrote to Katherine Salsman way back in December 2010 </a>is the first of many documents that show this beyond any doubt.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>HRM forced me to spend all my savings and rely on donations to be able to keep Brindi alive. </b>And now it wants to adopt her?<br />
<i><br /></i><b>HRM now points the finger at me, blaming me for its action to keep Brindi locked up.</b> This idea makes me thoroughly ill. I can just feel the cancer cells forming again.<br />
<br />
<b>HRM now wants people to forget everything it did to me and my dog, all the cruel things for seven years. </b>It wants you to only think about what it says now, which, if it is true, is the opposite of what it said for seven years because HRM only wanted one thing and one thing only: to kill Brindi.<br />
<br />
<b>HRM cannot be believed. </b>What HRM says or implies now just doesn't square with the past seven years. HRM locked Brindi up for years and claimed to judges that nobody could control her. And now they say they are going to adopt her out. So either HRM lied before or it's lying now. On second thought, both, as I have a hard time believing it won't kill my dog when nobody's looking, if it hasn't already, like Lennox in Belfast. HRM says the people adopting her want to be anonymous? Sure they do.<br />
<br />
<b>Why should anybody believe what HRM says now, after it's spent thousands upon thousands of taxpayer money for seven and a half years, trying to stop me from stopping it from killing her?</b><br />
Until now, HRM maintained secrecy about its plans for her. Announcing she will be killed would expose it to public scrutiny, upset people in and out of city hall, and go against five professional evaluations and the opinion of HRM's own contractors.<br />
<br />
<b>So why is HRM is both maintaining secrecy <i>and</i> saying it will let Brindi be adopted? </b>Why isn't HRM releasing a current photo of her either?<br />
<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: cyan;">BRINDI<u> </u></b><br />
<u><br /></u>
<b>Brindi never bit a person. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Brindi was and is not across-the-board aggressive to every dog or even most dogs. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Brindi was never "running at large" in the sense that she roamed the streets on her own.</b> She never went more than a foot or two beyond my property - except for when a man kicked the crap out of her and she ran across the street for a second. She then immediately turned around and ran home! And always I was right there with her and was able to regain control quickly.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Brindi and I completed a challenging obedience class successfully. </b>None of the other dog owners who testified against us did this. In fact most of them never even took one lesson.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>HRM has not given me or anybody a shred of proof since 2012 t</b><b>hat Brindi is alive!!! </b>It has actively refused. And by "it", I mean Katherine Salsman.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>If Brindi is alive, it's almost certain s</b><b>he is sick.</b> She already suffers from chronic pancreatitis. HRM stopped giving her the meds she needs for that. She also got chronic gum and dental disease. Enamel damage. All of that happened while she was locked up. When they took her she was 100% healthy.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div>
<u><b>Whenever a city government says it is going to kill a dog, people should be focused on the dog. Never blindly blame the owner and leave it at that.</b></u><br />
<u><b><br /></b></u>
Right? You can't skip this part.<br />
<br />
Finally - I am just one small person, alone. HRM is a whole powerful city. I don't have the money or time or resources that HRM does. I can't get the message out like it can. I haven't seen my dog since 2010. I haven't got anything more I can do.<br />
<br />
What should people do? Have an open mind. Focus on what the law actually says. Don't take anything for granted. And be careful to find out what the dog actually did before you make up your mind.<br />
<br />
<b>And if you have the real facts in hand, then go to your elected officials and demand an investigation of this whole tragedy! </b><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-12228166009349555762015-12-23T22:31:00.000-04:002016-01-14T00:14:23.961-04:00Thoughts on Dangerous Dogs & Seizure Warrants in Halifax<br />
<b>I believe in good animal control and good dog by-laws</b><b> because public safety is important. I don't happen to believe in putting a healthy dog down. </b><br />
<br />
Dogs just don't
rate high enough as a threats to human life to merit killing them if they step out of line. Dogs don't even show up on the top 50 causes of accidental death and injury. So to me, killing a healthy dog because it inflicts harm, or is said to be<i> likely</i> to inflict harm, is unacceptably disproportionate. It's also immoral, when you consider that Canada no longer kill humans who kill other humans. <br />
<br />
When balanced against the enormous value of the human-canine bond that predates modern society, killing healthy dogs seems very immoral. People have kept dogs for some 30,000 years - longer than there were cities, laws, and the family as we know it - and the human-canine bond is likely to endure longer than those institutions. True, not everybody likes dogs, but dogs serve <i>everybody</i> - in security, in special needs cases, at hospitals, and, lord knows, in research! So it's only right that our laws reflect how important dogs are to us. <br />
<br />
As a result, any city insisting it has a right to destroy lawfully owned dogs must insure that those laws are fair and and effective. Above all, they must avoid infringing rights and harming dogs needlessly. And the most important part of dog by-laws is the definition of dangerous at their core. Without a reasonable, science-based definition of "dangerous", no dog laws can be fair or effective. When we look at how Halifax deals with "dangerous", however, things don't look so good.<br />
<b><br />Under Halifax local law, deeming a dog dangerous doesn't require Halifax to seize and kill the dog in
question, regardless of circumstance. The law doesn't stipulate when Halifax should kill a dog, such as following a serious incident. It leaves all of this up to the animal control officer and the prosecutor. </b><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>That wouldn't be so bad, except the local definition of dangerous begins with "a dog that attacks". Applying that, any dog that attacks even once is dangerous, regardless of degree and nature of the harm involved. Even worse, "attack" is defined as "bite or threaten". Nothing in the law distinguishes a bite that's a little nip from one that leads to 30-stitches, first of all. Secondly, "threaten" is in the mind of the human beholder, and there's always somebody who feels threatened by a dog. <b><br /><br />Consequently, virtually every dog in town could be deemed dangerous. </b>Not very fair or effective!<br />
<b><br />In addition, Halifax law does not prohibit a person from owning or "harbouring" a dangerous dog. I would argue that this key fact renders the
seizure warrants meaningless</b><b><b>. </b></b><b><b>The law elsewhere provides no further guidance, and no guidance means no constraints on seizures and nothing for judges to go on. As the warrants are now written, it seems to me a</b> fair and just court would have no choice but to nullify them across the board and order Halifax to start again - which would be good for everybody!</b><br />
<br />
<i>Deeming</i><br />
In Halifax, the significance of
deeming a dog dangerous is unclear. Like its predecessor A-300, <a href="https://www.halifax.ca/legislation/bylaws/hrm/documents/By-LawA-700.pdf" target="_blank">A-700, the new dog by-law,</a> provides six definitions or circumstances under which a dog is dangerous. But it is silent on the criteria animal control officers may use to deem a dog dangerous (the court is left out entirely). <br />
<br />
The method of
deeming a dog dangerous is a bit murky as well. Previously in A-300, and
now in A-700, any dog that attacks is dangerous, so anybody fined for
owning a dog that attacks should be informed their dog is deemed
dangerous. Also, any dog under a muzzle order is dangerous. And there is
no automatic means of recording the designation, say, in the dog
license, although that is the only official mode to record it.<br />
<br />
The same is true of the consequences for a dog deemed dangerous. The
law provides three measures that may be taken by AC - muzzling,
microchipping, or registering the dog as dangerous. Not seizing and not killing. The city is fully entitled under provincial law to make laws that provide for those things, but it has never done it - not since 2007, anyhow.<br />
<br />
Halifax law does allow a judge to order a dog put down (under s. 195 of the <a href="http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/halifax%20regional%20municipality%20charter.pdf" target="_blank">HRM Charter,</a> not A-700). But the law doesn't set any criteria for the judge. And, while judges don't have to be asked by the prosecution to make an order, in practice, that's the only time they do. Also, the judge may <i>only</i> order a dog put down if they first find its owner guilty of something (it doesn't specify). <b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>The upshot is, judges are unlikely to take the initiative of invoking s. 195 on their own, and, if the prosecution asks the judge to invoke it, but fails to obtain a guilty verdict, everyone's hands are tied. Nobody can order the dog destroyed and the dog must be returned to the owner, even if it killed another dog or viciously bit a person or child. </b><br />
<br />
(Alarmingly, there are sections of the <a href="http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/halifax%20regional%20municipality%20charter.pdf" target="_blank">HRM Charter</a> (somewhere between s. 194 and s. 197) under which both AC officers and anybody can kill a stray dog without bothering to report it to anybody.)<br />
<br />
The
new dog law passed last October, <b>By-Law </b><b><a href="https://www.halifax.ca/legislation/bylaws/hrm/documents/By-LawA-700.pdf" target="_blank">A-700</a>, does no better than the old A-300 to avoid such loops and
gaps.</b> So nagging questions remain, like what does it mean if an
AC officer issues a muzzle order for a dog while making a point to say
he is not deeming the dog dangerous - as is true of Brindi? <br />
<br />
When you go through all of these things, it becomes really hard to believe Halifax takes dangerous dog issues seriously, to be frank. Or alternately, that the city takes the concept of law seriously.<br />
<br />
<i>Dog Seizure Warrants </i><br />
At first glance, the warrants used here to seize dogs appear to relate to provisions against owning dangerous dogs that don't exist here. The wording says the animal
is being seized because an AC officer "has reason to believe" the person
"is harbouring a dangerous animal", and that after seizure the officer will turn over the animal
to the "shelterkeeper". The warrants do not cite a law prohibiting only the provincial law that authorizes HRM with the power to make laws under which AC officers can obtain
warrants to seize dogs (s. 193). <br />
<br />
<b>The warrants as written have no connection whatsoever to laying charges against the dog owner. </b>As written, the Halifax dog seizure warrants have no connection to an alleged incident that presumably triggered the warrant application. They do not say that a proceeding related to the dog or to an incident with the dog will take place, or when. <br />
<br />
Beyond
taking a dog "off the streets" for safety reasons - which is reasonable yet still happens here without a hearing, despite the Supreme Court ruling in 2009 - one could argue the
seizure has no valid lawful purpose, as it lacks a connection to specific
action to be undertaken by the authorities afterwards. There is nothing in
subsequent paperwork filed
by the animal control officers to the court that directly connects the
seized dog to a proceeding either.<br />
<br />
<b>On top of that, the
Halifax warrants place no limit on the length of time the dog may be
held lawfully. </b>This in sharp
contrast to the usual wording in places from say, LA to Texas (I downloaded one from there; Texas uses state laws to regulate dogs, so things are consistent from city to city, and the warrants limit impoundment to 12 days.) No other part of the local laws makes a connection in the law to a proceeding (aka a trial), or puts a limit on the length of custody of seized dogs. It's just amazing.<br />
<br />
This
is why it's impossible to deny that Halifax has no authority to keep
dogs in custody once they are seized. The number one legal problem with
keeping dogs in custody without a proper local law authorizing it is
that federal and provincial law require that seized property be returned
immediately unless it is needed as evidence in a proceeding.<br />
<br />
Add
it all up - the disjuncture between the warrant and its presumed
purpose, the vagaries of local law and the limits of federal/provincial
law, etc. - and you have to conclude that the HRM warrants are
invalid on their face, which, you'd have to agree, makes using them to seize dogs is kind of
unlawful. <br />
<br />
What I think invalidates the current warrants altogether is that the
"reason to believe" premise becomes redundant when a dog is already
under a muzzle order or registered as dangerous. In that case, the
notion of "belief" gives way to fact. <br />
<br />
<b>So since Brindi was under a
muzzle order, thus technically, if not formally, already "dangerous" under the law, how was the warrant
they used to seize her in 2010 at all valid? </b><br />
I don't think it was. But I found out to my dismay that when asked to take a good look, the judges, in their effort to put a good face on things, no doubt, are loathe to do it. <br />
<br />
As a result, the whole thing is a mess, and promises to stay that way. Unfortunately it seems HRM Council
continues to trust municipal legal staff to insure that
the laws and policies Council makes are sound - sound in law and in
procedure. Why my case, and many others, haven't served to shake that
faith is beyond me. But if members of Council can't see just how messed up things are, I have to wonder if the public will ever will.<br />
<br />
_______________________________<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-83605428023573384672015-12-16T18:25:00.001-04:002016-01-13T21:41:25.476-04:00Halifax you are NOT entitled to adopt Brindi out! She already has a loving home - my home!<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">tonight</span> <a href="http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/mobile/brindi-the-dog-finds-a-home-after-new-owner-comes-forward-1.2702906" target="_blank">CTV Atlantic </a>ran<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> a<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> top<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> story saying "B<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">rindi the dog gets new o<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">wner"<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">[<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ed. note: <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The story <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">was taken down a few days later]</span></span></span></span></span>. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That's news<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> to me! </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You might expect me to welcome such news<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">,</span> </span>but <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I could not be more upset. And <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">for <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">a <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">host of reasons.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sure, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I got an email from the HRM prosecutor <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Katherine Salsman on </span>Monday, saying HRM will "proceed with the adoption". What adoption, I a<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">sk<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ed? <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Just days before, and ever since 2010, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">this woman has <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">had a one-<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">track mind about <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">killing Brindi.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">*</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Th<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">en </span>I wa<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">rned her that it was not <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">entitled to do this legally - not now and not for a <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">long time<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, thanks to the lawsui<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">t that HRM itself forced me to file back in 2008<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> (<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">more <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">on this below).</span></span></span></span></span><br /><br />But I didn't think <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">CTV would just blindly r<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">eport <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">this</span> story without checking facts<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And, they</span> said they <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">tried to contact me for a comment<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yet <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I didn't ge</span></span>t one call, email, or tweet, nothing. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">FIRST: <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">THIS IS A MASSIVE REVERS<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">AL FOR HRM!</span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">D</span>id <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">anybody think to ask <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the</span> responsible parties at city h<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">all </span>why,<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span>a</span></span>fter SEVEN YEARS of <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">trying to kill </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">her</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(lawfully or unlawfully<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">)<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">th<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ey are</span> suddenly willing to </span></span></span></span>let <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">my beautiful, smart, loving girl</span> live?<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></h3>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">sn't HRM </span></span>es<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">sentially</span></span> conceding <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">it's been wrong all along??</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I think so. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>my heart has been bro<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ken <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">over and over</span>,</span> I lived through hell for seven years<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">,<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> suff<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ering from <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">trauma after trau<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ma, </span>fear and grief, PTSD, depression, enduring</span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">coun<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">tless los<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ses <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and hardship, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">unable to work full time, unable to complete m<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ajor </span>ho<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">me renovations, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">unable to live, essentially - <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and the same for</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> Brindi, who has been made ill and kept in isolation year after year after year<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">,</span> all for no<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">thing<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. Of course, for nothing. I already knew this<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> - so did HRM, frankly, because it always <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">knew it had no case for <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">seizing and killing B<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">rindi. </span></span></span></span> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But no way <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">does</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> HRM now ge<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">t</span> to <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">do an about<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">-face and talk about adoption as if it <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">was already a done-deal. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Not so fast<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">!!! <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Not until a<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">nd unless <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">those responsible are held accountable for all the damage done, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">in addition to wasting taxpayer money on needless and<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, let's be honest,</span> malicious prosecution. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SECONDLY...<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Can</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> we believe HRM and its <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">prosecutor, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ms.</span> Salsman? </span></span></span></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">How do we know for sure what HRM <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">will really do </span>with Bri<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ndi, let alone <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">what it i<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">s doing to <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">her now? Not only has HRM been dishonest in the past about Brindi and <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">other dogs; it<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">s <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"staff" have</span></span> cloaked <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">themselves</span> i<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">n exc<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">essive secrecy<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, the kind that shouts "We have something to hide!"</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">THIRDLY... </span>It's a bit premature<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> for HRM</span> to announce adoption<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">,<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> because<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> of the following<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a name='more'></a>TO<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> A</span>NYBODY CONSIDERING ADOPTING BRINDI: </span></span></span></span></span></h4>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thank you for <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">caring<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">!</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span>However, be forewarned<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">.</span></span> </span></span>HRM is not lawfully entitled to do <i>anything</i> with her at this time<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> - and not <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">wi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">thout my consent<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">!</span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h4>
</h4>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are three reasons why this is true:</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1</span>. Katherine Salsman and HRM</span></b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b> know I am appealing the order to dismiss my appeal.</b> She obtained that order on Dec. 10<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, </span>largely because I was not <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">physically able to <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">be pre<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">sent and<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> tell the judge why he should not dismiss it. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ms. Salsman know<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">s this. She</span></span></span></span></span></span> also knows I am appealing <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">t<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">hat Dec. 10</span></span> order, and there is a good chance of success, so that the appeal before the Court of Appeal can proceed in the new year. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To go ahead wit<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">h public<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ly announcing adoption is another tactic inten<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ded to </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">discou<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">rage me from <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">exercising my rights<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">in order to<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">have justice serv<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ed.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> In other words: <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">HRM is waging p<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">sychological warf<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">are<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> against me. (Do I s<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ound paranoid? Maybe. But <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">t</span>hat<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> doesn't me<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">an HRM isn't out to get me. In fact, sinc<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">e 2008, i</span>t's <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">proven it is<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, </span></span>in about a million different ways<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">.</span>)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2</span>. Furthermore, Ms. Salsman stated in writing in 2014 that HRM would not take any action with Brindi until the appeal period is ended.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(see below)<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> If she had not done this I would have applied for a "stay of execution"<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">i.e., a formal order stopping HRM from doing anything with Brindi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(Unfortunately that<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> would not have stopped it from continuing to lock <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">her up.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3</span>. I have a lawsuit against Halifax pending that prevents HRM from taking any action.</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In fact, t</span></span>his lawsuit was HRM<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">'s idea<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. (I would<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">'</span>ve preferred to get my dog back.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">) </span></span></span>In 2008, when <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Animal Services officers<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> seized Brindi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, they</span> sa<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">id she <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">would be killed in two weeks' time<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. </span></span><u><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">T</span>hey had the date already pi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">cked out. And they </span>provided</span> no way for me to appeal <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">that</span> decision<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, </span>just as to<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">day there is no way to appeal any decisions they make, like muzzling, microchipping, etc.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, </span>hint hint<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">!</span></span></u> Back then, </span></span></span></span>HRM prosecutor Scott Hughes <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ld</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> my then-lawyer I had to file <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">a claim<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span>because that <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">w<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">as the only way to stop </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>HRM from <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">carrying out its own order to kill</span></span> Brindi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. He</span> based this on</span> secti<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">on</span> 16(2) of HRM By-law A-300 (in force from April 2008 to December 5 of this year), which states </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"The Shelter Keeper shall keep all animals seized. Where there is an action before the Court involving a seized animal, until such time as a Court orders otherwise." </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It cost me </span></span>$5,000<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> to file that lawsuit<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. A</span></span>s promised, HRM did not go ahead with its scheduled "euthanasia" (i.e., murder), though it continued to hold Brindi without authority. The lawsuit protected Brindi for years.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So</span> there's no reason why it <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">would stop now.</span> </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Back then, the action was killing Brindi, but as you can see from the wording<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">,</span> it applies <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to any action, including adoption</span>. </span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Prosecutor Katherine Salsman now says it's "irrelevant"<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, but t</span>hat's just her opini<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">on. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Will <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">she force me to do <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">something about it in court? Probably. </span></span></span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Now, p</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">lease don't get me wrong<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, dear reader! </span></span></span></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If HRM now wants to <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">release </span>Brindi <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">from </span>the kennel, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">great<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">!!! But <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">now that</span> it's <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">changed its mind </span>after seven long years, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">wouldn't it be only</span> fair to</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> give her back to m<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">e<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">?<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span>Haven't I been punished enough?! </span></span></span></h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6V1BWrwOViiQ2g2gHZfFPZZwY0xRvJg1AaZLZJY5iO24IC7JwtyS5bnCafj2iKt-RP2cNp4ox9NSUIbX1RMUSrmjE-TxooXFnfxxVaye8XoiGlNUZOH3bams3PBsvW8Xx_sczPDDJQA4/s1600/SPCA+birthday+photo+with+Brindi+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6V1BWrwOViiQ2g2gHZfFPZZwY0xRvJg1AaZLZJY5iO24IC7JwtyS5bnCafj2iKt-RP2cNp4ox9NSUIbX1RMUSrmjE-TxooXFnfxxVaye8XoiGlNUZOH3bams3PBsvW8Xx_sczPDDJQA4/s400/SPCA+birthday+photo+with+Brindi+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">O</span>ne photo <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">says it all<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">:</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">w</span>ou<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ld the staff <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">&</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> volunteers</span></span> of the SPCA Metro Shelter <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">pose </span>with Brindi, <i>without her muzzle on,</i> feeding her doggie birthday cake with an infa<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">nt a few feet away no less, </span>if they <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">thought there was any chance in creation that she <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">is an aggressive dog? Of course not! Wh<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">y the photo? BECAUSE THE<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Y LOVED HER. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And PS, they NEVER <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">put her muzzle on<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">.)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Isn't it only fair to give her back after all this time </span>...If only because I have had to listen to too many offensive </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">statements <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">for too long<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">??</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span>For example, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">in</span></span> 2014, </span>HRM prosecutor Katherine Salsman and her comrade Jim Janson argued <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">vehemently</span> before a<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">n appeal</span> judge that HRM, as the <i>current</i> owner of Brindi, <i>had every right to destroy her, just like <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">every </span>dog owner has a right to have their dog put down at will.</i> Really.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> (</span>I have the transcript, I will post it<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">.)<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Does that s<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ound as though they intended to adopt <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Brindi out?</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Apart from 10 weeks in 2010, I</span> have lived with<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> grief and dread</span> due to this orde<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">al </span>every single day since July 24, 2008. I suffer from PTSD due to the terror of two seizures and a series of further traumas also caused by HRM. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">HRM <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">may want to appear generous now<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> by announcing adoption. B</span>ut the in<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">convenient </span>truth i<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">s, it </span>never had grounds to kill Brindi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. And it knew it. </span></span></span></span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">SO why<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, f</span></span></span></span>or two plus five years, did HRM refuse to accept any less drastic alternatives<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">? </span> </span></span></span></b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In every written brief and oral statement before the court since 2010 and up to today, Katherine Salsman argued that destroying Brindi is the <i>only </i>acceptable course of action. </span></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">She refused my offers to plead guilty in exchange for Brindi's return, or a foster home, adoption to someone else, or even me taking her back to the US with me, lock stock and barrel.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">She argued against my motion to order HRM to have her fostered pending the outcome of the first appeal, saying that if I consider myself a responsible dog owner and yet was "unable to control" my dog, then nobody else could do it either. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">She refused outright offers of adoption from 2010 to now, including probably the best offer ever, from this past August. </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">She refused to negotiate for such a resolution outside of court, from 2010 to today.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Because of all of this, I <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">could not risk it; <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">in order </span></span>to protect her, I had no choice but to appeal. And appeal again. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">These appeals <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">are <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">incredibly difficult and take up <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">massive amount<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">s of </span></span></span></span>time, energy, and finances. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's impossible to hold down even a part-time job. And <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">t</span>o be honest, e</span>very <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">new</span> interaction with Ms. Salsman triggers my PTSD again. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Even if she says nothing. </span>Her most recent statements were so offensive<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">,</span> I <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">was a mess for </span>several days. She said HRM was "forced to" lock up Brindi for five years because of "continual adjournments". <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Nobody fo<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">rced HRM <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to seize Brindi or to lock her up<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. And<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> "continual adjournments"<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> is <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">unfair and untrue.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Maybe</span> to her,</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">causing me </span>mental anguish <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">is an effective way </span>to influence the unfolding of the court proceeding<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. Because she wants to win. But it is not her job to win.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Now she is doing it again<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, with this media announcem<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ent that</span></span> HRM is going to "proceed with the adoption". </b><i>As if there was never any doubt that there would be an adoption.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But there most certainly was<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>!! </i></span></span><i></i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Every time she refused to go to mediation, every time she ref<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">u<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">sed to give out information about Brindi's he<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">alth, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">she</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> made clear that adoption was not on the table. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A</span></span></span></span></span></span>s</span> recently as November 24, she refused to disclose anything about a plan to adopt (see below).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>If HRM was wrong about Brindi - and it could not have been more wrong - it was even more wrong about me. </b>After all, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">muni<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">cipal</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> prosecutors </span>Persaud and Kinghorne only targeted me after a court blocked <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the plan to k</span>ill Brindi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Laying charges (six months late<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">) </span></span></span>was the only way <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">HRM could obtain permission to</span> lawfully kill Brindi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. This </span>was the only reason HRM <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">put </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">me on tria<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">l</span>. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If HRM wanted to punish me for accidental incidents, <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">fair enough:<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> at</span></span> the time, I said </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I would gladly pay</span>.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> But it had a bigger objective.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
<b>Yet this second try<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2009-2010)</span></span></span> also failed, because <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">there were simply in</span>sufficient grounds for an order to destroy.</b> There was n</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">o hard evidence of anything remotely serious, an</span></span>d n</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ot one trainer or vet or even the SPCA backed HRM in that trial.</span> In fact, as early as December 2008, HRM had ample grounds <i>not to</i> seek an order to destroy. By then, not only did it have dozens of letters of support, but also I had a trainer assess Brindi, and the results were positive. HRM ignored those results and the results of all further assessments! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>HRM struck out a third time <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(2010-</span>2012)</b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, over an incident <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">that happened two months after I finally got her back<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'd made an honest mistake<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> operating </span>a rear window of a car<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> I </span>bought <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">just a</span>n hour or so <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">e<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">arlier. I was </span>unfamiliar</span> with <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">its new hooked</span> type of switch<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> and without realizing,</span> I</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">accidentally</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">lowe<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">red it</span></span> rather than <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">raising it</span></span></span>; I was stunned w</span>hen I pulled in<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to my yard, </span>Brindi squeezed out and chased after a dog. I raced after her and grabbed her<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> in</span> ten seconds<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">;</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">t</span>he owners later said there were wounds (see last post)<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- </span>so small they didn't even notice them at first.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Turned out Brindi recognized them because they said they had been circling the house all summer. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">T</span>hat explained why she went after the dog. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Nothing about that incident could reasonably justify killing Brindi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> (and as </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I had made </span>an honest mistake in securing the car, the court should have found me innocent of any c<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">harges<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">).</span></span></span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></b>HRM still hunted us down and seized her again<b>.</b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b> </b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And to sto<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">p me from getting a<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">n inj<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">unctio<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">n to release her, </span></span></span></span></span></span>it went right after me and <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">all my</span> possessions<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, </span>evict<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ing</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> me unlawfull<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">y and without notice<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">,</span> then<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, also unlawfully, </span>threaten<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ing</span> to demolish my house - despite not one code violation.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">still live</span> in</span> terro<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">r.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">On its third try<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, </span></span></span></span></span></b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">HRM's </span>evidence still wasn't enough to convince a judge to order Brindi destroyed.</b> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Perhaps r</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ealizing this and wanting to avoid making the trial appear frivolous, that judge decided to use it to punish me even more - as if I wasn't suffering enough already. So even though she found </span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">that the incident was accidental,</span> and even though a trainer testified that she considered me a a "very good dog owner", the judge painted me as an "irresponsible dog owner" who "exercised absolutely no due diligence", and "gave" Brindi to HRM, leaving it up to unnamed individuals in the municipal structure to make the final determination - live or die. No strings attached.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In a News95.7 interview in June 2012, Ms. Salsman pretended that this ruling was "the best of both possible worlds" because it gave HRM a chance to assess Brindi. <i>As if Brindi hadn't been in custody for five years by then and had <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ample time to assess her </span> - and as if HRM hadn't done everything possible to prevent an assessment in the first place</i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>!<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">?</span></i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">These things should not be forgotten.</span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></span> </span></span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The fact is, this a<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">nnouncement is <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">merely further</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">confirmation</span> that </span>HRM never had any reason to do anything to Brindi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. S</span>even years<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> of</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span>the court's time, my time and energy and money, the impact on both our live<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">s, all could have been spared. </span></i></span></h4>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I am facing my seventh Christmas without <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">her - whi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ch means, no <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Christmas at all</span></span></span>. </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">C<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">an I please have<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> m</span></span>y dog back<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> now?</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">* <i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ms. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">S<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">alsman </span></span></span></i></span><i>did not mention anything about adoption to the judge on Dec. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">10 - not as far<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> as I know, anyhow! It certainly wasn't in her written <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">brief.</span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> -------------------------------------</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">EMAIL CONFIRMING HRM WILL NOT TAKE ACTION UNTIL AND UNLESS ALL APPEALS ARE EXHAUSTED.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "optima" , "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">----- Forwarded Message<br />
<b>From: </b>"Salsman, Katherine" <<a _djrealurl="https://webmail.eastlink.ca/iwc_static/layout/main.html?lang=en-US&2-7.01_091339" href="https://webmail.eastlink.ca/iwc_static/layout/main.html?lang=en-US&2-7.01_091339" rel="nofollow" target="1">salsmak@halifax.ca</a>><br />
<b>Date: </b>Tue, 15 Jul 2014 14:36:21 +0000<br />
<b>To: </b>Francesca Rogier <<a _djrealurl="https://webmail.eastlink.ca/iwc_static/layout/main.html?lang=en-US&2-7.01_091339" href="https://webmail.eastlink.ca/iwc_static/layout/main.html?lang=en-US&2-7.01_091339" rel="nofollow" target="1">rogier@eastlink.ca</a>><br />
<b>Subject: </b>RE: Notice of intent to file appeal<br />
<b><br />
Ms. Rogier, <br />
<br />
I confirm that HRM will not take action regarding Brindi until your appeal period has expired. </b><br />
<br />
Katherine E. Salsman<br />
Barrister & Solicitor <br />
HRM Legal Services <br />
3rd Floor, 5251 Duke Street <br />
P.O. Box 1749 <br />
Halifax, NS B3J 1A5 <br />
Tel: 902-490-6024<br />
Fax: 902-490-4232</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">EMAIL REFUSING TO DISCLOSE PLANS TO ADOPT</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <br />
On 11/24/15 02:37 PM, <b class="name">"Salsman, Katherine" </b> <salsmak@halifax.ca> wrote:<br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Ms. Rogier, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I have considered your request for additional disclosure. In the Crown’s view, the information you request is not subject to a disclosure obligation. The majority of the information that you request is not relevant to this appeal as it relates to events well after the date of your conviction. Information regarding how HRM will comply with the order of the court to attempt to make adoption arrangements is not relevant to whether the decision of Justice Scaravelli was correct in law. Further, several pieces of information you request are subject to solicitor client privilege.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">In any event, generally speaking a request for additional disclosure on an appeal should be tied to an application to adduce fresh evidence, which you have not made. I would refer you to R. v. Rahman, 2013 NSCA 139 (<a href="http://canlii.ca/t/g23rr" target="_blank">http://canlii.ca/t/g23rr</a>) which cites the leading case of R. v. Trotta, 2004 CanLII 60014 (ON CA). It summarizes the Crown’s disclosure obligation on appeal as follows (para 7): </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">“1. There is a connection between the request for production and the fresh evidence he proposes to adduce and there is a reasonable possibility that the materials sought could assist on the motion to adduce fresh evidence; and</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">2. There is a reasonable possibility that the evidence to which the production request is linked may be received as fresh evidence on appeal.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">The information you request does not meet either of the requirements of this test. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Nevertheless if other information comes into HRM’s possession that is relevant to your conviction or sentence I will disclose it. However, I do not anticipate that occurring, and the information you request is not. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Yours truly, </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #00558c; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">Katherine E. Salsman</span></b><span style="color: #00558c; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; text-transform: uppercase;"> </span><span style="color: #00558c; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;"><br />
</span><b><span style="color: #6da0cd; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">Solicitor</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #6da0cd; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">Legal Services</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #00558c; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 17.5pt;">HΛLIFΛX</span></b><span style="color: #00558c; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 17.5pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">T</span><span style="color: #00558c; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">.</span><span style="color: #6da0cd; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> 902.490.6024<br />
</span><span style="color: #00558c; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">C.</span><span style="color: #6da0cd; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> 902.225.0060</span></div>
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<span style="color: #00558c; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;">F.</span><span style="color: #6da0cd; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt;"> 902.490.4232</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://www.halifax.ca/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #00558c; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">halifax.ca </span></a></span><span style="color: #00558c; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;"></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Francesca Rogier <span style="font-family: "tahoma" , "sans-serif";"></span><br />
<b>Sent:</b> November-20-15 4:35 PM<br />
<b>To:</b> Salsman, Katherine<br />
<b>Subject:</b> Continuous disclosure for CAC 430436</span></div>
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Dear Ms. Salsman,<br />
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It has come to my attention that the Crown is in possession of information relevant to my CAC appeal no. 430436 which it has not previously disclosed, and thus hereby request disclosure of this information, including any and all information concerning in specific:<br />
- assessments of my dog Brindi by municipal staff and/or contracted poundkeeper and its staff since 2012<br />
- records of my dog Brindi's conduct kept by the poundkeeper and its subcontracted kennel since 2012<br />
- veterinarian assessments of my dog Brindi's health since 2012<br />
- information, correspondence, and findings with regard to the Municipality's decision to adopt Brindi to a third party, dating from 2012 and in particular 2015<br />
- information, correspondence, and findings of suitability with regard to any and all potential families wishing to adopt Brindi dating from any time since 2012 and in particular 2015<br />
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In addition I am exercising my right to continuous disclosure of any and all information, documents, materials relating to Brindi and the matter coming before the Court of Appeal in February of 2016. <br />
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Sincerely, <br />
<br />
Francesca Rogier<br />
<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-25392899331495513252015-12-16T16:41:00.001-04:002015-12-17T05:30:40.322-04:00What is a puncture wound? How prosecutors use words when hard evidence is lacking.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfW4U-8tFWE_A38ZKW-eiI1bWPP78acORn7whzqUw7I_88kB0CTNJmcuHOoHF2EuMOqhHkj9DCgyiPKRXiRF9TOFF6yrpSBzkcuW8nE6m7dAe_Q12bFHBIq17-kxR7K9zvPD-xDWEvx3c/s1600/Lucy+puncture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfW4U-8tFWE_A38ZKW-eiI1bWPP78acORn7whzqUw7I_88kB0CTNJmcuHOoHF2EuMOqhHkj9DCgyiPKRXiRF9TOFF6yrpSBzkcuW8nE6m7dAe_Q12bFHBIq17-kxR7K9zvPD-xDWEvx3c/s400/Lucy+puncture.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This photo shows </span>the worst injury <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">said to result from</span> an incident between Brindi and <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">a</span> dog<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> named Lucy</span> in front of her house one dark night in 2010.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />HRM calls <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">it</span> a puncture wound.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There was</span> also a shallow<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span>abrasion <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">about the same</span> on <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Lucy</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">'s opposi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">te shoulder</span></span>, and a scratch<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> on one</span> ear, which was not photographed. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">N</span>o photos of <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">injuries</span> Brindi allegedly <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">caused</span> <i>before</i> 2010<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> -</span> i.e., before she was seized to be killed in 2008<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> - are av<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ai<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">lable</span></span>. This is</span> because there was nothing <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">worth </span>photographing<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Wh<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">at gets me is that nobody in the media <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and very few others noticed th<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">e glaring absence of the customary bloody photos of a <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">victim dog".<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Did they not <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ask why</span> </span>HRM never released <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">any</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> photos<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> to the<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> media<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">?</span> I was too busy trying to keep my head above water to even think o<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">f it<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, and nobody ever asked. </span>Yet this photo is really all HRM had to show when it tried a third time to get a lawful o<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">rder to kill Bri<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">n<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">di.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> And failed a th<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ird time. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYsdPujHaQgllv0TIyU3iBYpcD-kZkVynwz0ycC0UVi8pp2pYhp5jPsh479u5fSePaR3fbKH5jf6Rebv7wt0XVW_IAkpUOioxU2L0XQyN7annRhczcwtRDlXs0CFYGb55Dciq0FTvCfQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-12-03+at+9.47.53+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYsdPujHaQgllv0TIyU3iBYpcD-kZkVynwz0ycC0UVi8pp2pYhp5jPsh479u5fSePaR3fbKH5jf6Rebv7wt0XVW_IAkpUOioxU2L0XQyN7annRhczcwtRDlXs0CFYGb55Dciq0FTvCfQ/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-12-03+at+9.47.53+PM.png" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">These photos show injuries </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">sustained by a dog in a dog attack from 2014.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span>It penetrate<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">d</span> through all layers of skin<i>.</i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> And<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> it </span></span>need<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ed stitches and</span> a drainage tube <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to keep it from becoming infected</span>. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">injured dog's <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">vet</span></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">care</span> cost <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">its</span> owner <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">over</span> $2,000.<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>This is <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the image</span> </i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i> the words "puncture wound" </i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">conjure<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span>up in people<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">'s minds</span></span>.<br /><br /> </i></span></span></span></span></span>HRM did not seize the dog that <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">attacked</span>.<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> It did not</span> prosecute <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">its</span> owners with the aim of obtaining a<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> court </span>order to destroy the dog. It did issue a fine and a muzzle order<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. However, not l</span>ong afterwards, the dog was reported - and photographed - running at large with<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> no</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> muzzle on</span>. <i> </i></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>A muzzle order violation! The only reason HRM seized Brindi </i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>twice<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">.</span></i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">But for that dog, </span><span style="font-size: small;">HRM, or rather Of<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ficer </span>Brad Kelly, did nothin<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">g about it. That dog is still running loose on <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">a beach near you.</span></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbG5UXh_5rAXwr8WLs2wO7hW3HKi9yxeMvu_xgTO6JZ4SCthOLQohIiccueJOGzmp3ZCNDrxyNdgBdb6hMsM-G3TGNzAB2YdxbgnSELi5EwErIhxYZR-bDfR2vB6Ptdv4YUQE0fRMCPA/s1600/lucyvetbill1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbG5UXh_5rAXwr8WLs2wO7hW3HKi9yxeMvu_xgTO6JZ4SCthOLQohIiccueJOGzmp3ZCNDrxyNdgBdb6hMsM-G3TGNzAB2YdxbgnSELi5EwErIhxYZR-bDfR2vB6Ptdv4YUQE0fRMCPA/s320/lucyvetbill1.jpg" width="245" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYx8mFJc0z78TtOVsSxgI1MC5waA-wadE3SbnkOSx3R7XSlL_ssfN8LAD8brz2GetIaYk49EBY2nbsHIfmOp5B660MIMVPKCfdsQI-6MCURLx9EbADgTi3b-lzfpjjfoSlVgTEXakxeGE/s1600/lucyvetbill2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYx8mFJc0z78TtOVsSxgI1MC5waA-wadE3SbnkOSx3R7XSlL_ssfN8LAD8brz2GetIaYk49EBY2nbsHIfmOp5B660MIMVPKCfdsQI-6MCURLx9EbADgTi3b-lzfpjjfoSlVgTEXakxeGE/s320/lucyvetbill2.jpg" width="244" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is the vet bill from the injuries allegedly caused by Brindi. <br />
There is a second bill two weeks later. </span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Why is HRM doing this to us?</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-41848282709820576602015-12-15T04:40:00.000-04:002015-12-17T05:52:55.427-04:00Who put the "no" in Nova Scotia? My December 2010 Memo to HRM Prosecutor Katherine Salsman<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I met with Ms. Salsman for three hours in early December, 2010 - exactly five years ago - to offer five possible options for Brindi, in return for me pleading guilty and paying fines on three offences HRM graciously charged me for one incident, even though that incident happened by mistake and led to no "measurable harm" as they say. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">By then HRM had been holding Brindi for nearly three months - again. HRM by-law thugs (sorry, but they were) had also evicted me from my home unlawfully, and Dawn Sloane and other members of Council refused to allow me my right of appeal. So my cat Amelia and I were essentially homeless. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
Two friends came with me to that meeting. It was Ms. Salsman who declared that the meeting was not a negotiation because she refused to negotiate. I said fine, I will talk, and you will listen! And since it wasn't a negotiation then there was no obligation for confidentiality. This was clear. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ms. Salsman, with an alarming air of <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">authority (<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">not to </span>say bel<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ligerence)</span></span> for someone <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">so re<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">cently</span></span> out of law school, vetoed every single offer. When I asked to talk with her superior<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, s</span>he thoroughly blocked that idea. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My friends and I went home. Or rather, I left, and they went h<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ome</span>. I tried not to lose my mind. I wrote up what <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">we each said</span> in a memo and sent it to her about a week later. She <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">w</span>rote back insisting on confidentiality after the fact, even threatened various consequences. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Too late.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So this is the memo. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">December 14, 2010</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
Dear Ms. Salsman: <br />
<br />
Here is a summary of your position and points you expressed last Friday in our meeting and in<br />
other conversations and documents since October.<br />
<br />
• HRM is seeking guilty verdicts on one or more of three charges solely for the purpose of<br />
obtaining a court order to kill Brindi.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
• You rejected my offer to plead guilty on all three charges in exchange for Brindi’s return and<br />
stated that HRM plans to ask for one dollar fines and seek a court order to destroy my dog.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
• Under no circumstances will you, as HRM prosecutor,</span></span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Release Brindi pending trial, even on a bond as high as $10,000, which I offered.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Let her go to a foster home pending trial.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. Drop the HRM request to put Brindi down.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. Let her go back with me to the States (or anywhere else) permanently.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">5. Let her go to another owner, either here or anywhere else.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">6. Make or accept any offer for me to get her back and keep her alive.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">• HRM will return Brindi only if ordered to [do so] by a court.<br />
<br />
With regard to your goal as prosecutor, you stated further that:<br />
<br />
• Under the law, you are not required to show any grounds for putting Brindi down,* though<br />
you concede no reasonable court will order destruction of life without sufficiently compelling<br />
arguments.</span></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">• To that end, you seem to be relying on:</span></span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Judge Murphy’s statement on future offences in her April 30 provincial court ruling.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Two vague notions of acceptable grounds for killing a dog: a. “numerous offences” (tried</span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> or alleged), seemingly independent of factors such as severity or actions of the owner, and</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">b. the suggestion that “other solutions” have “not worked.”</span></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">However, with regard to my dog, you do not dispute that:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
• Brindi’s behavior is not a threat to human life. She has never attacked a person. She does not<br />
even respond to violent physical provocations by humans. In two instances, two years apart,<br />
adults repeatedly kicked her in the head and body, and they reported truthfully that she did not<br />
growl, bite, or make any attempt to defend herself.<br />
<br />
• Brindi never caused a serious and/or life-threatening injury to an animal.<br />
<br />
In light of this, I noted that:<br />
<br />
• You dismiss any and all standards widely used in other jurisdictions to determine the fate of<br />
dogs, including professional findings that they are untrainable or “incorrigible”.<br />
<br />
• Your request to the court does not rely on evidence, behavior assessments, and/or legal statute,<br />
and/or case law, including HRM’s own record of HRM by-law prosecutions since 2007, with<br />
many cases of owners fined or charges withdrawn for dogs killing animals or attacking people.<br />
<br />
• In your opinion these are of no relevance to HRM’s decision to seek a kill order Brindi, and<br />
should bear no weight in court, notwithstanding Section 18 of the Criminal Code regarding<br />
similar offenses, similar sentences.<br />
<br />
• HRM has never at any time “worked with me” on this or any other matter. [Note: Judge Murphy came to this conclusion in her ruling of April 2010.]<br />
<br />
• You affirmed that public opinion has no bearing on your decisions.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
• While the offences charged are “strict liability offences”, where intent is not at issue, and<br />
though you did not disclose evidence for it, you suggested I deliberately disobeyed the law.<br />
<br />
• You disagreed that a photo of Brindi moments after seizure evidences her state of great distress,<br />
even when compared with a photo of her in another setting.<br />
<br />
• You stated it would be too dangerous to release Brindi pending trial, without explanation for<br />
why all dogs are not seized after being reported for attacking. This includes the Armsworthy<br />
case of a dog that killed a kitten while at large and out of the owner’s sight.<br />
<br />
• You didn’t deny that for two years, HRM violated the Criminal Code’s limits on the detention<br />
of seized property, but were unconcerned that it is about to violate again.<br />
<br />
• You acknowledged that on Oct. 8 a Supreme Court justice neglected to validate any of your<br />
arguments against my claim that HRM has no legal authority to hold Brindi indefinitely. While<br />
he rather inexplicably decided he lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter, he proposed Section<br />
16.2 of A300 (regarding the poundkeeper) as legal grounds. Your brief did not cite it, but in the<br />
meeting, you stated, “I’m using it now.” However, it is unlikely to succeed in a future hearing,<br />
nor would a judge be likely to uphold local law over federal laws on seized property.<br />
<br />
I have pointed out that:<br />
<br />
• This is the third time HRM is trying to kill my dog.<br />
<br />
• This goal is not backed by evidence, statute, or case law. In terms of penalties, the applicable<br />
law and makes no distinction as to number of violations and calls for fines in all instances.<br />
<br />
• Your claim that she is too dangerous to live, or that I am too irresponsible to own her, is<br />
unsupportable. While leashed and muzzled, Brindi was attacked by seven off-leash and atlarge<br />
dogs this summer while on public property. She neither provoked nor retaliated. She<br />
remained under my control and I fended off the dogs. Reliable witnesses observed three of<br />
these attacks. In all incidents, I was able to regain control of her within seconds.<br />
<br />
• Your witness statements suggest impure motives, notwithstanding concern for safety. Leaving<br />
aside the fact that one works for HRM, and the other is directly related to five of eight HRM<br />
witnesses in the trial, the evidence indicates a prior interest in Brindi’s death, as Katie Simms<br />
reportedly urged a third party to report me during the summer. Further, on the night of Sept.<br />
14, she immediately voiced a desire to destroy my dog, and statements show that for some<br />
time, she and Tyson were too preoccupied in filing a report to notice any marks on their dog.<br />
Had an arriving RCMP officer not suggested they examine her, it is unclear when or if they<br />
would have. They then spent time photographing the dog rather than attending to her wounds.<br />
As a vet later deemed them minor, compelling grounds to destroy Brindi are sorely lacking.<br />
<br />
• Judge Murphy’s statements should not be misapplied in this regard. When it comes to<br />
destroying personal property, there must be compelling grounds based on evidence.<br />
Furthermore, a fair interpretation of her statements on future offences must consider all of<br />
honourable judge’s decisions. After declining HRM’s euthansia request, without request or<br />
explanation, she amended her own ruling that before she would release Brindi, the trainer<br />
must testify we had completed the training as ordered: when the time came, she simply<br />
granted release via faxes between her clerk and HRM counsel, without reviewing any details.<br />
<br />
• HRM appears to have conceded the point by declining to classify Brindi as a dangerous dog,<br />
as Judge Murphy recommended.**<br />
<br />
• The trainer, Susan Jordan, supports us fully.<br />
<br />
• I do not believe, therefore, that Brindi can reasonably be deemed a danger to humans or<br />
“public safety”. She poses no greater risk to life and property than any other dog, and in fact, a good deal of evidence suggests she is possibly less of a risk than most dogs here. Yet she is<br />
unfairly held to a higher standard than they, and has been unduly harmed in the process. This<br />
is arbitrary and cruel. And it would set a very dangerous precedent to destroy her.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
HRM’s inflexible position is unwarranted and unprecedented. I remain confident that if court<br />
proceedings are conducted fairly, an order for “humane euthanasia” will not result. However, in<br />
the unlikely event it does, I have advised you that I will file an appeal and that my lawsuit from<br />
2008 is going forward. All indications are that HRM will never be in a position to legally destroy<br />
my dog, including section 16.2 of By-Law A300, which is backed by a number of precedents, and<br />
unlikely to be struck down by a judge for this purpose.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
I would much prefer having my beloved family member with me now. It is blatantly inhumane for<br />
HRM to pursue such a goal while impounding Brindi indefinitely. Despite being unlawfully<br />
evicted by HRM, I am preparing applications for her release. And HRM has compelled me to<br />
continue with my lawsuit against the municipality for wrongful seizure and such other causes of<br />
action as malicious prosecution.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
Until my dog and I were targeted under A300, I had no need of courts and lawsuits. I cannot<br />
answer when people ask if my nationality is a factor for HRM. Like many others, I came here<br />
because I believe in Canadian social values. Yet certain past remarks from HRM counsel do give<br />
me pause, and on Friday, you replied, “I bet you do,” when I mentioned support to file suit from a<br />
US jurisdiction. Allow me to assure you, I certainly take no pleasure in any of this. I have done all<br />
I can to obtain a fair resolution and I regret that the taxpayers, myself included, bear HRM’s costs.<br />
Fortunately for me, the SPCA waived Section 18.2 of A300 requiring me to pay boarding fees<br />
totaling over $14,000. This should set a precedent for present and future costs, possibly also for<br />
other dog owners in my situation. Indeed, Section 18.2 should not apply as long as HRM<br />
continues to deny proper due process and arbitrarily enforce unjust (and/or non-existent) animal<br />
control law.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />
In the meantime, I cannot overemphasize HRM´s responsibility for my dog’s health and wellbeing.<br />
Until she is released to me, should any harm come to her, HRM bears sole liability.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Francesca Rogier<br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">* S. 208 of the HRM charter, identical to S.177 of the NS Municipal Governance Act. To be<br />
precise, the law says it is not necessary to give “evidence”. I believe this is not the same as<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span>“grounds”.<br />
<br />
** However, if HRM applied A300’s definitions systematically, every dog would be classified as<br />
“dangerous” when the owner is guilty of “owning a dog that attacks”, and this might cause a<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span>problem.</span></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It turned out I was right that no judge would order Brindi put down. HRM did not succeed in getting a lawful "order to destroy" on its third try. But I never dreamt that a judge would use the occasion to "give" Brindi right back to HRM and let it decide what to do with her!!<br />
<br />
In terms of my appeal... I realize now that this memo shows that I raised an issue of constitutionality of the "additional penalty" clause even before my preliminary brief and my written motion to dismiss and my in-court statements...!! On appeal, however, Ms. Salsman chose to claim that I had never raised the issue. Which is odd. And I even sent her a list of these things. And as a result of the court believing her and not glancing through my Appeal Book, which contained all of those documents and the trial transcript, my arguments got short shrift. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />
The law IS unconstitutional, and dangerous in the hands of prosecutors interested in winning above all else. If the court will not listen to me, we are all in for more bad <span style="font-size: small;">outcomes!</span></span><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-928538201734840562015-12-05T17:25:00.001-04:002016-01-11T04:43:18.731-04:00How to Bury a Dog & Her Human Alive, Layer by Layer<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
Why do people insist on believing that the 2012 ruling I am appealing ordered HRM to adopt Brindi, when HRM itself doesn't see it that way?</span></h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">How can I possibly ever win an appeal in a case riddled with twisted truths, gross exaggerations, key omissions, sheer lies? This is not a game I know how to play.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<h4>
<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Background: parsing court rulings</span></b></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>Judge Buchan's sentence, June 26 2012, p. 9</u> *</span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>“But for her complacency for ensuring
that Brindi could not act out her territorial aggression on other innocent dogs
after having been given more than adequate opportunity to do so, I am satisfied
that Brindi cannot safely be returned to Ms. Rogier.”</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Okay so I cannot help but take it apart. Humour me please. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">her complacency</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">: </span>not a
correct or fair conclusion to draw from strict liability offences where intent
is not considered. And both she and HRM acknowledged the window mistake was unintentional I testified that I had otherwise always muzzled/leashed her in the car even
though I knew it put her at risk; that night the hot weather dictated not
leaving them on in a parking lot; I testified that I believed I had secured the
car. None of that is consistent with complacency. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And the term is otherwise completely contradicted
by a wealth of evidence, including the uncontested fact that I not only met but
exceeded the court conditions by continuing training voluntarily, confirmed by
the trainer’s testimony and her special statement for sentencing that set out
the training details and her assessment of Brindi; a letter of support for
Brindi and her confidence in me from our vet, and two sworn affidavits
attesting to my rigorous attention to the conditions and to training. Plus
informal letters from local mothers of small children. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Buchan, setting the scene for the appeal judge, is simply
elaborating on HRM’s deliberate exaggeration of the muzzle conditions. The judge acknowledges I made an honest mistake in securing my car against Brindi escaping - something she never even tried before that night, really - but instead of recognizing this as a legitimate defence of due diligence", claims I failed to take "reasonable precautions" like muzzling and leashing in the car, even though these measures - which I testified I had always done up to that particular moment, and which is true - would <b>not</b> have prevented her escape, or in turn the three offences that followed, and thus are not reasonable precautions at all in terms of due diligence and the actual offences before her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Not to mention that previously that
summer Brindi was attacked by dogs five times. Two involved a pair of
dogs, all were off-leash. Or that earlier on the day they seized her, </span><span style="font-family: "\22 times new roman\22 ";">I had to take evasive action</span><span style="font-family: "\22 times new roman\22 ";"> when </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">six off-leash dogs
came running and surrounded my car with Brindi muzzled inside, ignoring calls from the two women with them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">When you realize how and why the muzzle order originated, how it came after two scuffles that at worst deserved a fine; how a muzzle had zero basis in Brindi's conduct or misconduct, the whole thing explodes your guts and your brain at once.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> Why does nobody care that </span><span style="font-family: "\22 times new roman\22 ";">HRM just used it as a tactic, smokescreen to seize and kill Brindi?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">act out her territorial aggression, cannot safely be
returned</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">:</span> Fails to register the trainer’s uncontested expert opinion rating Brindi's level of aggression at 1 on a scale of 1 to 10, the lowest
possible, and citing her "good bite restraint", which she showed on every occasion when she had the chance to inflict severe injury but did not. Difficult concept for a judge to grasp perhaps, yet nevertheless solid canine science. Between this and the record of infrequent harmless or nearly harmless incidents, in which Brindi did not even retaliate against the people who kicked her, "safely" is a bit of a stretch.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>other innocent dogs</i>:</span> Oh come on. "other" as in Brindi is another innocent dog? "Innocent" as in Brindi is some kind of a sinner? Nonsense!! She is simply a dog. Dogs use their mouths and bodies to communicate with other dogs. Brindi did not want to </span><span style="font-family: "\22 times new roman\22 ";">not to maim or kill</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">. (By now I do, though. Boy do I.) </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We don't even begin know what kinds of messages transpire between dogs. Reading morality into the thing is just too much. If you want to talk forgiveness and unconditional love, that's another story!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">more than adequate opportunity to do so</span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: #0b5394;">: </span>Ten weeks?! It can take years to re-program a dog's behavior! Pretty high standard. The short time between Brindi’s release – July 9 –and the incident, Sept. 14, directly contradicts the judge's opinion; so does our trainer’s testimony, backing up my own, that the training was not very long and still incomplete: we started working with Brindi in early June while she was in the kennel on obedience & recall, but you cannot train for territoriality unless she is in her home. More importantly, the testimony established as fact that due to the trainer's busy summer schedule she had put off the critical final phase of working on my property
directly - which was my sole goal in hiring her.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">
</span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>The actual meaning of Judge Buchan's sentence: saving Brindi's life, or letting HRM decide, no strings attached?</u></span></h4>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Therefore I order the ownership of the dog Brindi shall be</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">forfeited </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">to HRM </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">immediately</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and from </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">henceforth </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">HRM shall have the sole responsibility to make all </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">decisions concerning Brindi's care and custody</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">. Furthermore, I direct HRM to provide Brindi </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">with the same opportunities given to other animals that come into its care,<b> in that I mean </b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">that Brindi be provided </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">with </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">the </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">usual assessment</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">as to her ability to be adopted or fostered</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">to a person or persons th</span><span style="color: #ef6c67; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">at<strike>ey</strike> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">can provide her with all </span><span style="color: #ef6c67; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">the </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>due care, but who can also </b>keep </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">her under the controls as set out in Judge Murphy's judgmen</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">t, excuse me in Judge </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Murphy’s judgment, of April 30, 2010.</span></span><b> </b></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></b><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"</b>Should HRM not find such a foster or adoptive home in the </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">usual manner </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">or as a result of ill health as established by a veterinarian as retained by </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">HRM</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, I also order that </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">HRM has the right to euthanize Brindi in the most humane way </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">possible</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">but in any circumstances not prior to August 1, 2012."</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>
</b></span></blockquote>
</div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Here we go.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">At first glance, Judge Buchan seems to be sparing Brindi's life. And it's true that s</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">he didn't grant the "order to destroy" that HRM was looking for - the whole goal of the prosecution. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Judge Buchan didn't make an order </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">not </i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to destroy Brindi either. She stops short of ordering adoption outright, and leaves it all up to HRM. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Something very different is going on here.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's very troubling that an appeal judge apparently failed to catch the distinction. R</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">elying on his version (below), at least one top lawyer did as well. I</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> fear that this doesn't bode well for my appeal.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">forfeited to HRM immediately; </span></i></span><i style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">henceforth </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">HRM shall have the sole responsibility to make all </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">decisions concerning Brindi's care and custody</span></i><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">: </span></i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is the first indication: HRM makes <i>all</i> decisions about Brindi from now on. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In an unprecedented move, the</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> judge is bowing out.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">same opportunities given to other animals that come into its care:</span> </i>In a further unprecedented move, the judge is lumping Brindi in with all stray dogs the HRM pound takes in. She is not a stray. She is well-trained pet with a loving home waiting for her. E</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ven if HRM is fairly deemed her "owner", t</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">he laws empowering the city pound to assess and adopt out dogs only apply to strays. HRM does not "own" dogs that end up at the pound. I am not even sure what it really means for a municipality to "own" a dog - however, I do know what its lawyers think it means.</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Is the judge "legislating from the bench"? If so, why?</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">with the usual assessment as to her ability to be adopted or fostered:</span> </i>HRM has never allowed or provided any kind of "usual assessment" for lawfully owned but seized dogs at the pound or elsewhere. The reason is simple: HRM </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">is not interested in assessments for dogs that i</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">t wants to kill, especially for dogs that stand a good chance of a positive assessment.</span><br />
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-style: italic;">find such a foster or adoptive home in the </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">usual manner:</span> A</i>gain, no such procedure exists for finding homes for lawfully owned dogs HRM seizes to be put down, or gets owners to sign over to it (happens more often than you'd think). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why no "usual manner" of finding a foster or adoptive home? Simply because there's no need, because HRM plans to put down these dogs. </span></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Why does Judge Buchan speak about a "usual assessment" and a "usual manner"? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Is she attempting to change HRM's policies and procedures? </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-style: italic;">but who can also keep </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">her under the controls as set out in Judge Murphy's judgment:</span> </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Judge Buchan did nothing to resolve the confusion in that judgment around the muzzle order conditions. So HRM's insistence that she should be muzzled everywhere, even inside a car or a home, is handed down (or up) to the appeal judge, as you'll see below.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I tremble at the thought of an HRM-approved adopter who does this to Brindi. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">God help anyone else who is willing to take a dog that HRM has been after for seven years. Which explains</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> the dearth of </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">local</i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> adoption offers, in contrast to plenty from outside HRM. I am probably the only person willing to deal with the pressure. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Should HRM not find such a foster or adoptive home in the </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">usual manner... </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">HRM has the right to euthanize Brindi in the most humane way </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">possible.</span></i></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">HRM can basically decide it can't find a home, or just say it couldn't, then put Brindi down. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Or HRM can put her down and refuse to disclose anything, claiming "solicitor-client confidentiality" or that it never makes such decisions public - although it never makes such decisions, period. The prosecutor has already used both of these reasons to avoid telling me anything about its plans for Brindi, as well as her current state of health. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is because, thanks to the judge, there are no strings attached: no need to report</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> back to the court, inform me, or tell the public about its actions. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's not humane to put down a healthy animal. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have learned from experience that HRM doesn't do anything until and unless a judge orders it - and sometimes not even then. </span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Does this leave any doubt about the sentence? Yes? Ask yourself: j</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ust how motivated HRM is to find a good home for Brindi? </span></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I can tell you: not much! </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;">Otherwise, HRM would not be so keen to go to court instead of come to an agreement in or out of mediation. See my post about my cousin.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;">Hell, they've already had her for years, why not?! Never mind that this came out of left field - neither I nor HRM anticipated it, and with good reason. It blew the law apart.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Did Judge Buchan fail to grasp that HRM had never ceased trying to kill Brindi since 2008 and the case before her was its third try? I doubt it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Did she not believe - or not read - my submissions about how HRM refused my request for just such an assessment back then - to be done by an actual qualified professional at my cost, not a pound worker - and my offer to share the results? That </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">HRM even obstructed a court order to provide access to Brindi for </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">assessment, then fought wildly against allowing a judge to read the results? </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">HRM thus betrayed itself and exposed its real opinion about Brindi.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Why did Judge Buchan do this after hearing HRM argue vehemently against both returning Brindi and adopting her to anybody else. It has not changed its position since 2008 despite all the affidavits and assessments and lack of evidence of harm that is serious by any standard. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Two months after this sentence, I tried to get a court order to foster Brindi pending appeal, and </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">HRM argued the same points</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, adding an astoundingly twisted argument to the effect that if Ms. Rogier, "who calls herself a responsible owner," (actually<i> I </i>don't, my experts do!), is unable to </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">control this dog, then we can't expect anybody else to do it either, so the only thing for Brindi is death. (see previous post) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tell that to the SPCA volunteers who loved </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Brindi,</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> or the current poundworkers, who I am told just adore her. </span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Notice the total lack of yardsticks</i>: just how well-behaved must a dog and a human be? </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This alone should raise doubt in the mind of a judge but it hasn't so far. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">HRM never cites an actual standard, purposely. Not only because the law fails to provide a usable one, and none emerges from the record of prosecutions, but because HRM knows we would meet or exceed any reasonably sound standard. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">What is happening is that we are both being held to a non-existent abstract, shifting, grossly unfair standard - i.e., perfection. For a reason.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Getting back to the point... </span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>How the appeal judge interpreted the sentence that gives Brindi to HRM</b></span></h4>
<u><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Appeal Decision, July 11, 2015, </span><span style="font-family: "\22 times\22 " , "\22 times new roman\22 " , serif;">p. 13-14</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">: </span></span></u><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>"Instead of an outright order for the destruction of the dog, the trial judge ordered ownership of the dog forfeited to HRM and directed HRM to have the dog assessed</b> with a view <b>to </b></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">adoption or foster placement."</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sounds reasonable, although only if you overlook a couple important parts of the actual history. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But it's not solid even in this version. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Why not an outright order for adoption? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: start;">"Brindi avoids execution" is not quite what we have here.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>with a view to: </i>a bit too vague for a direct order. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It might be one, but for </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>have the dog assessed: </i>Okay so another assessment. Three different trainers and one vet produced five expert assessments </span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">from 2008 to 2012; </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">all on file, all very positive. The last done for the judge's consideration. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, if she is really ordering HRM to adopt Brindi out, why would the vet call for yet <i>another</i> one, and an objectively inferior one at that? </span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let's unpack that: a. she implies the others, though uncontested by HRM because oh yeah they <i>never produced an expert,</i></span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">are inadequate, and a pound assessment is better; </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">and </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">more to the point, </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">c. she intended to re-open the question, allowing the unlikely possibility the assessment just might turn out negative enough (but again, no yardstick) to give HRM a reason to put Brindi down. </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Add to this</span><span style="font-family: "\22 times\22 " , "\22 times new roman\22 " , serif;"> three years of </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">HRM's steadfast refusal to tell me when and if it assesses Brindi or the results and the decision to adopt or not, to agree to resolve it out of court, and the </span><b style="font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif;">glaring absence</b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><b style="font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif;">of anything in its appeal arguments to the effect that I am in the wrong, it fully plans to adopt her. To mention a few. And the only conclusion you can come to is that HRM does not feel the sentence binds it to a decision to adopt Brindi, but rather leaves the decision in its hands. </b></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And I am just as certain, however, that in the next hearing, HRM's attack lawyers - there are two now - will happily agree with the appeal judge's interpretation, and, without hesitation, begin to accuse me of wasting the court's time and taxpayer money when all along all it wanted to do was adopt Brindi out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>How HRM has interpreted the ruling </u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">note- HRM would not even foster her even though Judge Buchan mentions this; with my consent there is nothing stopping it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Note that HRM, which has been trying to kill her for four years by that time - its third time at bat in fact - now gets to decide what is a good home for her. Wow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What is also amazing about "<span style="color: #0b5394;">usual assessment</span>" and "<span style="color: #0b5394;">usual manner</span>" of finding a home is that HRM was perfectly okay with acting as if had one. The prosecutor even told Radio News95.7, "This way we have the best of all possible worlds," i.e., Brindi can be assessed and then we decide." Gee, two years in custody, just never found the time? What about the court order back in 2008 I had to get when refused to <i>let</i> her be assessed? The best of all possible worlds indeed! And yet a</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> month earlier she'd told the same listeners that the law gave the judge only <i>two</i> possible options: order Brindi killed or return her to me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This has taught me HRM is capable of similar about-faces in the future and that does not bode well for my appeal, when they say "Brindi avoids execution, what's your problem?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>But these are not things that can be worked into a legal argument successfully, if at all. And certainly not by a non-lawyer. At any rate - I have no frigging clue how to do it!!!!!!!!!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Even if I tried to nail this down in a 40-page brief, HRM gets to write its brief afterwards, so it can adjust its position accordingly. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There is no room for truth. Establishin</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">g the truth is not really the goal, I find. If it happens, it happens in an alarmingly ad-hoc way. Not always in the testimony. Not reliably in court decisions, at least not in mine. You can't bring it out by bringing out mistakes and omissions. It falls between the cracks. It gets buried under layers of carefully manipulated briefs and affidavits and decisions. And I notice lawyers are pragmatists: they don't even try to dig down to the truth, they just go with the latest version and argue that, even if it narrows the chances immeasurably.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>That might be okay in lawsuits and even in some criminal cases, I don't know. But not for a dog. Sorry not sorry, they don't leave me or Brindi much breathing room.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So because despite all the time and money and energy I put into this year in, year out, and because I had the misfortune to unknowingly hire unsavory lawyers at the start, I cannot dig out of this mountain of what I call crap. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Misdirection, smears, fakery, relying on prosecution records instead of facts even when they contradict themselves; ditto outdated reports & non-findings. Naked vitriol. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In the time and space allotted, I just cannot detail every sleight of hand they make over the courts of seven years. They don't want to hear it anyhow. </span><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I cannot even hope to get a judge to take a good hard look at a single image, </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">like this one, </span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></b></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6V1BWrwOViiQ2g2gHZfFPZZwY0xRvJg1AaZLZJY5iO24IC7JwtyS5bnCafj2iKt-RP2cNp4ox9NSUIbX1RMUSrmjE-TxooXFnfxxVaye8XoiGlNUZOH3bams3PBsvW8Xx_sczPDDJQA4/s1600/SPCA+birthday+photo+with+Brindi+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6V1BWrwOViiQ2g2gHZfFPZZwY0xRvJg1AaZLZJY5iO24IC7JwtyS5bnCafj2iKt-RP2cNp4ox9NSUIbX1RMUSrmjE-TxooXFnfxxVaye8XoiGlNUZOH3bams3PBsvW8Xx_sczPDDJQA4/s320/SPCA+birthday+photo+with+Brindi+2.jpg" width="320" /></span></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>SPCA </b><b>Brindi B-day Party with Doggie Cake, Baby, 2009</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>or this one,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hdu-fQJOV6DFvBiDST42J2KmKLnWkdxudTM7DV8rFKZH4FNONfWST12_naMAIwmNEHugp_YawtcBUPI_vvbqKpLBBECRh3EWMJ7_qHQ1uKsYaUsSRJiDHUcYmyV1D0Fh8GzqGbPJ8p4/s1600/Lucy+puncture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hdu-fQJOV6DFvBiDST42J2KmKLnWkdxudTM7DV8rFKZH4FNONfWST12_naMAIwmNEHugp_YawtcBUPI_vvbqKpLBBECRh3EWMJ7_qHQ1uKsYaUsSRJiDHUcYmyV1D0Fh8GzqGbPJ8p4/s200/Lucy+puncture.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Worst Injury Brindi allegedly caused, 2012</span></b></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">with the potential to </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">create just enough doubt in his/her mind to prompt them to ask HRM one simple but relevant question: </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Why did you ever muzzle this dog, let alone seize it?" or even better, "Why are you asking me to order this dog destroyed?"</span></b></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Why should a truly "innocent" smart rescue dog with a big heart and a sweet nature, and a lone human who made a couple of honest mistakes that led to little or no harm,</b><b style="font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif;"> end up sick and old and separated forever?</b></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There is no grain of truth, let alone reality, in Judge Buchan's condemnation of me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Around here, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I am the only person I know</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> who diligently trains and trains their dogs aiming for perfection. Or licenses them, gets regular checkups, has doggie health insurance... and picks up the poop!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">But, and </span><span style="font-family: "\22 times\22 " , "\22 times new roman\22 " , serif;">I am not being melodramatic here or anything, really,</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> HRM is now breathing down my neck with a Motion to Dismiss. But e</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">very time I try to get through the documents, I see more how </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">judges and lawyers are interpreting the "facts", the court decisions (and hence the merits) in ways that defy reality, t</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">his knowledge is like a nail </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">driven </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">deeper and deeper into my heart. </span></span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I am glad Brindi can remain innocent of this awareness, because it would surely kill her. I just hope it doesn't wind up killing me. </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The same sort of traps and frustrations did kill Jeff de la Rosa in 2013, and I'm sure they're taking a pretty hard toll on Diesel's Dave Smith out west. The hyperbolic in those docs is so bad, anybody would wonder why the poor guy hasn't been jailed for life.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">"Dog-aggressive" Brindi romping with a playmate she just met on a local beach, 2007</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Judge Buchan goes on - my teeth clench: (red shows her original text corrected)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"And here we are today. While I acknowledge <strike><span style="color: #ef6c67;">Miss Brindi</span>,</strike> Ms. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rogier loves her dog Brindi, Brindi has spent the greater part of her life under the care of </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">HRM than under the care of Ms. Rogier. The responsibility for this sad fact lies squarely at </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">the feet of Ms. Rogier."</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>this sad fact</i> is atrocious! One would expect a fair judge to condemn it, not blame me. This sad fact is 100% the responsibility of HRM, aided by willing pound contractors and courts. HRM unlawfully impounded Brindi for two years after a questionably lawful seizure in 2008, with a bona fide unlawful order to destroy that was struck six months later. But HRM did it again and held her for another two years before trial. A second similarly questionably lawful seizure </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">only ten weeks after Brindi's release </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">(the warrant, completely out of whack with the law and reality, does not authorize impounding for any length of time). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>HRM's pound contractors </b>- first the SPCA, then Hope Swinimer - are complicit as well, both </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;">out of - well, greed, basically. The SPCA failed to uphold its provincial authority to protect animal welfare by not speaking up about Brindi immediately when I sought help, then by continuing to hold her month after month, with inadequate food and exercise, in a facility it knew was unsuitable beyond 30 days (in fact it wasn't even suitable for that long, and </span><i style="font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif; text-align: justify;">no facility</i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: justify;"> is really suitable beyond 30 days!). Hope Swinimer did and is still doing pretty much the same, for even more money. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(You're welcome, Hope.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Apart from the time pending appeals, I keep repeating this and nobody seems able to contradict me, <b>HRM had no legal authority to hold Brindi, let alone prevent me from visiting her, taking photos, or bringing her treats.</b> (Thanks SPCA and Hope.) And HRM also steadfastly refused my pleas and opposed a court motion for an order to foster her. Other Canadian cities have taken steps to insure no dog is held for more than a dozen days, but not HRM. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>The courts </b>not only scheduled hearings many months after charges were laid, and added more at every adjournment request- something I notice does not happen even in criminal cases. They also refused to hear any motions to have her released or at least moved to a better kennel, or applications for an order to have her released pending trial outcomes - things that took a lot of time and effort that I tried about half a dozen times. HRM blocked one of them with a dirty trick and was prepared to block the rest if the judges had not declined jurisdiction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><u>And then there's the three and a half months added by Judge Buchan.</u> Yes I will say it. She would not hear a motion to release Brindi, scolded me for the trial delay (is it my fault I injured myself badly in November and had to adjourn, or that the new date was in March? Or that HRM refused to make a deal back in 2010?). She said the trial must conclude by March 16, then put off her ruling to May 10, and again, skipping a sentencing hearing, to June 26, when she announced the sentence. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>SO I totally and utterly reject the offensive claim that I am at all responsible for the amount of time my poor girl has been locked up. Totally on you!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">*The previous portion follows an excerpt from Judge Murphy’s quite over the top caution in the final paragraph of her decision: <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I do not </i></span><i style="font-family: times, 'times new roman', serif;">think that I am overstating the likely outcome to suggest that Brindi likely would be destroyed if there was a further incident.</i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Um, yes, yes, you are overstating quite a bit in fact, yes! You are unreasonably and unjustifiably prejudicing any and all matters that follow!</span></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-84833124727081423202015-12-03T03:13:00.002-04:002016-01-10T00:38:39.109-04:00Why won't you step up, Hope Swinimer? Open Letter to Halifax Pound Contractor<h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As a famous John once famously said to a famous Paul, "How do you sleep?"</span></b></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>You made your name saving wild animals with Hope for Wildlife. You founded Homeward Bound Citypound as the pound contractor for the Halifax Regional Municipality since 2010, taking over from the SPCA. </b>Your goal, you told me, was to gain addition income for the wildlife rehab centre - to pay two staff members, if I remember correctly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>So essentially you are using this business, the pound, to support your wild-life rehab. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And in its day-to-day business, the pound carries out various functions, including executing orders for and by the Halifax Regional Municipality. [It is part of the municipal system of by-law enforcement. The same system that took my dog away from me twice, under questionable circumstances, and had you hold her indefinitely since 2010 [though as seized property, the law compels it to be returned if, like Brindi, it is not evidence].</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>My question to you is simple: when are you going to finally stand up for Brindi?</b> She's an animal too, just like the wild ones you love to rescue. <br /><br /><b>Doesn't <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">my dog</span> have the same right to a good life a<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">s a wild animal</span>? </b>How is keeping her kenneled year after year a good life? Why<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> did you allow your subcontractor to swear to a judge she is okay when you know very well she isn't? She's got <i>at </i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>least</i> two chronic diseases!</span></span><br /><br /><b>We both know you have been profiting from your business, and it's no exaggeration to say it was my fight for Brindi that opened up this opportunity for you in 2010.</b> So haven't you been essentially profiting from our misery for five years now? <i>Five years</i>!! And for those five years she and I suffered while you collected a healthy sum - something like $2.5 million for the first three years? How much more now, since the new contract last March? I don't know. I don't want to know.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>What</b></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b> I do know is, I did some good volunteer work for you at Hope for Wildlife for over a year. </b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">T</span>he peace pole standing on your property right now was my project<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, done at</span> your special request, from start to finish. From finding the right artist, commissioning it, selecting the design, the languages, and organizing its fabrication and delivery<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, to choosing</span> its location <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">o</span>n your <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">land</span>. Then, though I did not feel up to it because the city had taken Brindi from me just weeks before, and I could <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">h<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ar<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">dly bear <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">being in</span></span></span></span> public, I designed and organized the unveiling ceremony too<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, for you!</span> I'd lost about 15 pounds by then, was unable to eat because of Brindi<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">. </span>Everybody noticed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My work at your open house for the kids, again at your request, where I came up with a fun way to make bird beaks with real feathers, teaching about shapes of beaks, was a big hit. <b>I did it because I love animals, I did it because I believed in you. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I cannot tell you how saddening it is to me, to be repaid this way. To know that I also sought your help, in trust, and instead you saw it as an opportunity to advance your own interests and simply took it.</span><br />
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<b>You know how much Brindi means to me.</b> <b>How can you live with yourself, truly?</b></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We both know what you said under oath in 2010 was not exactly the truth. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I knew y</span>ou were okay with me losing Brindi there and then, because you <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">already </span>won the contract. You didn't <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">have a thing to lose. But I did. L</span>uckily your words didn't matter<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> then<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, because <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">other people kept their word.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yo</span>ur actions <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">- and your <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">priorities -</span> mattered<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> a few months later <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">when</span></span></span> you took over the pound and Brindi came to you<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> for two months in pol<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">lut<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ed </span></span>Burnside.</span> </b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Just around the corner from the SPCA'S Metro <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Shelter in fact. All the s<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ud<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">den<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">, 60 days, no kennel? <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Didn't you win the co<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ntract because you s<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">aid you could keep a dog in better conditions for long-term?<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">T</span>he only fresh air and exercise you provided <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Brind<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">i for those</span></span> two months was in<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">side</span> a small fenced-off parking space behind your pound<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> - WOR<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">SE than the <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Metro Shelter!</span></span></span> Two months, and she s<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">aw </span>not a blade of grass, n<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">o<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">t a spec<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">k of soil, let alone another dog! </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And y</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>ou of all people went along with HRM's scandalous dictates - no walks outside, no visits, no nothing.</span></span></span></span>Have you any idea how heartbreaking that was? <br /><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You saw how s</span>he was so thrilled when I used to take her to the beach, the woods, the park, everywhere I went, even my hairdresser's! And she is so special that I know your employees loved her even as they do HRM's bidding. <b>But you failed her and you failed everybody by taking<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> money for <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">mistreating her.</span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>HRM loves you. You're a beloved television hit with Hope for Wildlife. </b>Are you still <i>that</i> afraid to lose that contract that you wouldn't advocate for me or Brindi? You would rather deprive an animal of a good life, let her grow sick and fat on cheap food, leave her all alone in a cage? Big deal, she gets exercised 40 minutes or whatever - we both know that's BS! Nobody would ever want their dog to be treated like this, it's never okay! And I know that she is often left alone, in the dark. You are okay with keeping her in isolation from other dogs to please HRM, keeping her from her own vet, and letting me suffer for years while keeping me in the dark? Are you really no better than the SPCA after all?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
<b>And yet, let's be frank, you know very well how bad it is for dogs to be locked up for months and years. </b>Proper boarding kennels like Belle Kennel refuse to hold them for more than a few weeks. You also know - from my own lawyer and my case - that HRM, and by extension, you, have no actual authority to hold an impounded dog after seizure. Some have called this theft. And that contract is proof you are willing to do it anyway - <a href="http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/impounded-dogs-are-at-the-mercy-of-slow-moving-courts/Content?oid=4506825" target="_blank">you can't shrug it off as if it's due to the courts, </a>the courts are not accountable; you are. And you can't hide behind the contract; you're accountable just as much as HRM. (You may want to think about this, as it seems <a href="http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1325082-halifax-transit-discrimination-case-delayed" target="_blank">HRM lawyers are not above throwing its paid partners under the bus</a>.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>And it's not just Brindi.</b> I've seen photos of another dog kept in the Wyndenfog Kennel long-term and he did not look at all healthy! He was released after eight months - although he had killed another dog, HRM's witness didn't show up for court. I don't even get that - the owner didn't dispute the killing. Lucky for her HRM just dropped the case and just like that, she took him home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You know that Brindi didn't do anything remotely life-threatening to anybody, and never will. She never belonged on death row.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
<b>And I love her. Just as much, if not more, than you love your wild animals<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">!</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I</span>'ve <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">kept your secret long enough.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
</span>
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<h4>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>After five years, isn't it about time you acted on behalf of a companion animal?</b><b style="font-weight: normal;"> </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">And I don't mean the strays.</span></span></h4>
</div>
<h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">T</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ell HRM to let Dr. Larkin see Brindi NOW, before Christmas - or better yet, just take her there! </span></span></b></h4>
<h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">And for God's sake, if you can't tell them to give her back, then at least see to it she's fostered at a </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">good</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> home right away - and/or convince them to agree to adoption in Florida! </span></span></b></h4>
<h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Be the person the world believes you to be! </span></b></h4>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-54630551567945995102015-12-03T02:49:00.014-04:002015-12-03T04:27:03.025-04:00Why won't Halifax tell me how Brindi is, or take her to her vet? <h3>
I can no longer shut my ears from the question people keep asking me: What makes you think Brindi is still alive? </h3>
They seem to be asking this more than ever. And I am worried more than ever. I ask HRM often, and they refuse to give me any information. They used to just ignore the question. But more recently they say they are "satisfied" that they don't have to give me any info on Brind because she is not relevant to the appeal. Not relevant? She is the whole reason for the appeal. I am not satisfied.<br />
<br />
<b>How can I write a brief without knowing how she is, or if she is? </b>I cannot, I am finding. I haven't got anything to go on for three years. What I do know is she is not healthy per se because of her chronic conditions. And I know she is not getting the supplement that stabilizes her blood enzymes. And there is no reason on earth HRM is not able to tell me or to take her to Dr. Larkin for a checkup. Dr. Larkin has written several times as well, no answer. So it is maddeningly worrying. It's totally debilitating in fact. Paralyzing.<br />
<br />
I am going to have to do something soon about it, somehow, because for weeks and weeks I've been having migraines, flare-ups of muscle pain, insomnia. By now I cannot focus or concentrate at all, I sleep randomly, I can't manage the house or bills or anything. It's too much. And the work for court is incredibly complicated, the papers riddled with reminders that trigger PTSD like nobody's business. I stare in lockdown-mode for hours. Then suddenly a memory stabs my brain and I'm sobbing for fifteen minutes.<br />
<br />
Nobody should have to live like this. My house is a mess. I can't work. I have no holiday plans, the seventh year in a row. I can't fly to the US to see my 94 year-old mother. I have nothing to look forward to - nothing but more difficulty and hardship, and possibly much more grief, because this is my last chance.<br />
<div>
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-20161197730513095682015-11-30T22:02:00.004-04:002016-01-13T21:44:57.693-04:00Not-So-Secret Lies and Ugly Truths<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
This Time It's Personal</span></h3>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Did the Halifax municipal prosecutor lie in August when she declined a deal to let Brindi go to the US in return for me to withdraw my appeal? </i><i> </i></span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After a winter like no other - six to eight inches of solid ice for months and record snows that drove everyone a bit mad here - I ended up spending the summer recovering from surgery for ovarian cancer. It was a double-whammy procedure to remove a large malignant tumour on my ovary, as well as certain lady parts I wasn't too happy about losing. I held my breath until the biopsies came back, and by August the coast was clear and I was able to get around on my own. But I was still far too dazed and worn to tackle yet more court documents. I can't help feeling they're what made me sick in the first place, frankly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_qUTGuNaaX01_4yYuUCJL5jlslUXKFzMf2U5MDaeKgr353uHTpubpQ3ybmuWKTr2os4f6NwYi7HS1_DoiapdeGnXtEMCC6OcXOi2PXUEvQGDNBviAY3muJesHbQywpPWtuXGmnNbKmU/s1600/551550_10151581656971265_211808031_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_qUTGuNaaX01_4yYuUCJL5jlslUXKFzMf2U5MDaeKgr353uHTpubpQ3ybmuWKTr2os4f6NwYi7HS1_DoiapdeGnXtEMCC6OcXOi2PXUEvQGDNBviAY3muJesHbQywpPWtuXGmnNbKmU/s320/551550_10151581656971265_211808031_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Brindi in distress, ca. 30 minutes after seizure, Sept. 24, 2010.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(<i>Imagine if your best friend was put on death row, and their life depended entirely on you, and your ability to fake a language known only to members of a private club. Your friend will die unless you find the right combination of signs and sounds to convince a judge to listen to you instead of the club member in the room - the prosecutor, a native speaker. Then imagine having to do this over and over, year after year, to keep your friend alive, as they grow sick and old. You know you will never speak the language yet you have no choice. You can never see your friend; and after a time, no one will tell you if they are even alive. That's more or less my life.)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>I was at the point that I could not tolerate it anymore. So I asked a</b></span> kind relative I haven’t seen in decades to call HRM solicitor Katherine Salsman on my behalf and ask once more if she would agree to mediation. When she said no, he went ahead and made an offer to adopt Brindi, suggesting that in return I might be persuaded to drop my appeal. </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>She declined his offer as "too complicated" - and then said to my amazement that HRM had a family all picked out to adopt Brindi.<br /></b></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>It was earth-shattering news considering that she had refused to go to mediation! Frankly, I haven't been able - physically or emotionally - to talk about it since then, much less function at anything remotely like full capacity. It made no sense and yet it said everything!</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For about five years, this woman ignored many many other calls and letters offering adoption, and my own pleas for a similar deal. Everyone from PETA to Morgan Fairchild to the director of the Cesar Milan Foundation was unable to even get her or anybody on the phone, not even a call back. I could only assume the difference now was that my relative happens to be a lawyer, and a partner no less. In any case, judging from her response, she was perfectly happy to chat away like old chums. And more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">First, she told him she’d reply in a week after consulting with her "team" ("Team? What team?" I asked). Then she added that if HRM did accept, their condition would be that Brindi never comes back to me. He made no objection; it was the start of a process, and he understands that I have no interest in moving down to his or any state. He told me he knows and agrees that such a deal wouldn't be the fairest or most just outcome. But it would put an end to my misery and Brindi's suffering in the best way possible at that point. For my part, if I must allow anybody to have Brindi, I'd be thrilled if it were him. On the flip side, I could not think of anything HRM could object to about him as a prospective "adopter" for Brindi. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Let me just interject here that when he told me about the call afterwards, I just about hit the floor. Not only because the call happened at all, which was pretty massive. No; in a way I figured she would talk to a fellow lawyer, this accomplished senior lawyer. What struck me so hard was that Ms. Salsman did not mention a thing to him about compliance with HRM's muzzle order, an escape-proof enclosure, or training. "Are you sure?" I kept asking him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The muzzle in particular was a knotty and contentious issue that Ms. Salsman harped on endlessly about at trial, even insisting Brindi has to be muzzled even when inside an enclosure. I say harped in terms of quantity, not quality. It worked with the judge, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary: on two occasions, Brindi chose not to attack a person or persons kicking her. She'd barely ever scratched a dog. Sure, there were a handful of incidents with dogs, but the very number of harmless incidents is the opposite of proof she should be killed (noting that HRM lacks any legal standard for this). Muzzling her at all, let alone in a pen, is absurd, if not dangerous. And saying that does <i>not</i> mean I don't take my dog's behaviour seriously. If that were true, I would not have consulted a trainer for advice, or even apologize to people, as I did when anything happened - and I did much more than that, which Ms. Salsman knows very well. And I met the court requirement to do training before her release. Then I continued - training a dog out of a territorial issue is best done when they have territory to guard, rather than when they are in a kennel. And she was doing great.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In fact, since 2008, HRM had been deaf to my repeated offers of the same three measures, muzzle compliance, specialized training, and an "escape proof" enclosure - a dog run that I went ahead and built in the hopes they would agree to let her go - plus a fourth offer to pay fines, as alternatives to killing Brindi. Things changed in 2010 once a judge, declining HRM's request for a new Order to Destroy - the whole reason HRM put me on trial - imposed fines and set the rest as court conditions. Naturally I was more than willing to meet them. But HRM seized her at the first opportunity - a set-up, as many said. At the time, I didn't think so. All these years later it's hard not to agree.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7j7Lwh68PPHBfBeQTNLdx6K1ix3rh7WjUMnXrB66FdbCrjlByDp-n8-cmLKGKnBAW4xQ3Q2zMYk4jdquRQg43ThFPLxX5vS_pDzFDdgthff1dd_LQeO_N2Irmrbf4lf_GrvOw9DynMgU/s1600/885993_10151525026851265_2036601929_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7j7Lwh68PPHBfBeQTNLdx6K1ix3rh7WjUMnXrB66FdbCrjlByDp-n8-cmLKGKnBAW4xQ3Q2zMYk4jdquRQg43ThFPLxX5vS_pDzFDdgthff1dd_LQeO_N2Irmrbf4lf_GrvOw9DynMgU/s320/885993_10151525026851265_2036601929_o.jpg" title="The puncture wound" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The worst injury ever resulting from an incident with Brindi! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On the right shoulder - not typically where a dog would bite. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">HRM says this is a deep puncture wound. Another scrape of </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">similar size showed up below the left shoulder. No visible teeth </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">imprints. HRM claimed the dog, Lucy, was still depressed about </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">these wounds two months later! Yet they submitted a vet report </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">from two weeks after the incident, describing Lucy as having a </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"bright demeanour". Nobody said anything about the impact on </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Brindi to be seized again and shoved into a windowless metal box... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">(For HRM, the muzzle order (whose non-Brindi-related origins I have elsewhere) was simply a pretext for declaring Brindi dangerous, although at the same time the AC officer said he was not deeming her dangerous... and the law doesn't require seizing and killing a dangerous dog either... sigh. In any case, HRM never managed to convince a judge to issue a kill order outright.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So forgive me if I appear indiscreet here, but I could not help noticing these key conditions had apparently vanished, replaced by just one - that I never get Brindi back. Could there be any doubt that a. HRM was never truly concerned about Brindi vis a vis public safety, any more than it was concerned about any other dog; and b. the whole enterprise had little if anything to do with Brindi, but everything about me, i.e., punishing me?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There, I said it. Extra punishment because I had dared to ask them to please not kill my dog; because when they refused to let her be assessed, I had to get a court order; they forced me into court even after the positive results and blocked them from the judge; he (predictably) quashed the operative part of the law; and they don't like when that happens, so they refused to return her; and the rest is history. Back to our story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ms. Salsman sent my family member a reply right on time one week later. "The long and the short of it," she wrote, startling me with a friendly tone I guess she evidently reserves for colleagues, is that allowing him to adopt Brindi would be "too complicated". ? All you need to get a dog across the border is a recent health certificate. (And Brindi was so well-behaved, the last time we did this, they didn't ask for papers. They even let me take her inside while they processed my papers!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She then added the startling information that the city had vetted a family who wanted to adopt Brindi.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">WOW. WOW. WOW. WOW. !!!!! A 180 degree about face in HRM’s position. But she hadn't mentioned any family in the initial conversation. Hard to imagine one showed up and was vetted in just four weekdays. So it was rather suspicious right off the bat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Let's review. HRM was adamant about putting her down for eight years and it had ignored the SPCA’s views and five positive behavioural assessments. Though HRM had no evidence or expert opinion to contest these things, in 2010 she was deaf to my offers of guilty pleas in exchange for adoption, insisting she could get a judge to put her down. (For some reason people don't believe me on this and insist on blaming me for the years Brindi's been locked up. They're welcome to see the memos, I have nothing to hide!) Even after the 2012 ruling Ms. Salsman declined to state one way or the other what HRM would do with Brindi which is the reason I have been appealing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The next thing that was unnervingly suspicious was a caveat that the family wished to remain anonymous (even to me), due to the "notoriety of the case". Hmmm. Once again, no mention of muzzling, etc. etc.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Months passed. No further word on the family or any deal. I had to reschedule the appeal - my health is not good, I was trying desperately to find counsel, working to pay bills, and also wearing myself out painting windows in the hopes I'd get them in before winter. I am falling behind and it was not until last week, I asked Ms. Salsman for "continuous disclosure" of a list of various items, including info on Brindi’s state of health which HRM has withheld for three years, and any info relating to adoption offers HRM had considered. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Her answer came back in the shape of a very formal legal argument asserting such things are not relevant to the appeal, supported by case law about “adducing fresh evidence” and structured legal arguments that a motion before the court asking for this information would fail.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So...? I am just as confused as anybody. After all, the deal was contingent on my agreement to drop the appeal, so concealing info from me was pointless. All I know is she essentially confirmed one thing: that she had told my kind cousin a big fat lie. Simple logic says there could not have been a "family"; there wasn't one before the call, and there is not one now, or she'd say so.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My head continues to spin around at the unavoidable and ugly reality of this lie. Wiser friends, with less enfeebled brains, keep asking the unwelcome yet pertinent question: is Brindi even alive? I don't know, I avoid thinking about it. HRM won't tell me, and I can't get a judge to make them. I have to think she is, though I'm sure she isn't well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Even so... if she is alive, <i>would HRM really refuse my cousin's offer just because it can?? Would it keep paying to keep her caged 23 hours a day rather than cut its legal and pound costs and be done with it, just to keep torturing me? </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Such questions demand italics because even after all my experiences with this place, I still find it all impossible to absorb. This year's maneuver is beyond the beyond the pale. I am a cancer patient. I am broke. They have no reason to do this. It still shocks me and sends my brain into tremors. Even though rationally speaking, it shouldn't surprise me, it still does, it gets right into the heart and shatters it all over again. Not after her rebuttal to my exasperated explanation to a Supreme Court justice that there had never been a reason to take up the court's time in the first place. Trying not to forget anything, I listed how at every juncture, I'd offered reasonable alternatives, and HRM said no. Her answer still gets to me like nothing else, it's over a year old, but forever seared into my brain, and it still cuts deep: "Even if what she says were true," she said, "why should we abandon our position?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Really, why? How about, it has zero merit, could that be a reason?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So what happens if Brindi is dead? If I don't succeed with this appeal, I will never even know for certain.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I do know there is no "if" about one thing: what is happening to me, and by extension Brindi, is nothing short of psychological warfare waged on the municipal level. A city. Where, as an architect and scholar of modern architecture and urban planning history I had always felt safe from harm.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sad to say, the -sad- ugly truth of the matter is that this lie, secret or not, seems all too consistent with HRM’s previous tactics - and by far the cruelest. I will never understand why.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I just want to be able to resume living my life. I do not want to be in court against anyone. I treasured my privacy and my area. I had just begun to lay down a tiny, long-awaited stakehold. I chose my part of HRM carefully and prudently, a small heritage cottage in need of major repairs. Next door is a spacious waterfront park with two ballfields, a clubhouse, and a trail. People often use it to exercise their dogs, as I do. It is on land a family of the community had donated - the Smith family. It was their home, and the home for many years of the local Canada Post. Half my kitchen was once part of the postal system in fact. Now it's waiting to be anchored into the garage below and joined by a second-story deck.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With approval from the Heritage Advisory Board, the two-car garage below was being built in natural stone-clad concrete to my HRM-permitted design, to include an engineered retaining wall angled 90 degrees to create a front terrace. It creates a solid base for the home without disturbing its original siting, other than raising it one stair riser. A sloped path leads from the driveway back up to the deck above. Another narrow deck connects through French doors to the living room. Landscaping included a new driveway with large turnaround, all properly drained toward the southwestern pond basin, a level lower yard for growing food and herbs. And space for a future windmill, with power-generating solar panels as well, and a ducted heat pump system for A/C. New roof, new windows, new laundry area and big room in the basement.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sigh.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Nobody ever asks me about these things. They're much more interesting than you'd think. And they just might convince people that I take things seriously all right, some might say too seriously. </span><br />
<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-83887309718114820702015-11-28T23:30:00.000-04:002015-12-02T16:01:40.544-04:00HRM Animal By-law A-700 shocker! New money-maker for Halifax preserves A-300's biggest flaws[Update: Overnight, a Change.org petition appeared: <a href="https://www.change.org/p/halifax-mayor-mike-savage-fix-the-hrm-animal-control-a-700-bylaw-that-was-implemented-without-consulting-public?recruiter=485840&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink" target="_blank">Mayor Savage Fix the Animal Control By-law A-700</a>. Please sign and share!]<br />
<br />
<h3>
<i>Reading A-700 gives me the distinct impression that HRM Council feels I got off lightly. And yet </i><i>even though </i><i>HRM has struck out three times in its bid to kill her, </i><i>Brindi is still</i><i> locked up after seven years</i><i>. There is nothing light about that.</i></h3>
<br />
Timing is everything... and everything about the timing of the release of the "new" <a href="http://www.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/151020ca1115.pdf" target="_blank">By-Law A-700 </a>for the Halifax Regional Municipality (I'll never comprehend how a municipality can be regional) is simply nuts. And that's just the beginning!<br />
<br />
<b>I have not blogged for months. </b>There are a lot of important reasons; they all add up to what I call flatlining. But I can't talk about that now. I have to talk about this. I am trying very hard to meet a court deadline, resuming with reluctance this very difficult task, after trying very hard to find representation - coming close but no cigar. Having to turn away offers of work as this deadline approaches doesn't make it any easier. Neither does having my head explode more than once in the past four weeks by things that just never happen but somehow did to me. Things best left unsaid, for now.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Now I am just speechless - A-700???</i></b> I am trying to overcome all manner of obstacles - financial, physical, emotional, spiritual, you name it, to appeal charges under A-300 and the horrible sentence under the little-known "additional penalty" clause tucked into the voluminous HRM Charter, and suddenly this A-700 drops from the sky. It should be called "A-007 Skyfall"! The HRM "Regional" Council voted on it a month ago, and whisked it into effect so fast this weekend, I never even heard it was thinking of it. Even a friend who reads the paper every day missed it. Maybe they wanted to avoid the long years of Council debates before A-300 went into effect?<br />
<br />
Still, I would have thought Council would want to make sure it heard from the public first, especially since it had to change A-300 right away when folks went ballistic over the cat licenses. Apparently everybody missed the fact that A-300 contained sections that violate Charter rights, one of which I had to go to court about when it seized Brindi so wrongly and, it turned out, unlawfully<i>.</i><br />
<br />
Council sort of lost the trust of a lot of people after that too. It sure lost mine. Words cannot express the magnitude of the consequences of the way Animal Services treated me and my dog since 2008 - no end of drastic financial and material loss it's caused me, with years of lost income, the extreme and sustained emotional distress of separation and worry about Brindi, not to mention the effects on my professional and personal reputation - with social shunning as well as outright attack from stalkers, cyberstalkers, and cyberbullying from total strangers.<br />
<br />
However, reading A-700 gives me the distinct impression that HRM Council feels I got off lightly.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>This is what makes it so difficult to even read the thing. From the start, I never imagined it would be necessary to go to court, once the city completed its investigation, which the decision found it had not done: it failed to interview me or an eyewitness at the scene. And then when a judge quashed the order to destroy as well as part of the law that authorized it, I was crushed even more to when HRM immediately refused to return Brindi - and astonished when Kishan Persaud's fax only gave the reason that HRM thought she was dangerous. First, the assessment after five months of isolation had shown she isn't, by any standard; second, on issuing a muzzle order the AC officer stated explicitly he did not deem Brindi dangerous; and finally, the law doesn't appear to authorize HRM to lock up all dogs on the strength of the definition dangerous alone. They hadn't even charged me with any offences and apparently didn't plan to until they lost in court, for a second shot at a lawful order to destroy.<br />
<br />
Plus, for years afterwards, HRM neglected to delete the offending clause from the law published online, raising concerns with regard to its assurances that the law would be amended. <a href="http://freebrindi.blogspot.com/2015/11/looking-back.html" target="_blank">Up to two days ago, in fact, A-300 still contained the one section that Justice Beveridge quashed in 2009 along with HRM's own Order to Destroy.</a> Six years on, every version I found online, including the link on the Animal Services webpage, still contained the notorious section 8(2)(d), which allowed animal control officers to seize and destroy a dog they had "reason to believe" was dangerous.<br />
It's uncanny that no more than 48 hours before A-700 appeared, I wondered to myself whether HRM was in contempt for of court for failing to remove section 8(2)(d) from A-300. !!!<br />
<br />
I also would have expected Council to consult some trainers and vets first, so the law could be updated to be on a par with current canine science, not to mention study the better dog by-laws around that are.<br />
<br />
OK. So now, I only have time to set out my initial reactions to A-700.<br />
<br />
Well... it is MUCH longer than A-300, a lot of focus on money, apparently.<br />
Way too much! <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
...Does NOT improve the definition of "dangerous" - it STILL makes no distinction between attacks on human and attacks on animals, for instance; so it appears to continue to fail to provide proper guidance for judges asked to put down a dog under s. 195. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
....Does not resolve flaws in key terms: eliminates “appears to threaten" from the definition of "attack", a word crucial to the definition of "dangerous" - all dogs that attack are "dangerous",</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="text-indent: -24px;">2.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; text-indent: -24px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -24px;">(c) “attack” means to injure, bite, or threaten;</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>but it still contains "threaten"</b>, which is vague as heck and just plain absurd; a significant percentage of people think all dogs are threatening, especially if they bark. Is a barking dog dangerous? If so, I could report a lot of attacks and I'm sure others could too. This is unfair on its face and more than likely to be applied unfairly. Smaller dogs arguably nip kids at least as often, and bark probably more often and longer than medium and large dogs, so it's a safe bet their owners need not worry. Not to mention, five minutes??<br />
<br />
And by the way: under s. 195 of the HRM Charter, n<b>othing restricts HRM from asking a judge to order a dog that barks a lot be destroyed.</b> Or "otherwise dealt with". <b>Even a dog that "runs at large" or whose owner failed to license it can be put down using s. 195.</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>If you think this will never happen, think again: back in 2002, in a case of Lawrencetown dog that got loose a few times (the paper cites 13 reports but that doesn't mean 13 times getting loose - also, Lawren</i><i>cetown? Houses are very far apart), rather than practical solutions, like ordering the owner, a single mom, to install a fence or maybe a self-closing screen door, so her kids didn't accidentally let it out, Judge Flora Buchan decided to give the dog to the SPCA to adopt it out. Presumably: she didn't require the SPCA to report back to her, and, being labeled an "escape artist" or the like, its chances were pretty low. Back then, the SPCA killed a LOT of healthy dogs. Great way to both needlessly cause an animal's death and traumatize the children who loved it</i>. </blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
...."<b>injure</b>" still makes no distinction between a minor scratch or a ripped-open belly; </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
...."<b>bite</b>" fails to differentiate severity - bites involving tearing or punctures are the same as those that leave no marks at all. Once again, no real guidance for judges in life-or-death decisions; way too much leeway for animal control officers. !!!<br />
<br />
...Still lacks provision for appealing anything - the imposition of a muzzle order, the designation of dangerous (can't wait till that comes up), the order to microchip, whatever - without having to hire a lawyer. Oops, preserves the previous Charter violations for procedural fairness and also appears to give animal control officers more powers than a judge (whose decisions can be appealed).</div>
<div style="margin: 0.1pt 0cm 0.1pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
...Does NOT consolidate or synchronize with the HRM charter sections labeled "Dog By-laws", s.194-197, though it mentions there are dog sections in the charter generally.<br />
<br />
...Reduces the amount of time a dog must bark before a person can file a complaint from 20 minutes to five minutes - and the offence of owning a dog that disturbs the peace or whatever, only requires that one person living nearby give "evidence" (nothing more than their say-so)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
...Jacks up the cost of fines and fees and provides for "lifetime" licenses - clearly a vast amount of energy went into this instead of fixing other parts that make the law unenforceable, including the new provisions.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
...Jacks up the fines, but I don't care how right now... oh wait, no, that Schedule 2 is OFF THE CHARTS! Especially since we've found that the fines vary considerably with no rhyme or reason and it appears A-700 fails to remedy this inconsistency.<br />
<br />
....Sets a maximum fine of $5000????? But lacks any hint of what guides HRM and in turn a judge to set the actual extra amount. Arbitrariness already built into the law is preserved.<br />
<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">This section is just twisting my melon. </i>For a law that is unenforceable due to the overreaching, overbroad definition of "dangerous", it comes down pretty damn hard on dangerous dogs.<br />
[update: found an <a href="http://www.halifax.ca/council/agendasc/documents/151110ca92pres.pdf" target="_blank">HRM brochure</a> that highlights the changes]<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8FTKYwCZ9pTdffgn4OmVCSldDLI26FXnXzx33qStLUPzAGLJ78K5uqoirbTZ5SO8N9LPOGDXJRjtDMSDzOoo_ZFziKH5xOJTZkk5qfz0R-ozNHRz2eYJ52kBzsLmCzGv1SSKj8dhV6U/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-11-29+at+3.00.02+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8FTKYwCZ9pTdffgn4OmVCSldDLI26FXnXzx33qStLUPzAGLJ78K5uqoirbTZ5SO8N9LPOGDXJRjtDMSDzOoo_ZFziKH5xOJTZkk5qfz0R-ozNHRz2eYJ52kBzsLmCzGv1SSKj8dhV6U/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-11-29+at+3.00.02+AM.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
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<br />
Oh my God, reading down the list, I can think of so many inconsistencies and conflicts from chart to law and orders - the various "failing to" sections here don't quite square with the current muzzle order form wording (unless that gets changed?), possibly not even with the offences and requirements in the body of the law. The parts just do not hang together as a coherent whole. <i>How can it be applied, if any dog that attacks is dangerous, and dangerous dogs are required to be restrained inside buildings?</i> <i>Does a dog have to be leashed and muzzled in its owner's home? </i><br />
<br />
This is really a big fat mess. I'm afraid judges are going to use this fee schedule instead of the actual statute for guidance on how to make orders for dogs, since it seems to imply provisions not stated in the law elsewhere. The irony - and by irony I mean tragedy - is that I have no doubt that items under 13 were likely written with my poor Brindi in mind, especially the mention of a motor vehicle. Huh.<br />
<br />
<b>The very sad thing for me, and something that ought to at least annoy taxpayers and worry other dog owners, is that HRM spent seven years and easily a hundred thousand dollars (several lawyers anyhow) trying to kill Brindi. </b>But while it's done a great job of smearing the hell out of me, and it's put unproven statements ahead of concrete evidence and court testimony trying to paint the worst picture possible, <b>it's been unable to convince a judge to issue order to destroy her. </b>They did their best, the lawyers. They keep bringing up stuff that happened as far back as 2007 and embellish it as much as possible. Helps them get judges to jump on the beat-up-Francesca bandwagon, but hardly substitutes for proof of serious harm or a pattern of escalation that could reasonably justify an order to destroy a dog - let alone override a positive consensus established by five professional behaviour assessments. Not even a single trainer or vet sides with HRM. They've had three times at bat and struck out - the last time, 2012, the judge balked on the Order. But, after concluding, in unusually moralistic language for a dog case, that Brindi was "not beyond redemption", she refused to return her to me, as I was "remorseful but not repentant" (whatever that means), or even order her outright to be adopted. Instead, she turned Brindi over to HRM to decide - even though she knew very well HRM <i>had already decided</i> <i>on death in 2008.</i><br />
<br />
This ought to make some people uncomfortable, especially people who, like me, are newcomers to HRM, are on their own, like single women, and thus more likely to be the subject of a call to HRM. Sorry not sorry: I did track all dog by-law prosecutions from 2010-2012 and I have yet to see a man's dog (or a man whose wife is the owner, but appears in court for her) be seized and ordered killed, or even muzzled in many cases. Or anybody with a Dr. in front of their name, even when their dogs inflict life-threatening injuries on other dogs or savagely bite a person. Not naming names, just sayin'!<br />
<br />
<b>And HRM doesn't apply its own rules consistently. </b>It never registered her as dangerous, not even when a judge recommended it in 2010 - although I don't know why she didn't make it part of her ruling, under "otherwise dealt with", s. 177 (the current s. 195). She seemed to think the law only allowed animal control officers to do it - which makes no sense at all, especially since again, the by-law makes no provision for appeal.<br />
<br />
Can't help saying as well - shouldn't HRM be fining itself a whole lot of money, both under A-300 in the past, and under A-700 going forward? I mean, I have proof they did not muzzle Brindi at the SPCA, even around a baby? The muzzle order applies to anybody with care and control of the dog in question. I am pretty darn sure they haven't been muzzling Brindi at Wyndenfog for the past five years. All the court conditions ought to apply - and they include <i>specialized</i> training - not just basic obedience commands; she's past that anyhow.<br />
<br />
My poor baby. God in heaven, my poor baby!<br />
<br />
And anybody who thinks the 2012 court ruling "giving" Brindi to the city - which I am appealing once my brain gels again after this - ended in a judge ordering HRM to adopt her is woefully misinformed. I suggest such folks who don't believe me dig out the provincial court decision by Judge Flora Buchan and read it very carefully. So really, all the fuss above is very misplaced.<br />
<br />
<i>Moving on... Holy Mother of God protect us...</i><br />
<br />
...Does not fix the language of "running at large". I don't even want to give away that one; let's see which of you out there gets it.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
...Also... for some reason still talks about a "shelter" and a "shelter keeper" instead of "pound" and "pound keeper". I am not comfortable with the idea that a <i>shelter</i> is also a <i>pound</i> and vice-versa. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Let's be real: if the owner of this facility is empowered by law - now A-700 - to kill </i>stray<i> dogs he or she deems dangerous, and the owner also carries out court orders to kill a healthy dog deemed - well, </i>deemed to be killed by a judge (<i>on what basis, who knows? "Dangerous" is an unusable standard, all things being equal, since under the same law, dogs that attack are one of six ways to be dangerous, thus, if consistently applied, </i>every conviction of "owning a dog that attacks" must lead to death of the dog*), t<i>hen Homeward Bound CityPound ain't exactly a shelter, let alone a "no-kill shelter".</i></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wow. Just wow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<b>Finally, A-700 has done nothing to remediate the number one problem in dog by-law enforcement in my view: the indefinite impoundment of dogs</b>. Just some dogs, and there's no rhyme or reason how they decide which. Still. Frankly, <span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px;">I do not see how HRM is allowed to impound a dog BEFORE and charges are laid and a proceeding is scheduled, let alone after arraignment. I raised this years ago when they held Brindi for two-years at the SPCA's 30-day facility (and she became chronically ill). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px;">For all my efforts,</span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"> in 2010, HRM, failing to see the forest for the trees, didn't understand that it's just wrong to impound a dog for over 30 days, regardless of where. Most kennels refuse to board dogs any longer than that, and for good reason! But instead of changing the law (and warrant) by limiting impoundment to 30 days, and adding corresponding provisions for hearings before the court or some tribune, HRM </span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">just took the pound - oops, <i>shelter</i> - contract away from the SPCA and awarded it to Hope Swinimer, because she showed up with a subcontract at Wyndenfog Kennel. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">Not all dogs alleged to have attacked are seized and held </span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">until a judge finds their owners guilty of an offence and then agree to issue an Order to Destroy or have the dog "otherwise dealt with". </span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">T</span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">rials here take months and months and even years to finish! <b>As a result, a lot of dogs have been held for long periods. </b></span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">And I can't say that HRM only seizes the most aggressive ones either; there are abundant cases to the contrary. But Council seems more interested in the complexities of lifetime licensing fees, for some reason. </span><br />
<br />
The funny thing about the following clause that was under 16 in A-300,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">25. (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) of this section, where there is a <u>proceeding before a Court involving an impounded animal,</u> the Shelter Keeper shall continue to hold and care for the animal, and the animal shall not be sold, adopted out, destroyed or otherwise disposed of <u>until such time as a Court orders otherwise or any Court proceeding related to the animal is concluded</u>.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></blockquote>
is that HRM, which has shied away from it in the past (rightly), now appears to think this wording gives the city the authority to detain dogs indefinitely, pending the outcome of a trial against their owners. But it doesn't quite. One reason is that there are higher laws governing the detention of seized property in order to protect rights - like the Canada Criminal Code, which overrides municipal by-laws, as it should.<br />
<br />
<b>So, like A-300, s. 25 of A-700 seems to imply UNLIMITED impoundment is possible </b>- or impoundment till death, since the length of a court proceeding can be anything from two months to two or three years. On the other hand, nothing in s. 25 prevents a judge from ordering a dog's release anytime after seizure, does it?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <u style="font-family: Arial;">until such time as a Court orders otherwise <i>or</i> any Court proceeding related to the animal is concluded</u><span style="font-family: "arial";">.</span></span></blockquote>
Seems to me then that a person ought to be able to ask a judge to let their dog go home, but try telling that to a supreme court judge without making them skittish and mutter about dangerous dog hearings - which don't exist in HRM; I only wish they did. So way to go, HRM Council, leaving intact a big fat knotty problem that has been the ruin of my existence and eaten up most of my dog's lifespan. How can they not understand this?<br />
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<b>And am I the only one to notice </b>that as in A-300 s. 16, nothing in s. 25 or the rest of A-700 appears to allow HRM to seize and hold a dog BEFORE charges are laid <i>and</i> a proceeding is scheduled on arraignment. Which reminds me, I notice some people seem to get tickets instead of a court summons – no mention of tickets in the by-law though, let alone what determines which one you get.</div>
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Furthermore, at the same time, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nothing</i> in s. 25 prohibits a Court from ordering an impounded dog to be returned to its owner or fostered pending the outcome of the proceeding. That “nothing” includes a prosecutory declaration of intention to seek order to destroy. But judges are really confused when you ask them to do this - and who can blame them? - so they tend to balk. The law is a convoluted mess, and now it's even worse. </div>
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<b>Other thoughts. </b></div>
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<b>The warrants to seize are a problem as well, for several reasons.</b> I assume HRM will have to update them to reflect the new law. But I doubt Council will fix the rest of the warrants - and Animal Services and municipal prosecutors alike seem to like things just the way they are: </div>
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<b>How are they a problem? </b>Well, unlike warrants in as wild a place as Texas, HRM warrants<br />
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- <b>make NO mention an alleged incident or offence occurred that triggered the seizure and will be the subject of a proceeding that will result in a determination re the dog - or when that proceeding must happen; and, they</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
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- <b>place NO limit on the length of time the impounded dog can be held, or even authorize the pound to hold the dog for any length of time..</b> Just not there, sorry! So the authority the warrant grants animal control literally ends once the dog is seized and turned over to the pound keeper. You might argue that authority to hold the dog after that is implicitly bestowed, but that's really not good enough when it comes to seizing private property that happens to be a living being typically very highly valued by the owner.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>AND, the principal authority the warrant does grant is completely out of touch with the rest of the by-laws: </b>it authorizes an animal control officer to seize a dog if he or she has “reason to believe a person is harbouring a dangerous dog”. <b>However, harbouring a dangerous dog is in and of itself NOT an offence under A-300 and it isn't under A-700 either. So why do JP's issue them in the first place? Good question!!! </b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Also, if the owner has been convicted of owning a dog that attacks in the past, the dog is by definition dangerous. <b>So how can a JP issue the same warrant when the animal control officer already knows the dog to be dangerous under the law? </b>It's just nonsense! </div>
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<br /></div>
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This makes it all the more - well, "egregious" in legalese, or just wrong in plain talk, that, as I mentioned, the warrant wording only says the dog can be seized and delivered to the pound/shelter keeper. <b>It does not go further to authorize the pound keeper to keep the dog after that, let alone for how long.</b> I can't remember if the current warrants even mention s. 16 (or the new s. 25); I don't think so, only the HRM Charter section 194.<br />
<br />
<b>There just seems to be rather large holes in the legislation on pretty major points. </b><br />
In my experience, the lawyers who work for HRM don't seem to disagree, either: they've certainly show this by going to extremes to prevent a judge from taking a look - everything from an <i>ex parte </i>motion to full-scale unlawful eviction followed by a totally unlawful "conditional" demolition order offending HRM's own laws as well as the Charter...<b> So it seems to me the HRM lawyers are fine leaving things the way they are. </b><br />
<br />
My good heavens. I am sorry but this is not helping my PTSD at all. <b>How am I going to go back to the appeal knowing that matters have now gotten worse before the court had a chance to make them at least little bit better?? </b><br />
<b><br />People of the Eastern Shore... looks like maybe it's time to secede from HRM.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
*And yes, it's true: I have been waiting for years for people to finally grasp that A-300 could not be enforced as written. How depressing is it that they passed a whole new law that enshrined the same damn conundrums?? <b>The upshot being that just like A-300, there is absolutely no reason to believe A-700 can do the job it's meant to do.</b> I am at a loss to explain how members of Council don't see this.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-15033980847665429322015-11-28T23:18:00.000-04:002015-11-30T22:22:48.110-04:00Looking Back<b><br /></b>
<b>When HRM seized Brindi intending to put her down in 2008 under very murky circumstances, it forced me into court twice, right off the bat</b>: first, to suspend the date they picked out to kill her, because they didn't provide any form of appeal, and second, because they refused to reconsider their decision, would not meet with me or my local councillor, would not read letters from everybody from next-door neighbours with infants to kennel owners, groomers, and even the Canadian Post letter carrier. So the first filing was about wrongful seizure - and it would easily have taken a year to resolve.<br />
<br />
<b>Then, when HRM not only refused to meet with me and then refused to allow Brindi to be assessed, I had no choice but to file another application on the law itself</b> - because even a former junior high student council president like me could tell it was unconstitutional. Not to mention, the Animal (Dis)Services people were delighting in having found their first victim - a docile rescue dog that didn't scare them in the least.<br />
<br />
<b>And, I never imagined the city would allow the matter to actually go to court! I</b> thought, surely they'd want to avoid that embarrassment, and would rather discuss returning Brindi with me in exchange for four actions on my part - paying fines - once they charged me with something, as they'd leapt from a mild warning to drastic action; installing a dog run attached to the back door to prevent escapes, which I did while waiting; complying with a muzzle order, another drastic action that violated the same rights; I'd hoped to appeal it, but discovered there was no way to do it; and lastly, do specialized training with Brindi on her reactions to certain dogs approaching the property.<br />
<br />
Boy was I wrong! The team of lawyers running city hall is pretty confident of themselves. And they are really sore losers. "Why should we abandon our position?" is their mantra.<br />
<br />
But still! S<b>ections that violate basic rights jump right out at you, </b>if you have any understanding of your rights, that is - like the right to be heard and the right of appeal on any decision affecting you or your property. There were about four sections that were equally unconstitutional; in fact I'd actually asked the lawyer I hired to get Brindi back to include them all. Would have been easy, using the same brief, he blurted out by accident a few weeks too late. The look on my face must have been the reason he backed slowly out of the room.<br />
<br />
Anyhow, I so wished he had done the job I paid him for, because, while section 8(2)(d) isn't there, it looks like the other right-violating sections were transplanted to A-700.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-2030864275824213382015-11-25T18:10:00.000-04:002015-12-03T02:01:24.151-04:00SEVEN YEARS ONE MONTH 25 DAYS<b><i style="background-color: #fce5cd;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">How long has Brindi been locked up?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span></i></b><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />From Friday, Sept. 24, 2010 to Sunday, November 22, 2015<br />
Result: 1885 days, or 5 years, 1 month, 29 days<br />
<br />
Added to the previous two-year stint, from and including: </span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thursday, July 24, 2008, to Friday, July 9, 2010<br />
Result: 716 days, or 1 year, 11 months, 16 days<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: orange;"><b>A grand total of 2601 days - or, 7 years, 1 month, 25 days. </b> </span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">She was four when they took her, now she's... oh, you do the math.</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5ggnCmRrieepLDpmIRG0swuCkPLfO1nNpaCzFXSWgxV6LsmO8ab_nHpxOTIIdHwjMa7W1dmosQ0BrvDzazuPn4oGLh3EICOCEKsmRK6yTHKsdjDUBaLvAu5PmbMSncu2QFs-IeU6C-o/s1600/12274540_10153623459831265_415305104642374181_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5ggnCmRrieepLDpmIRG0swuCkPLfO1nNpaCzFXSWgxV6LsmO8ab_nHpxOTIIdHwjMa7W1dmosQ0BrvDzazuPn4oGLh3EICOCEKsmRK6yTHKsdjDUBaLvAu5PmbMSncu2QFs-IeU6C-o/s400/12274540_10153623459831265_415305104642374181_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Brindi at East Chezzetcook's Long Beach, soon after adoption in summer 2007.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;">Teeth whiter than white, vibrant and healthy at age 4 after two years in a no-kill shelter.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">And to think how in </span>those first July days of unbearable pain, shock, terror, agony at the unthinkable prospect of her spending a week or weeks in that SPCA "shelter". The minute they drove off, immune to my please, it felt like they'd gutted me from top to bottom. Lost ten pounds in seven days, could not eat, sleep, think. Seven years later physically gutted thanks to ovarian cancer... could never even finish restoring my gutted house.</i></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i>Stay numb. Don't think. Just meet those deadlines... I can't do this.</i></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span> <span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">All for a short-lived mishap in which she ran towards the front yard to check out a possible intruder - a man I never saw before in this tiny community. Started kicking her as soon as she came within reach while he let his dog run off - the dogs never even touched. Stalked off before I could finish a sentence. Had no idea he'd even called HRM until five days later when two men came into my house without a word, then brandished a warrant and took her while I tried in vain to call a lawyer. The man had said he wasn't planning to report it, but then his mom told him some rumours - harmless scuffles became savage attacks. And yet he had to add how surprised he was that</span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> she didn't even snap at him when he kicked her head and stomach over and over, as I begged him to stop.</span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span> <br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">HRM's Animal Services people must have thought, "Hey, perfect candidate to try out our brand new by-law, A-300, let's us seize & kill at will!" They went </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">one step further by not bothering to get my side of the story, let alone talk to a true eyewitness... So no proper investigation. And they'd already s</span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">et it up by issuing a muzzle order for Brindi - exploiting a dog owner's request not to fine me for a similar scuffle a month earlier, because I was nice enough to offer to cover a vet to check it over and she promptly ran up a bill of $143, covering a full check-up and a second visit. I'd forgotten all about what happened weeks before that, when she and her dog passed on the road and her dog began lunging and barking uncontrollably. Brindi remained a perfect lady, sitting obediently at my feet. She was, is, such a good dog, so loving, so eager to please, and after a year of diligent training, pretty darn reliable off-leash. But dog's don't forget: provocation then, provocation later, when she saw that pair coming towards our house. </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4PiZQQ0T-U_X1jwG0EPgssBeZZewD2TzzR_5TyNxuusQP98nqCEwCA150hpLCUS6TMsuX9kwZ4yXTqsSx31fA4eqjqpBuq1it_n1ktqI1yR3fuqKCIsDDs5gOcBWiKwlrxOUsfIUVfg/s1600/last+vet+photos+June+2012+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4PiZQQ0T-U_X1jwG0EPgssBeZZewD2TzzR_5TyNxuusQP98nqCEwCA150hpLCUS6TMsuX9kwZ4yXTqsSx31fA4eqjqpBuq1it_n1ktqI1yR3fuqKCIsDDs5gOcBWiKwlrxOUsfIUVfg/s400/last+vet+photos+June+2012+cropped.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Last photo of Brindi I have, taken by a vet tech in 2012, age 9.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">After just 6 months in the pound, her teeth and gums were </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">already rotting, chronic pancreatitis setting in. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The minute a judge turned over Brindi and her fate to </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">the city in 2012, the prosecutor cut off the </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">bi-monthly</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">v</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">isits - which I'd paid </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">for, totalling $2000 - </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">glibly </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">remarking</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">, "Brindi's not sick. She doesn't need to see the vet."</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">To point out such things did nothing but allow the city lawyers to chant, "See, your Lordship, proof Ms. Rogier still doesn't take it seriously! <i>She's u</i></span><i style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">nwilling and unable to comply!</i><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #141823; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Sigh. H</span></span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">RM's lawyers are good, all right. Good at twisting words and truth, at recasting simple scuffles as near fatalities!</span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> Of course they have help, like the unfriendly lady across the street. Out here, most folks wave at every passing car; this one hadn't once said hi since I'd moved. Much later, under oath, she did admit she hadn't actually seen anything. But thanks to her, the official docs still say Java "yelped" while Brindi was "on her back" and the man </span><i style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">had</i><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> to kick her in order to pry her off. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Not what he, I, or that eyewitness, or even that judge said - but why let the facts get in the way of victory?? They've embellished and twisted everything - nearly tripling the vet bill to $363 (and it's in evidence!). They even got the judge to mistakenly assume I took her to obedience class "due to behavioural problems". In reality, I'd taught her the basics in a few weeks; we took the class simply to advance - to make her the best dog she could be so we could go anywhere, do anything, like my dearly departed Howard and me. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When I called that woman asking for help after the city took Brindi again, she refused, and told me "Why don't you just go get another dog at the shelter?" Seems that's what she did - at least, I never saw her dog again.</span><br />
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</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-39452790928200864382015-05-22T15:30:00.000-03:002015-11-29T04:11:02.980-04:00"The Belly of the Architect": The Big C Pre-Empts Everything from Court to Construction<span style="font-size: small;"> It's been nearly half a year since I posted anything here, and probably for the best, since it's been a pretty hellish time and it's unclear how things will go from here.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">First of all, the winter, which got fully underway by February and peaked with the big blizzard on March 19, was uniquely horrible. Never experienced anything like it in my life. Thick sheets of ice covered the driveway and parts of the lawn from February to late March. Salt was useless. Even now, nearly the end of May, it's still chilly and gray most days. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Along the way, my plumbing went out for a few weeks at a time - and this happened more than once. Just after I got that under control, on March 5 as I brought in the groceries, my feet shot out from under me suddenly. I fell back into open space, my head eventually bouncing off the ice with a loud crack. Concussion, with all the usual earmarks - nausea, headaches, etc. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Then I began noticing that my belly would cramp up a few minutes after tossing a few shovelfuls of snow around - which I did just to clear a little around the car. (Otherwise I was happy to leave it where it was for the most part; this snow was frozen and extremely heavy, not worth breaking your back for).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Sometime in the past four months, well before this news, but in no less of a dark depression, I posted in the Brindi Activists group on Facebook as if in some sort of trance, "One
of us is going to die soon." I can't explain what I was thinking. It didn't come from my brain, it came to it, somehow.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">By late March I had been to the doctors and even the ER a few times with pain and other disquieting symptoms, including a lot more chronic fatigue than I usually have. An ultrasound right after Easter brought the alarming news of a sizable tumor that stunned the doctors as much as it did me. It was followed by a blood test that strongly indicated malignancy. By that time I had done a little research and figured it out myself, albeit it an uncommitted sort of way. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>I have ovarian cancer.</b> Yup, that's me. The fifth leading cause of cancer deaths, it's particularly deadly because unlike breast cancer, it evades early detection. And by now my tumor, which is where my ovaries once were, is about the size of a grapefruit according to the last scan.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">So instead of aiming for the appeal hearing that was to happen June 4, I am about to undergo a full hysterectomy in three days. And after that, a course of chemotherapy. The outlook is usually five years before the cancer comes back again, and let's be honest, it nearly always ends up killing a person.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Thanks to The Big C's arrival, I had to ask for an adjournment of the appeal hearing set for June 4.</b> There was a double whammy of problems: with the intermittent pain and constant fatigue, there was no way I could complete another five sets of massive appeal books (now over 2000 numbered, indexed, and tabbed pages in six bound volumes) plus a new factum (brief) by the April 16 deadlines. Now the surgery makes even showing up on June 4 impossible. <br /><br /> And since I didn't know when I'd be well enough to complete all the paperwork, let alone appear in court, the judge simply set another day, June 24, to revisit the matter and set new deadlines. Fortunately the HRM prosecutor - possibly a first - did not oppose my request, and the judge - also a first - was more than willing to grant it without any of the usual admonitions or remonstrations.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">It's taken weeks to absorb all of this. Friends and family, including </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">my 90+ mother, </span>have been amazing and supporting; a wonderful aunt in the medical profession has been even more amazing and supportive; but somehow I still cannot get a grip on it no matter how hard I try. Not that I've had much time for that, with all that needed to be arranged for a 4-5 day hospital stay and the weeks of recovery at home. It really takes a lot of work, just like when I prepared for a transatlantic commute, but with a lot more worry of course. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Granted, I had two or three cancer scares in the past seven years - but those were for Brindi, whose chronic pancreatitis (a gift from the SPCA) puts her at risk for even more deadly pancreatic cancer. In fact, she could have it at this very moment and I would not know. In 2012, Halifax's lawyers ceased allowing our vet to monitor her blood every month as she had done since 2010. This has not done much to lessen my stress and distress in all this time, I can tell you.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">So if you are one of those who subscribe to the belief that trauma and stress can bring on cancer, well, I wouldn't say you were wrong. With no family history of this kind of cancer (and relatively little cancer at all), it truly came out of left field. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b>
Day after day, people ask me, "How do you know Brindi is still alive?<b>" </b>Not exactly very considerate question to ask somebody in my position, don't you think? And it's not like I haven't posted so many many many time that I don't know, because HRM will not provide concrete medical information or any reliable information. I do not know how to force them to do it because the judges don't seem to agree that it's necessary. So now, quite frankly, I honestly don't know if I will still be alive to finish the onerous but necessary task of completing the whole appeal and getting her home.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">For the same reason, I don't know if I will ever finish my house renovation. And not just because of the immense financial burden it poses, now that I've been drained of the funds set aside for it. I have a slew of other goals that would be nice to accomplish as well - finally finish my PhD, for instance, and get it published in some form. And things of that nature...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>But I could happily scrap everything else and this world to boot, happily, if I could only get Brindi safely home and complete the work on this old heritage house as I planned i</b>t: the whole garage/deck, basement slab, window and door replacement, cladding, roofing, and oh yeah, a heat pump, what a nice thing it would be to have central heating again.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">I never imagined in a million years that either of these tasks would prove so damned difficult. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-21646681525666616792014-12-12T02:19:00.002-04:002014-12-12T21:29:02.050-04:00Merry Christmas, seventh time around: Halifax says no to mediation<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/77075_10151366723606265_53848355_n.jpg?oh=2974ab6bbed962ef78afc9fe8a2b1cd5&oe=550B6F10" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/77075_10151366723606265_53848355_n.jpg?oh=2974ab6bbed962ef78afc9fe8a2b1cd5&oe=550B6F10" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pope Francis did a great thing earlier today - he basically said
dogs go to heaven. Surpringly causing a sensation.
Where else would dogs go?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">It's final. Sadly.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">HRM will not agree to enter into mediation with me in order to resolve Brindi's case sooner rather than later - in other words, before she dies in the kennel.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I put the offer of mediation to HRM at the end of October through a local lawyer who was willing to represent me for that purpose pro bono. This was </span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">not too long after I filed notice of a second appeal.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I didn't know mediation was even possible until them. I just happened to notice </span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> saw online that the Supreme Court was offering a new, free, court-sponsored mediation program as an alternative to appeals. I found the lawyer's name on a list provided by the court.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Dismayingly consistent with its history of refusing to cooperate in any way, regardless of cost, merit, etc., Halifax said no. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Not before taking a lot of time, however - all the way up to the next deadline for scheduling the appeal, in fact. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Katherine Salsman, the prosecutor, did not answer his letter at first. So after several weeks, during which my frayed nerves frayed themselves again, he sent a second letter. Her reply came a week later, and was puzzling and frustrating - again, true to form. She claimed that the case is not eligible for court-sponsored mediation, because it is a criminal case.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Really. A criminal case. Aside from the fact that everyone knows it is a by-law case, in legalese a "summary offense", I almost wish it had been a criminal case. At least then I would have had the benefit of free counsel all along, through Legal Aid. But Legal Aid was very firm that it was not criminal. So why is she saying this?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Salsman added that the city would not be willing to hire an outside mediator because it would cost too much. This was equally perplexing. By my reckoning, the city has easily topped $100,000 in legal costs since 2008 - hours put in by a series of in-house and outside counsel. I don't think HRM actually pays extra for dog boarding costs, since the pound contract is a lump sum. If they did, however, that would add another huge chunk of change.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Mediation would save both of us a lot of money, and time, if it is successful. If not, it would not have wasted much, not for HRM anyway - the mediator cost would be likely be split. A few hours. It is in HRM's interest to save money and time, right?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Salsman went on to say that she would be glad to consider an offer from me if I cared to present it to her in writing. This is not mediation. This is one party controlling the process, and that party is not me. Both parties have to be willing - because each recognizes the benefits of avoiding costly court proceedings.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This answer left things in limbo for several more weeks. My lawyer replied that he considered this case non-criminal and put the question to HRM again. At the same time, he attempted to get an answer from the court regarding eligibility. He told me HRM really doesn't have a good reason to say no.</span></span><br />
<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/1916827_232207556264_725302_n.jpg?oh=89940c15937d054fe8ddf8cacd7be3ec&oe=550543C3&__gda__=1430498300_77b04b44fd4fdd8d78824ad7f07cea2e" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="fbPhotoImage img" height="200" id="fbPhotoImage" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/1916827_232207556264_725302_n.jpg?oh=89940c15937d054fe8ddf8cacd7be3ec&oe=550543C3&__gda__=1430498300_77b04b44fd4fdd8d78824ad7f07cea2e" width="105" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">On Wednesday, Dec. 10, he received a second reply from HRM: a flat no. I can't quote directly because I have not seen the letter yet.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Another massive disappointment. I have lost nearly three months' time, and face another grueling, expensive task of assembling appeal books and writing a brief that I dread.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And sadly, HRM has once again shown that it has no concern for the merits of a case or a position, let alone the life of an innocent animal.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
</span><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/1916827_232207556264_725302_n.jpg?oh=89940c15937d054fe8ddf8cacd7be3ec&oe=550543C3&__gda__=1430498300_77b04b44fd4fdd8d78824ad7f07cea2e" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">No matter what, it stays true to its motto of "Why should we abandon our position?" voiced in court by Salsman a year ago in October - then, in answer to a litany of the many opportunities HRM has turned down since July 2008 - opportunities to avoid all court proceedings, all the years of locking up Brindi, all the negative PR, and all my agony and stress and material loss. Opportunities that start with Animal Services simply reading &amp; answering letters from me and others, and being willing to meet with me alone or with counsel, to allowing a behavior assessment (instead of refusing access and forcing me to pay for a court order) and accepting my offers of the same conditions a judge put in place two years later, and so on.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I don't think I'm being too brash when I say, it's already clear that this is not about public safety. Never, ever was. It only takes a few facts to show that. What it's about has nothing to do with the interests of residents of Halifax. It is about professional lawyers seeking to score more wins, at all costs. ALL COSTS. Costs they don't pay for themselves.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And unless some miracle occurs, it's a seventh Christmas for Brindi in the pound - er kennel, not much better - and another Christmas we won't be celebrating. How would you feel? </span></span><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-1396983492280417942014-12-04T03:06:00.001-04:002014-12-04T03:06:08.695-04:00Nightmares<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Yg1Jh03LQQ2UnNEHVm6UmyTfGp2ZZcFb2sXv8VaIOdLZ5fS0mj8PQMk1uGaUFziYIwLIrebnBH7z6QoihvgAk50B6CE7LfdXfogGvkkKJi8VofMNXPs5LmelMWBGYFKCfk_anyCWbqg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-12-04+at+3.04.16+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Yg1Jh03LQQ2UnNEHVm6UmyTfGp2ZZcFb2sXv8VaIOdLZ5fS0mj8PQMk1uGaUFziYIwLIrebnBH7z6QoihvgAk50B6CE7LfdXfogGvkkKJi8VofMNXPs5LmelMWBGYFKCfk_anyCWbqg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-12-04+at+3.04.16+AM.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".no.1:3:1:$comment10152485887802544_10152485889417544:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".no.1:3:1:$comment10152485887802544_10152485889417544:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".no.1:3:1:$comment10152485887802544_10152485889417544:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".no.1:3:1:$comment10152485887802544_10152485889417544:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".no.1:3:1:$comment10152485887802544_10152485889417544:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".no.1:3:1:$comment10152485887802544_10152485889417544:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0">This hurts so much to read and even more to look at. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".no.1:3:1:$comment10152485887802544_10152485889417544:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".no.1:3:1:$comment10152485887802544_10152485889417544:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".no.1:3:1:$comment10152485887802544_10152485889417544:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0">After
being locked up in the SPCA's 30-day facility for nearly 2 years, and two months in Homeward Bound's Burnside facility which was even worse, Brindi had
nightmares for over two months. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".no.1:3:1:$comment10152485887802544_10152485889417544:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".no.1:3:1:$comment10152485887802544_10152485889417544:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".no.1:3:1:$comment10152485887802544_10152485889417544:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0">Just when they began to stop, HRM seized her a second time.
And my nightmares and hers began all over again and haven't stopped since.</span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-56979083470568362342014-09-19T04:51:00.002-03:002014-12-12T05:06:43.725-04:00In need of rescue: NS SPCA must man up and do its duty for Brindi, the dog they say they love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnQAUxE4ooAPf4_fB9Mp13g0lgLDkK76HM-oSOPI_60l94Qwqt5bK66xTjEZKQAW3xvSUBUdrP-csKkCB9f5hyjIxk254vkKPpacPDECpLn6RTShIjzHlnhATIgFX5KEth6cdbxZUlfI/s1600/brindi+button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnQAUxE4ooAPf4_fB9Mp13g0lgLDkK76HM-oSOPI_60l94Qwqt5bK66xTjEZKQAW3xvSUBUdrP-csKkCB9f5hyjIxk254vkKPpacPDECpLn6RTShIjzHlnhATIgFX5KEth6cdbxZUlfI/s1600/brindi+button.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"> <i>If you are new to this case, thank you for your interest! For background, pl</i></span><i><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman';">ease see the 2012 <a href="http://www.montrealdogblog.com/12104/brindi/" target="_blank"> </a></span><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><a href="http://www.montrealdogblog.com/12104/brindi/" target="_blank">Montreal Dog Blog</a></span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://www.montrealdogblog.com/12104/brindi/" target="_blank"> interview</a>.</span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman';"> This case differs from most "dangerous dog" cases and may be confusing. But it is important to know</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman';"> for those concerned about </span><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;">animal control laws and enforcement in North America</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman';">, as it </span><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;">lays bare core issues common to animal control cases. Thank you.</span></i><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">A call out to all who care about Brindi: </span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Please help with the effort to persuade the local SPCA to intervene by using its legal authority to protect animal welfare to take her from the control of the city and place her in a safe, healthy home that abides by all court conditions. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Asking the SPCA to intervene is one way the public can help. It has the greatest potential for getting Brindi to safety.</span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Here is how it works. </span></span></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">1. <u>To clarify the current roles of the SPCA and the HRM pound:</u></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Halifax animal control now takes all animals it picks up as strays or seizes under warrant to <a href="http://www.citypound.ca/" target="_blank">Homeward Bound </a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.citypound.ca/" target="_blank">City Pound</a>, a </span>private<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span>company<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> in Burnside Industrial Park, that Halifax contracts to provide "pound services" as of 2010.* That year, Halifax chose not to renew its contract with the Nova Scotia SPCA, who previously provided these services at the Metro Shelter.</span> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">In turn, Homeward Bound pays a private kennel in West Chezzetcook, <a href="http://wyndenfog.com/" target="_blank">Wyndenfog Kennel</a>, to hold dogs Halifax wants detained until their fate is decided - usually until their owners are tried in court. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;">Halifax instructs Homeward Bound and Wyndenfog to confine these dogs from contact with other dogs and to prohibit visits (from their owners, trainers, vets).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;">Brindi has been at Wyndenfog Kennel since 2010. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>
2. <u>This means the SPCA does not </u></b></span></span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"><b><u>participate in HRM animal control in any way and</u></b></span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b><u>is free to enforce the provincial <i><a href="http://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/60th_2nd/3rd_read/b186.htm" target="_blank">Animal Protection Act</a></i> per its statutory duty, and in that effort, take action to protect Brindi’s life right now.</u></b><br />
</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The Act provides full and sole authority to the SPCA to enforce it. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">The SPCA is thus empowered to investigate, lay charges, and obtain a warrant to seize animals.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">For this, it needs “reasonable grounds to believe an animal is in distress”. No further permission or approval is necessary. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">There is veterinary and canine expert opinion on file – already in its possession - providing ample grounds for the SPCA to believe - and know - Brindi is in distress. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>3.</b><b><u> The current status is that the courts found no reason to order Brindi put down, as the city requested. Yet the courts inexplicably gave Halifax ownership of her, leaving her fate entirely in city hands - fully aware that it is determined to kill her.</u> </b></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">An "order to destroy" </span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">was Halifax's purpose in charging me with by-law offences after it seized Brindi. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Now that the court has transferred this power of life and death to Halifax along with ownership, now </span></span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">takes up the court decision from 2012 and says it regards itself as a </span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;">private</span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"> dog owner, and as dogs are property, asserts that it has the right to destroy its property for any - or no - reason.<i> </i></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><i>There is no reason to destroy Brindi. </i></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>
4. </b></span></span><u style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;">Halifax</span></u><u style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;"> cannot proceed with its plan to kill Brindi at this time. This is b</u><u style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;">ecause I filed a Notice of Appea</u><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;"><b style="text-decoration: underline;">l.</b> This is the second appeal, and like all appeals, will take a minimum of several months</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
4. <b><u>However, </u></b></span></span><b style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;"><u>if the SPCA would act NOW, </u></b><b style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"><u>I would gladly drop the appeal. Anything to spare Brindi more time behind bars and keep her safe from being destroyed.</u></b><br />
<ul>
<li><br /></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">If a private person made such statements and caged a dog for six years, the SPCA would not hesitate to apply the law and take possession of Brindi.<b></b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Several individuals, each of whom can provide her a very good home, have sent the city requests to adopt her (I have copies).
</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">By not even replying to these requests, the city of Halifax – which cannot deny that it knows and understands my position - confirms that it intends to kill Brindi. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>
5. <u>T</u></b><u><b>here are ample reasonable grounds for the SPCA to investigate and take possession of Brindi.</b><br />
</u></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It is </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">widely</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> considered </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">unhealthy</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> and risky to kennel any dog more than 30 days. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The kennel conditions are unfit for months, let alone years.
</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">On top of that, the city deliberately deprives her from socialization with other dogs, aware this is contrary to vet and canine expert recommendations.
</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We are talking SIX YEARS for a dog that is has </span><i style="font-size: 11pt;">rarely </i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">shown any aggression, let alone minor aggression; is not classified as a </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">dangerous</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> dog; is not remotely dangerous by any standard. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We need help urgently. The NS SPCA </span><i style="font-size: 11pt;">can </i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">and </span><i style="font-size: 11pt;">must </i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">act without further delay to get Brindi to safety.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><b>No dog should ever have to wait in a cage while the gears of justice slowly grind. </b>Brindi's life is at risk every day: being locked up gave her two chronic conditions that frequently become fatal.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Help me persuade the NS SPCA to accept that the law applies to everyone and every </span></span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold;">organization</span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"><b> - including government officials and contractors. </b>Their action will help all dogs in HRM stay safe from frivolous seizures and spare their owners unending grief. I will work with them to find a good home for Brindi, </span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;">preferably outside of this jurisdiction, so that there is no undue pressure on them.**</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></b></span><b><u><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Time is running out.</span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman';"> We need a hero!!!! </span></u></b><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><u style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>Can you be that person?</b><br />
</u> <br /><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">
My contact info: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">FRANCESCA ROGIER Email: </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: 11pt;"><u><a href="https://www.blogger.com/rogier@eastlink.ca">rogier@eastlink.ca</a><br />
</u></span><br />
<b style="font-size: 11pt;">Nova Scotia SPCA CONTACT info</b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">: </span><br /><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
Website </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: 11pt;"><u><a href="http://spcans.ca/">http://spcans.ca</a><br />
</u></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Facebook: </span></span>https://www.facebook.com/nsspca.pas<br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Email: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Board of Directors: </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: 11pt;"><u><a href="https://www.blogger.com/animals@spcans.ca">animals@spcans.c</a>a </u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Executive Director Elizabeth Murphy: </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"><u><a href="https://www.blogger.com/emurphy@spcans.ca">emurphy@spcans</a> </u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;">Chief Provincial Investigator Dave Ross: </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt;"><u><a href="https://www.blogger.com/dross@spcans.ca">dross@spcans.ca</a></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br />
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman;"><b>Animal Protection Act of Nova Scotia - Bill 186 </b></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman;">CHAPTER 33 OF THE ACTS OF 2008<br />
<span style="color: #0432ff;"><b>An Act to Protect Animals and to Aid Animals that are in Distress<br />
</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Link: <span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/60th_2nd/3rd_read/b186.htm">http://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/60th_2nd/3rd_read/b186.htm</a></u></span> </span><br />
<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">22 A person who owns or is in charge of an animal other than a farm animal shall</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman;">
(a) ensure that the animal has an adequate source of food and water;</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman;">
(b) provide the animal with adequate medical attention when the animal is wounded or ill;</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman;">
(c) provide the animal with reasonable protection from injurious heat or cold;</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman;">
(d) not confine the animal to an enclosure or area with inadequate space, unsanitary conditions, inadequate ventilation or without providing an opportunity for exercise so as to significantly impair the animal's health or well-being.</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
23 (1) Where an inspector finds an animal in distress and the owner or person in charge of the animal<br />
</span></span><br />
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman;">(a) does not immediately take appropriate steps to relieve its distress; or<br />
<br />
(b) is not present or cannot be found promptly,<br />
<br />
the inspector may, subject to this Act, take such action as the inspector considers necessary to relieve the distress including, without restricting the generality of the foregoing,<br />
<br />
(c) taking custody of the animal;<br />
<br />
(d) arranging for any necessary transportation, food, water, care, shelter and medical treatment, or any one or more of them;<br />
<br />
(e) delivering the animal into the custody of the Society, the Minister or a suitable caretaker.</span> </span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: x-small;">...</span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">23 </span></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(4) Where an inspector has r<b>easonable and probable grounds for believing that an animal is in distress </b>in or upon any premises other than a private dwelling place the inspector may, with or without a warrant, and by force, if necessary, enter the premises and search for the animal and exercise the powers conferred on the inspector by this Section with respect to any animal in distress found therein.</span><br />
</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><b>To be clear,</b> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;">I am not </span><span style="font-size: 15px;"><b>saying adoption is the </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">right</i><b> outcome.</b> Not at all.</span></span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 15px;">I cannot comprehend the appeal decision.<b> </b>The trial was error-laden and frankly a miscarriage of justice. Both were needless, as was every court proceeding related to Brindi, and every day she spent and spends behind bars. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman';"><a href="http://supportbrindi.blogspot.ca/2010/03/letter-to-editor-what-about-owners.html" style="font-size: 15px;" target="_blank"><b>No one is perfect.</b> </a></span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;">People make mistakes</span><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">. And every</span></span><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> owner will be just as vulnerable to making mistakes as I was. </span></span><br />
<b style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;">Brindi did nothing to deserve such drastic action by HRM - </b><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 15px;">to be muzzled, seized, locked up, and killed. She had a few scrapes with a </span><i style="font-size: 15px;">few</i><span style="font-size: 15px;"> other dogs. Some were not without provocation. She is otherwise friendly to dogs, and dependably </span></span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;">obedient</span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;">, loving, and eager to please humans. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;">I did nothing to deserve having Brindi taken from me.</span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;">I have admitted my mistakes - slipping up with the leash/muzzle in 08, messing up with a window switch in a car I just bought in '10. No real harm occurred. Nevertheless I </span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;">took full responsibility. I </span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;">apologized immediately & asked if the other dog was okay (tho in 2008 the dogs didn't touch); offered to pay for vet care even when there was no sign of injury; offered to pay fines, built a dog run, did extensive private training. I <i>proposed</i> the conditions two years before a judge imposed them. I met the conditions and then exceeded them, by doing training <i>outside </i>of the kennel.</span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;">The law says the mistakes I made are to be fined, I am in agreement. The law does not say my mistakes should be punished by taking my dog away from me, let alone killing her. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;">* Homeward Bound Citypound now states on its website that it is a "no-kill" facility. However in its first year it reported that it put down some 14 dogs its staff deemed dangerous. HRM by-law A-300 s. 15 provides that Homeward Bound can destroy any animals not claimed after 72 hours or animals that its staff deems dangerous. </span></span><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;">Yet A-300 does not require or authorize its own animal control officers to have dogs they deem dangerous put down. (Under HRM Charter so 195, only a judge can order a dog to be put down, provided its owner is found guilty of an offence - it does not restrict this to offences related to attacks; s.195 also allows judges to put down dogs that bark excessively or run at large.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Optima, Times New Roman;">** There is strong precedent for owners to be involved and even take the lead in finding a new home - even when the court otherwise appears to condemn the owner. See<i> </i></span><i>Smith v. Regional District (Central Okanagan)</i>, 2012 BCSC 1561<span style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman';">. </span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-64949250334316548622014-08-18T03:42:00.001-03:002014-09-18T19:24:06.891-03:00No man's land: Appeal denied, open-ended law upheld, HRM gets back power struck down in 2008<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Not only does the appeal decision of July 11, 2014 mean HRM can go ahead and do what decided to do in 2008 - namely, kill Brindi. It means it can and will do this in secrecy. And in the end, the decision is very likely to mean HRM seize, detain, and kill any other dog unimpeded: it virtually restores the power HRM gave itself in By-Law A-300 the Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional in 2009 - in the case <i>I</i> brought against HRM. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(see HRM's DILEMMA, below; click "read more")</span><br />
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span>
<a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The July 11 appeal decision also allows a number of other undesirable precedents set in the 2012 trial to stand, as well as s. 195 of the HRM Charter, which not only lets a judge order a dog to be put down without any defining any standard of dangerous or requiring evidence of anything related to the dog or owner. It also allows the judge to order virtually anything to be done to a dog with the words, "otherwise dealt with". </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
And it left the question of Brindi's future - and whether I can do anything to stop her death - in limbo. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We are now firmly in no man's land. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222326; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I guess I shouldn't comment much more on the appeal decision except to say that it shocks me to the core for a world of reasons. But we live in a day and age when fundamental principles cannot be taken for granted, I suppose. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222326; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222326; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yet to be blamed as well for "failing to appeal in a timely manner", as if I purposely and willingly prolonged what was a nightmare upon a host of nightmares!?! Excuse me? As if the appeal process itself isn't long and arduous at best, rarely taking less than a year; as if the rules for "summary conviction appeals" aren't hopelessly murky (even for the head clerk) - where is the due consideration for a self-representing appellant? Or an appellant with PTSD, worsened by the stress of the appeal, compounding the ongoing effects of separation from my dog, major financial loss and hardship? The sheer difficulty of compiling a five-volume appeal book and writing briefs would wilt even the strongest man. And the file plainly showed that most of the delay was due to massive problems with the certified trial transcript I had to pay $1000 for, which turned out to be brimming with errors. 80 pages of defence testimony were missing; the "correction" came back with even more errors - the "worse court transcript in 30 years", the expert I paid to fix it told a judge.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
The defective transcript wound up causing a nine-month delay, by the time it was redone. Dealing with it exhausted all the the energy and time I would have devoted to the actual appeal -and precious little leftover to deal with the massive backlog of other issues from all those years I was struggling to save Brindi, i.e., everyday life. It left me broke in the dead of winter, with burst pipes flooding my entire house and debt piling sky-high. Six more months to get a court to order a transcript refund, which the original transcriber, the cause of the delay, simply never paid. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And, every delay was increased by the fact that - as the court knows - only one day a week is set aside for summary conviction appeals.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222326; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222326;">The judge also knew very well that I didn’t want to have to appeal in the first place. I tried everything possible to avoid it - just as I tried everything to avoid court since 2008. But the 2012 trial judge's bizarre ruling left Brindi's fate up to HRM, as if the city hadn't made up its mind long ago - my god, it demanded an order to kill from the same judge! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
So I had no choice but to appeal, especially as weeks before the appeal deadline in August of 2012, the city responded to my question about an assessment (inexplicably) ordered by the court, that they the results of any assessment they might do (and they had no plans to do one), would be kept "internal", i.e., not made known. As they "usually" do - which is not usual at all to do.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">
What more do you need to know - to prove - that HRM will simply finish Brindi off in some dark corner, make some weak-minded vet do it, and then stubbornly keep it a secret, forever and ever - fooling no one?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Even before the lawyers got hold of Brindi, HRM Animal Services was clearly interested only in "winning". That fact does not relieve the lawyers of moral responsibility for pulling out all stops to make the senseless killing of a beloved companion possible - well beyond "just doing their job", to even halfway perceptive observers, their brand of professional ambition is just another name for murder.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
And as sick as it makes me, I also know, as ever, should I stop, and if I mess up - nobody else will take up the fight to save Brindi from HRM. After that, all bets are off. HRM is certain to block any Freedom of Information application to find out what happened. It would be pointless anyway; FOI does nothing. And Brindi would be dead.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I reject any use of "at least" when I say: even if she had to revert to her kennel mode - a fragment of her true self, which grieves me every hour - she is alive now (or so they say).</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I guess I can't comment much more on the reasons given to deny my appeal. I will say that I found it pretty shocking to be blamed in it for "failing to appeal in a timely manner", as if I purposely and willingly prolonged what was a nightmare upon a host of nightmares!? As if the appeal process itself isn't long and arduous at best, rarely taking less than a year; as if the rules for "summary conviction appeals" aren't hopelessly murky (even for the head clerk) - where is the due consideration for a self-representing appellant? Or an appellant with PTSD, worsened by the stress of the appeal, compounding the ongoing effects of separation from my dog, major financial loss and hardship? The sheer difficulty of compiling a five-volume appeal book and writing briefs would wilt even the strongest man. And the file plainly showed that most of the delay was due to massive problems with the certified trial transcript I had to pay $1000 for, which turned out to be brimming with errors. 80 pages of defence testimony were missing; the "correction" came back with even more errors - the "worse court transcript in 30 years", the expert I paid to fix it told a judge.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The judge also knew that I didn’t want to have to appeal in the first place. I tried everything possible to avoid it - just as I tried everything to avoid court since 2008. But the 2012 trial judge's bizarre ruling left Brindi's fate up to HRM, as if the city hadn't made up its mind long ago - my god, it demanded an order to kill from the same judge! </span><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">HRM's DILEMMA</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">People are sending in adoption requests from all over, and it's no surprise HRM isn't responding to them. Adoption is out: that would discredit the original decision to kill her, and their prior refusal of adoption. Adoption would confirm that everything they did going back to 2008 was unjustified. Of course, so does the string of positive assessments from that year up to 2012... </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">From what prosecutor Salsman said in court when she tried to get the appeal dismissed last October, it's clear the city is quite prepared to go ahead and put Brindi down. During that hearing, I listed off to the judge how many times and ways Halifax rejected my offers of reasonable alternatives that would have avoided every single court proceeding since 2008. </span><br />
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Salsman's method of dealing with the truth was to say, in a tone of privileged position, she "hoped" he would not give any weight to what I said. Before she could finish he was already going right along with it, saying "Well, she hasn't provided any evidence for it," as if the very day before he hadn't assured me he'd give me time to gather and submit any evidence that became necessary - which was proper, as nobody had bothered to inform me about the hearing; I was there by sheer chance). </span></span><br />
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Continuing, Salsman went into full smug: "<i>And even if all that she says were true, m'Lord, why should we abandon our position</i>?"</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> That mind-searing sentence is a perfect and chilling reply to the question of why Halifax and its lawyers have been so singularly ruthless in its pursuit of killing Brindi and, frankly, destroying me. </span><br />
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What better proof is there that this whole life-destroying gambit was never about public safety, or animal control, truth, or justice? </span></span><br />
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It was a shameless display of an ethos that goes against every principle espoused by the barristers society, laying bare the rock-hard, consistently merciless treatment of me and Brindi at every turn. Manipulating fact and fiction, exploiting every trick in the book to defeat an unworthy opponent - a dog that never bit anybody and a woman who foolishly believed the truth meant something. Salsman roundly dismisses as "irrelevant" any and all contrasts to routine animal control decisions - of course; it clearly shows the lack of merit in her position. </span></span><br />
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"Why should we abandon our position?" is a justification for a trajectory of conduct that has abandoned all reason. It is plain abuse of the law, of authority, of the truth, that left me feeling sick to my core. </span></span><br />
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The decision to withhold assessment results from the public - before even scheduling an assessment - is consistent with this Kafkaesque mentality. </span></span><br />
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With five years of positive assessments, faking a negative assessment is out of the question, and disclosing positive results would force them to adopt Brindi. Better to act like a small child who believes if it covers its eyes, it's invisible. Nothing is more childish than to attempt secrecy when the truth is plain to see. The secrecy merely confirms it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So I am stuck with the impossible task of applying for a second appeal. I have no problem admitting I have no stomach for another bout of torture. I don't know who I am anymore; my real life is long since a feeble memory. I have no stomach for even finding out how to do the appeal.</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> ____________ <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And me? I suspect even Kafka would find this hard to believe. Since 2011, l live in perpetual fear that HRM will seize my house and property and sell it off. It's a genuine and present threat, orchestrated through calculated sidestepping and distortion of fact, procedure, and law. Power. The same wintry day in 2010 they evicted me (my deceased father's birthday), they put up a fence around my house as soon as I was no longer in sight. This was to create a false impression that it was somehow so dangerous and kids could get hurt cutting through my property.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By the end of the following summer, they had issued a conditional demolition order - a completely unheard of creature - and mugged the Heritage Act in the process. Then after forcing me to hire unqualified contractors to pour a foundation - what better torture for an architect??! - they put a lien on my house for the cost of the fence and boarding on the windows they added later for effect. Since "lien" usually means something filed at the deeds office, a problem only if I ever wanted to sell my house, I did not worry about it. </span><br />
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But there was no HRM lien at the Register of Deeds. 'Course not! HRM - which poo-poos such standard conventions as zebra-stripes at crosswalks - has its <i>own</i> version of a lien. And it's not a lien at all. Unseen hands simply took the cost of the fencing - $15,000 - and dumped it into my <i>paid up</i> property tax account and labeled it - falsely - "arrears". How false? My taxes are about $700 a year; I bought the house in 2006. How did I rack up $15K in four years? On top of this, they added a 15% annual interest charge. I delved back into the HRM Charter and lo and behold, way down in the depths it says they can do this very thing - but with Council approval. To make that easier, there is a blanket approval option - Council simply gives "staff" carte blanche on all cases. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> And if there was specific Council approval, nobody told me. I had no idea any kind of lien was under consideration, just as I had no idea of eviction. And the same female HRM lawyer who presided over the demolition hearing with an iron fist had assured me four months earlier that she and HRM had absolutely no intention to tear down my house...</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Never mind that no kid ever dreamt of cutting through masses of thorn bushes to get to the park</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">behind my house</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, especially when there is a entrance driveway right next door. Never mind that my house was supported on huge steel I-beams and cribbing, and withstood two years of hurricanes. Nothing in the building code and by-laws permits or requires a fence around a freestanding house under renovation with a legal permit! </span><br />
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So after creating its own kind of lien, the HRM law also says that if you don't pay it in full after a year, they can put your house on the tax sale auction list along with people who owe back taxes- at which point the law prohibits you from going to court about it. Imagine a by-law blocking access to the courts while also blocking the constitutional right to be heard! Chalk up another startlingly undemocratic (I dare not use other words) feat of legislation, literally institutionalizing procedural unfairness - or due process. Kind of a big thing. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But they did it. Oh, they offered an appeal: a subjective, non-disinterested review by a member of HRM staff. Done without any input from me or anybody else, at a time not known to me. Once again fully at odds with the Canadian Charter. You can guess the outcome. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> In the year that followed, which led up to the trial, there was simply no humanly possible way to go to court about it to head off a tax seizure and sale. All I can do in the meantime is make small payments every month. If I wanted to deal with it, I would have to apply for permission to apply after the one year period expired, etc. Very time-consuming, exhausting, frustrating stuff. But equally petrifying. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So if HRM drops a notice about selling my house for nonexistent back taxes... I will have two weeks' flat to raise the money or I am facing homelessness. Again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I can't think about that much now. I have to think about how to get these papers filed. The threat will still be there after that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-41515458057021089992014-08-13T13:46:00.000-03:002014-09-18T20:53:35.560-03:00Humane Halifax: After 6-year battle to kill Brindi, HRM keeps mum / NS SPCA called on to protect dog's life<b> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://humanehalifax.com/" target="_blank">HUMANE HALIFAX</a> PRESS RELEASE AUGUST 12, 2014</span></b><br />
<i style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>HRM secretive about plans for Brindi / Humane Halifax asks NS SPCA to investigate neglect abuse of all seized dogs at municipal pound </b></span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">(Dartmouth Aug. 12, 2014 4:00 ATL): In a recent email to Brindi's owner, HRM prosecutor Katherine Sa</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">lsman tightened a cloak of secrecy around the municipality’s longtime ward, the dog Brindi, claiming there is no “final decision” on the dog’s future (see email below).</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">With a consensus of five expert examinations of the dog between 2008 and 2012 finding Brindi “highly trainable” and rating her reported occasional displays of canine aggression as minimal, a less than positive conclusion is very unlikely. None appear to have witnessed Brindi behaving aggressively.<br /><br />Brindi, a medium-sized mixed breed rescue dog was seized at age four in 2008 for a muzzle order violation. No evidence of injury was found. She is now ten years old and has spent all but one year of life in isolated confinement. In 2012 a provincial judge termed Brindi “not beyond redemption”, but passed on deciding her fate, ordering HRM to decide whether to adopt her out or destroy her.<br /><br />The judge directed HRM to obtain a further behavior assessment by the “usual means”, an apparent reference to pound evaluations of stray dogs.<br /><br />Brindi is not a stray, and has been well-trained in basic obedience skills.<br /><br />HRM’s late July statement suggests it is reluctant to disclose its plans for Brindi. It has not stated whether it has carried out the ordered assessment - a step it has been free to take at any time since June 2012, regardless of a possible appeal.<br /><br />For six years, the municipality has held steadfastly to a July 2008 decision to do away with Brindi. The Supreme Court later quashed that decision, finding it exceeded judicial authority. HRM since failed to convince two judges to grant its requests for proper orders to destroy. The July 11 appeal decision left Brindi's fate ambiguous.<br /><br />As an Aug. 18 deadline to file a second appeal of the 2012 decision approaches, Brindi’s loyal ex-owner is at a crossroads. “It’s strange HRM will not say what it intends to do with Brindi if I don’t appeal,” says the East Chezzetcook resident. Rogier included the adoption alternative among her court sentencing requests in 2012 and proposed it to the municipality in 2010.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivjaFHQmtxowPn-2ynKXj_3MmVE-k6MA8LTmvu20Yq1kFA2kTY2TbAFTqD-LutSTTjierZhYYsXpOGQEsmdX9gsomvOKS2T5vVGANgkhe3Ry8j4eBN5XYpxwlJNB4KeedMNOl1d2iPmg/s1600/SPCA+birthday+photo+with+Brindi+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivjaFHQmtxowPn-2ynKXj_3MmVE-k6MA8LTmvu20Yq1kFA2kTY2TbAFTqD-LutSTTjierZhYYsXpOGQEsmdX9gsomvOKS2T5vVGANgkhe3Ry8j4eBN5XYpxwlJNB4KeedMNOl1d2iPmg/s1600/SPCA+birthday+photo+with+Brindi+3.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SPCA staff, veterinarian, showering love on Brindi, May 2009.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Earlier that year, after a long silence, the SPCA, then the HRM pound operator, publicly urged HRM to opt for adoption as an alternative to killing the dog (</span><a href="http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/p/blog-page.html" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" target="_blank">letter attached</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">). </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Brindi’s popularity among SPCA staff is evident in a 2009 photo, left - though they were fully prepared to kill her if Rogier lost the case.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Residents of the province, like Olive Pastor, whose letter is below, frequently voiced their disapproval of HRM’s handling of the case to the city's mayor.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Meanwhile, the SPCA has not answered Humane Halifax’s request that it investigate the municipality’s treatment of Brindi - and other dogs held for months and years - for possible infractions of the Animal Protection Act.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">END</span></div>
<h3>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">EMAIL FROM PROSECUTOR - UNWILLING TO CONFIRM PLAN TO KILL BRINDI</span></h3>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">From: "Salsman, Katherine" <salsmak halifax.ca=""><br />Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 18:19:32 +0000<br />To: Francesca Rogier <rogier eastlink.ca=""><br />Subject: RE: Query re HRM's decided course of action</rogier></salsmak></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><salsmak halifax.ca=""><rogier eastlink.ca=""><br /><b>Ms. Rogier,</b></rogier></salsmak></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><salsmak halifax.ca=""><rogier eastlink.ca=""><b><br />A final decision in this regard has not been made and will not be made until the Court proceedings are fully resolved.</b></rogier></salsmak></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><salsmak halifax.ca=""><rogier eastlink.ca=""><b><br />Yours truly,</b></rogier></salsmak></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><salsmak halifax.ca=""><rogier eastlink.ca=""><b><br />Katherine E. Salsman<br />Solicitor<br />Legal Services<br />HΛLIFΛX</b><br />T. 902.490.6024<br />C. 902.225.0060<br />F. 902.490.4232<br /><a href="http://www.halifax.ca/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.halifax.ca/</a></rogier></salsmak></span><br />
<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><salsmak halifax.ca=""><rogier eastlink.ca="">From: Francesca Rogier <br />Sent: July-29-14 6:27 PM<br />To: Salsman, Katherine<br />Subject: Query re HRM's decided course of action</rogier></salsmak></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><salsmak halifax.ca=""><rogier eastlink.ca=""><br />Ms. Salsman,</rogier></salsmak></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><salsmak halifax.ca=""><rogier eastlink.ca=""><br />As a matter of record, and as HRM has had abundant opportunity to make the determination, on <b>what course of action has HRM decided regarding Brind</b>i?<b> Simply put, will it adopt her out to a suitable home, and if so, where; or will it have her killed?</b><br /><br />Notwithstanding the wording of the Provincial Court decision regarding an additional assessment of “adoptability”, I find no reasonable grounds to put off the decision. Now, as before, nothing (including a potential appeal application) realistically or materially prevents HRM from carrying out any form of assessment at any time. Secondly, the consensus of positive opinion established by five previous expert assessments by canine professionals precludes the possibility that a substantively different opinion will result from a further assessment.<br /><br /><b>However, to my knowledge, a number of individuals have conveyed formal adoption requests to HRM since July 11, which have gone unanswered, l</b>eaving those individuals in doubt. Under these circumstances, and given HRM’s stated policy of transparency, it seems not unreasonable to put the question to you, the HRM representative on this matter, at this time. In the interest of avoiding lengthy and costly proceedings to obtain such information, I would very much appreciate a prompt reply answering in full.<br /><br />Thank you.<br />Francesca Rogier<br />782 East Chezzetcook Road<br />East Chezzetcook NS B0J 1N0<br />--</rogier></salsmak></span><br />
<h3>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><salsmak halifax.ca=""><rogier eastlink.ca="">LETTER TO HALIFAX MAYOR FROM OLIVE PASTOR, NEW GLASGOW</rogier></salsmak></span></h3>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><salsmak halifax.ca=""><rogier eastlink.ca="">From: Olive Pastor<br />Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2014 8:52am<br />To: mayor@halifax.ca<br />Subject: Rogier<br /><br /><b>Dear Mayor Savage:</b><br /><br />At the end of this week the fate of Brindi the dog will be decided. It appears that HRM has only one wish and that is to see Brindi dead but then again everything is so secretive who knows what you want. As a resident of Nova Scotia and a Canadian citizen I am disgusted with HRM for keeping the dog kenneled for so long. It is my opinion that Brindi had a terrible life by being kenneled for years. Can you possibly tell me how a by-law can be right when so many people want it changed and want the process changed when Municipalities deal with animals. I hope Brindi's death will not be in vain. I hope that it will open the eyes of Nova Scotians and they will start questioning the Municipal governments throughout the province on how they deal with animals and many other things and I hope that changes will involve giving back the say to the politicians who are elected by the people and answerable to the people not to the CEOS and staff who answer to them.<br /><br />I want to see change in the process, ie.: changes where people can be with their pets when they are killed by the municipality and I want to see the remains given back to the owners. This is called closure if you don't know it. I want better interpretation of by-laws that are not so arbitrary and leaving the interpretation to staff at animal control. I am against the secrecy that surrounds the killing of pets or any animal for that matter by the Municipality and if a dog is re-homed it should be monitored by people outside of the Government. </rogier></salsmak></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><salsmak halifax.ca=""><rogier eastlink.ca=""><br /></rogier></salsmak></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><salsmak halifax.ca=""><rogier eastlink.ca="">Face it, we all know that bigger crimes have been committed by dogs and their owners in HRM that got lighter sentences than Brindi - </rogier></salsmak></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">if they were charged at all</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">. Brindi never killed an animal or did any serious damage but still this travesty continues. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">You know, sometimes the moral aspect of a problem out weights the legal problem and we all have our thoughts of what is happening here and it is not putting Halifax or its leaders in a very positive light.</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><salsmak halifax.ca=""><rogier eastlink.ca=""><br />I can't even address the heartache, pain, financial distress or health distress caused to Ms Rogier who has been forced to fight for her dog.</rogier></salsmak></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><salsmak halifax.ca=""><rogier eastlink.ca=""><br />Why don't you do the right and moral thing and go to the court and have this stopped and give Brindi back to Ms Rogier? The dog has served her time. She deserves to be let off with time served as the penalty.</rogier></salsmak></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><salsmak halifax.ca=""><rogier eastlink.ca=""><br />I hope this letter will be considered as a wake-up call that people want change in the antiquated laws of this province.<br /><br />Olive Pastor</rogier></salsmak></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">New Glasgow, Nova Scotia</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-776609819498584492014-07-17T14:44:00.000-03:002014-09-18T20:16:55.654-03:00Activists Appeal to Nova Scotia SPCA: Please act to secure Brindi from wrongful death<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Carol Waterman, Animal Activist, Montreal </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></b></span> <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>From: Carol Waterman</b><br />
<b>Date: </b>Mon, 14 Jul 2014 16:27:38 -0400<br />
<b>To: </b>Elizabeth Murphy <a href="https://www.blogger.com/emurphy@spcans.ca">emurphy@spcans.ca</a><br />
<b>Cc: </b>David Ross ;<a href="https://www.blogger.com/dross@spcans.ca">dross@spcans.ca</a>, Sandra Flemming <a href="https://www.blogger.com/sflemming@spcans.ca">sflemming@spcans.ca</a>, Board of Directors ;<a href="https://www.blogger.com/animals@spcans.ca">animals@spcans.ca</a><br />
<b>Subject: </b>EXTREMELY URGENT ! BOARD OF DIRECTORS & SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM - PLEASE SAVE BRINDI FROM DEATH<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">July 14, 2014<br />
<br />
Good Afternoon,<br />
<br />
After many years of fighting to save an innocent dog Brindi from death, today I received horrific news that HRM, Halifax has been given the green light to kill her. As an animal advocate & animal lover in Montreal, QC, I find this to be totally unjust. <br />
<br />
</span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Brindi has spent many years of her life locked up in a cage, without getting any special love, care and freedom. Don’t you think she has been punished enough? Surely this extremely harsh punishment does not fit her so-called crimes. And most certainly, holding her for all these years is absolute cruelty! <br />
<br />
Brindi has grown older and her health has declined. She deserves to be released to live out her life in peace. I implore you to intervene and save Brindi from this doom. She does not deserve to die! <br />
<br />
Your treatment of Brindi truly contradicts your MISSION and VISION as stated on your <a href="http://www.spcans.ca/" target="_blank">website</a>: </span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> “<i>The mission of the Nova Scotia SPCA is to prevent abuse, neglect and cruelty to animals, and provide for province-wide leadership on matters that promote and improve the welfare of all animals through animal protection; care and rehabilitation; humane education; advocacy and engagement and collaboration with stakeholders</i>. ” </span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> Your <i>Vision</i> states: </span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> “<i>The vision of the Nova Scotia SPCA is that Nova Scotia be a no-kill province and a safe place for all animals with zero tolerance for animal cruelty</i>.”</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> Thousands of innocent animals are killed annually by the SPCAS across Canada and this must stop now! We are here to save our precious creatures and not to murder them “en masse”. Isn’t it time for the NSSPCA to live up to their statements? <br />
<br />
Thank you.<br />
<br />
Carol Waterman<br />
Canadian Volunteers for the Protection of Animals<br />
Montreal, QC <br />
450-632-6197<br />
<br />
Sent to:<br />
</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">CEO "Elizabeth Murphy" <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/emurphy@spcans.ca">emurphy@spcans.ca</a></span> <<a href="mailto:emurphy@spcans.ca">mailto:emurphy@spcans.ca</a>> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Chief Provincial Inspector</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">"David Ross" <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/dross@spcans.ca">dross@spcans.ca</a></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <<a href="mailto:dross@spcans.ca">mailto:dross@spcans.ca</a>> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Director of Animal Care</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">"Sandra Flemming" <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/sflemming@spcans.ca">sflemming@spcans.ca</a></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <<a href="mailto:sflemming@spcans.ca">mailto:sflemming@spcans.ca</a>> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Board of Directors <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/animals@spcans.ca">animals@spcans.ca</a></span> <<a href="mailto:animals@spcans.ca">mailto:animals@spcans.ca</a>></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> "My doctrine is this: That if we see cruelty or wrong that we have the power to stop, and we do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt"<b>. </b><b>~</b> Anna Sewel ~ Author of Black Beauty </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Sharon Kennedy, Animal Activist </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>From: </b>Sharon Kennedy<br />
<b>Date: </b>Tue, 15 Jul 2014 17:58:42 -0400<br />
<b>To: </b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/emurphy@spcasn.ca">emurphy@spcasn.ca</a>, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/dross@spcans.ca">dross@spcans.ca</a>, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/sflemming@spcans.ca">sflemming@spcans.ca</a>, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/animals@spcans.ca">animals@spcans.ca</a><br />
<b>Subject: </b>Board of Directors<br />
<br />
I an sending this e-mail on behalf of a dog that has suffered greatly and now is under the penalty of an execution order. So please allow me to remind the Board that you have a duty of responsibility not only for the people who pay your salaries but more importantly to God.<br />
<br />
All life carries the breath of God and you think that you will not be held accountable for the execution of Brindi come judgment day?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">God is very clear that we are all as nations and individuals judged by what we do and what we fail to do. We are commanded to be as compassionate with all creation as Christ is with us. <br />
<br />
Christ went to the cross and endured agony to pay our sin debt and to give justice to all creation and this is how you repay and thank him.....standing in idleness when an innocent dog is murdered? I expect the SPCA Board to intervene and do what they are empowered to do which is find an adopter for Brindi.<br />
<br />
This is a reasonable solution which will please everyone who knows the history of Brindi and will most certainly put a smile on God's face.<br />
<br />
Sharon J. Kennedy<br />
</span>
<!--EndFragment--></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span><br />
</span> <!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934273368987084344.post-29050032079149871302014-07-16T18:49:00.000-03:002015-12-01T23:20:34.891-04:00Concerned Canadians tell Halifax: Don't kill Brindi - I will gladly adopt her!<h3>
<span style="font-family: "optima" , "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>A number of Brindi supporters across Canada have come forward to adopt Brindi. </b></span></span><b style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;">Here is one from British Columbia. </b></h3>
<b style="font-family: Optima, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 15px;"><br /></b>
<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: "optima" , "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>From: </b>Lana Horan, British Columbia<br />
<b>Date: </b>Tue, 15 Jul 2014 13:30:52 -0700<br />
<b>To: </b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/savagem@halifax.ca">savagem@halifax.ca</a>, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/Macdonaa@halifax.ca">Macdonaa@halifax.</a>ca</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "optima" , "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
<b>Cc: </b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/newsroom@herald.ca">newsroom@herald.ca</a>,<a href="https://www.blogger.com/halifax@metronews.ca">halifax@metronews.ca</a>, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/coast@thecoast.ca">coast@thecoast.ca</a>, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/info@newspapersatlantic.ca">info@newspapersatlantic.ca</a><br />
<b>Subject: </b>Brindi<br />
<br />
Dear Mr. Savage and Ms. MacDonald,<br />
<br />
My husband and I are putting in a request to adopt Brindi. I know she's had a hard life being locked up for 6 years and we are convinced that Brindi would have a wonderful place to live out her last few years here with us in beautiful British Columbia.<br />
<br />
We live on 20 acres and have a completely fenced yard (approx. an acre) with the 6' fence buried 6" so no exit is possible. We have a dog door for freedom of yard or house. We are semi-retired, so someone is usually home. Brindi would get lots of attention.<br />
</span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "optima" , "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We've always had a passion for German Shepherds or ShepX. Our two Shepherds passed away in November 2013. Willow and Zak were 14 and 14-1/2 yrs. old. We miss them terribly.<br />
<br />
We have the StemEnhance supplement that Brindi needs for her pancreas as well as essential vitamins and minerals. We feed good grain-free food and homemade food.<br />
<br />
Please consider this adoption request. Brindi deserves to be out of a kennel and have a chance at a good life.<br /><br />
Sincerely yours,<br />
Lana Horan, British Columbia<br />
(private phone number included in original message)<br />
</span></span>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "optima" , "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: "optima" , "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>From: </b>Mary Cooke <br />
<b>Date: </b>Mon, 14 Jul 2014 20:58:15 -0300<br />
<b>To: Mike Savage </b>savagem@halifax.ca<br />
<b>Subject: </b>Brindi<br />
<br />
<b>Dear Mr. Mayor,<br />
</b> <br />
<b>I have just been told that Hfx. has been given the green light to murder Brindi in secret! THIS is WRONG PLEASE don't go along with it! This dog has rights, it is a sentient being that has NEVER harmed anyone! Yet a dog that KILLED a kitten in the kittens back yard was not only NOT deemed dangerous, but the prosecutor even asked for a fine and that the fine be reduced and IT WAS !!! This is UNFAIR ! </b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "optima" , "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "optima" , "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>PLEASE save this dog and talk to the dog trainers, in particular the last one, Susan Jordan, about the dog. </b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "optima" , "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "optima" , "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>PLEASE don't put innocent blood on your hands! It is time this dog was allowed to live in peace with the only person who loves her. She is an old dog now. Even prisoners who commit FAR more heinous crimes are not tortured for years like this dog has been. Please have a heart & make things right for her at long last. Also make sure those that complained about her but took so long to go to a vet to stay away from her at all costs.<br />
</b><br />
Mary Cooke, Halifax </span></span>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"
title="{Free Brindi}"
href="{http://freebrindi.blogspot.ca/}" /></div>Francesca Rogierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311781936195044143noreply@blogger.com0