A visit from Brianna and Kasse

Today I got such a nice surprise visit from two girls from the neighborhood. They were on their way to the baseball park with a puppy named Cassie, and stopped by to cheer me up about Brindi. Brianna thoughtfully picked some wildflowers as a present. They wanted to know how I was, and how Brindi is - if I've seen her lately. What a wonderful thing to see these two lively young spirits! Brianna is in fourth grade and Kasse (pronounced like "Casey") is in seventh. After we chatted for a bit, they asked me if I had any pictures, so I gave them some posters. Brianna said she would put one up in her bedroom. Kasse asked if she could circulate some petitions at her school and the high school.
And then they decided to write a letter to the mayor. It might open if you click it:



Brianna writes (with permission for spelling changes), "Dear Mayor Kelly, I beg you to let her go this instant, miss or mister. She loves us, and we love her. From, Brianna Clark."

Kasse writes, "Dear Peter Kelly, You need to let Brindi go, all of us miss her. We are making 3 petitions. I hope it will be enough. I really love Brindi. Please let her go. In my diary I always write I hope Brindi comes home today. By Kasse Kinnaird Gr. 7 12 yrs old."

Needless to say, it really did cheer me up to see them, and I accepted their kind invitation to go along to the park with Cassie, who is quite a dog. I regret that I didn't take a photo, but they did promise to come by again soon. Thank you, my friends!

Meanwhile, I have new legal representation, and I hope to have some news to report soon.

Brindi, I love you my dear baby girl, please hang on, I am coming!

The Story Sent to the Mayor

My name is Hope. At least I think it is; I haven't heard it in a while. They say they named me Hope because I looked like I had such hope when they came by my kennel. And I did. It must have worked because they took me home--my first real home. I loved very minute of it. A warm bed, lots of food, long walks, hands that never hit. Life was great! For the first time I felt safe and content. When I heard them talking about starting a family, I thought, great! Someone else to love me. I couldn't wait.

Then the baby arrived. She was so cute, I loved her. They named her Bethany Hope. Life couldn't be better! Then it all changed. Life became too busy for them. No more walks, no more sleeping in the same room as them. Then one day, they took me for a car drive, the first in a long time. I thought maybe things were turning around. Then I felt my heart sink. It was the place that was to familiar to me. I thought why is he bringing me here? He dropped me off, and they put me behind bars. I tried to stay calm and tell myself that the people that loved me will be back, I'm still waiting. In here it is hard to have hope.- I am leary of people coming by my little prison. Will they abandon me too?

In here, there are many sad stories. But the one that saddens me the most is the dog down the hall, in a special room. They say her name is Brindi. She is on death row. She cries every night. Like me, she was in a shelter for a very long time before a loving owner came and rescued her. They say her name is Francesca, so I guess she must be named after St. Francis, the Patron of Saints and protector of animals. Brindi loved her new life. She tells of long walks on the beach, cats and dog friends to play with, lessons, great treats, warm bed, car rides. Life was the best she had ever had. Like us all, Brindi has instincts, and some fears. So she ran into a little trouble with some other dogs, but there were no serious injuries and no trouble ever with a human. I heard them say because of a "ByLaw A 300", Brindi was seized and is supposed to die. They say Brindi can still hear her owner's screams as they drove her away in the big white truck. They haunt her at night. Doesn't it seem ironic that my owners would be allowed to see me any time they want but choose not to, and Francesca is denied visits?

I am afraid I do not understand this way of thinking. If only my owners were so supportive of me. Every dog in here would give anything to have such a dedicated owner as Francesca. Francesca will do anything to save her dog's life. My owners don't seem to care if I live or die. Surely there has to be someone out there with compassion who will help Brindi. You know, they take her outside on a rabies pole, even though she has never been aggressive to humans. She knows her owner is trying her best to get her home. But she cries herself to sleep every night. It has been so long, over two months! As I say, it's hard to have hope in here. I can only pray I find a Francesca, someone who won't desert me, someone who will fight with everything they have for me.

I'm thinking about changing my name and giving it to Brindi. She really needs Hope. She needs your help, from all of you that are not behind bars and separated from those who love you. Please speak up, speak up for the voiceless. Hear our cries at night. Let Brindi go home, to a home we can only dream of. Give us all back our HOPE. They say there are almost 2000 names on petitions to help save her. There are protests and people called "Brindi's Angels" trying to help right this wrong. Francesca is also paying thousands to a lawyer, so she can go to court, and this the only thing keeping Brindi alive. Please do the right thing, and help Brindi. Brindi HOPE, that's what I am going to call her from now on. She needs You! We all need you, so maybe we can all have Hope again. Since I gave my name to Brindi, I have changed mine to FAITH, because I have to have faith you will do the right thing.

Thank you.

Faith, The Shelter Dog


(with my most heartfelt thanks to Linda Koekman, an Angel for Brindi, who wrote and sent this to all the councillors and the mayor in early September. She also gave me the St. Francis medal, with the hope that a kind priest would go with me to the SPCA, visit Brindi, and put this medal on her collar with a special blessing.)

The answer is no

Today I received a reply from the city clerk: the online petitions will not be presented to the Council next week, because they lack street addresses for all the signees. This is some 1800 names we are talking about. We will email the petitions to each councilor anyhow.

In addition, my request to address the Council as part of the agenda was denied, because "the case is before the courts." The idea was that the Council could act faster than the courts to resolve the situation - send Brindi home. To do that, somebody has to request the Council to take action on the matter by suspending the by-law. What other way is there? A letter? Dozens of people have already written to the Council. The topic has to be put on the agenda in order to have anything happen.

Third, and more bizarrely, the mayor has reversed his offer to help that he made to a supporter a week ago, in reply to her urgent appeal. He said, "I would love to help." We were elated about it. But when she tried to set up an appointment, as he had advised, his staff intervened, taking up the familiar "before the courts" phrase.

So it appears as though any dialogue with elected officials is forfeited, because I had to hire a lawyer to save my dog, having no other option under the law. I don't get it.

Our two month "badiversary"

Two months, or eight weeks, FIFTY-SIX nights and days for Brindi in the pound, all those nights with the bed empty, no walks, no cheerful furry face next to me, no brown body wiggling with the wagging tail, not even a glimpse of her for all this time, only bad news.

It is hard to be detached about things today. My disbelief and shock and anger and sadness and grief and horror and fear and terror conspire against such a feat. I hope nobody out there has to go through this. There may be worse things indeed, but in my life, with all the ups and downs I have had, this is by far the worst, for its senselessness and frustration and duration. Among other things.

I cannot hold onto any other thought for very long.

"It is a dog, you know," says a lawyer. Many people say this, as if it would change my feelings, or the wrongness of the euthanization order. It's akin to others who said - not to me, thankfully, but friends: "It's just a dog."

Well, all I can say in response is, "It is death, you know. Senseless, needless killing that we are talking about." Just because she's a dog does not make it okay for a city to kill her, when a fence and training will take care of the problem. It is not okay to kill. Brindi is a dog, not vermin. I love her. She hears, smells, and loves me better than any human I know. She is irreplaceable. I will not simply go to the SPCA and "get another one," as one of the other dog owners suggested.

It is simply wrong to kill this dog. I cannot let something this wrong happen to an animal in my care. And I have to ask: with all the gifts I have been given, and the support coming from out there, if I can't save a dog, what good am I?

If we cannot honor these helpless creatures who love, give, and forgive us without a thought for themselves, what good are we?

Permit me

to preach just a bit (or a bit more, depending on your opinion).

As I wait for my precious old banged-up laptop to be repaired, and have the use of a friend's machine for the duration (luckily!), I have to deal with life a bit differently. My brain is gone, or part of it, without the laptop.

In any case, I was reading Granny's blog today, searching for words of wisdom. In my mind, the word Granny always conjures up the Beverly Hillbillies character, but today's grandmothers sure don't look like her. Not unlike them, though, she certainly had strong opinions and was nobody's fool.

Granny lays out her goals for the legislative situation and calls for animal law reform, pointing out measures that cost now but will save money in the long term.

A wise argument, and it struck me that it just begins to tell the story, in economic terms alone. If you add the extra dollar value that animals, such as dogs, represent in terms of savings on human health, including anti-depressants, psychotherapy, physical therapy, diet pills, and any number of other health-related costs, you would realize that they save the government a great deal of money, and not only the government, but all of us. It is time to rethink dogs and start connecting some dots. If you bring one dog into a male prison, the entire mood lightens and becomes friendlier, researchers say. Dogs kept as pets in prisons would save a lot on mood stabilizers and anti-depressants and other medications commonly to control the prisoners... not to mention extra security measures.

Many other areas of life benefit similarly from the presence of dogs. Clearly we should think of them as more than just pets or something to be controlled in urban areas. They are an infinite resource for the good of mankind that has gone unexamined far too long. We all know what dogs and other pets do for people, even those among us who do not love them recognize this. Let that irrefutable knowledge shape our policies and laws and practices.

Any way you look at it, multiplied across the lands, benefits to people offered by dogs are enormous, and true bargains in a time of increasing hardship. I would bet that if the real values were added up when it comes to dogs, we would be amazed. And I would like to see how they compare to the risks, bad as they might be at times. All dogs really want is to be with, work with people, whether that is through love and affection or sniffing out cancer. What other amazing things can they do? How will we ever know if we insist on killing them off by the tens of thousands, like plants in the rainforest?

In a civil society, that increasingly utopian place, no city should routinely kill dogs and cats. There is nothing routine about killing a dog or a cat. Anyone who has ever witnessed a euthanization knows just how true this is.

And in a civil society, the greatest protections should be extended to our greatest treasures. Before that happens, we must first recognize exactly what those treasures are, take a careful inventory. Dogs belong right up there alongside corporations. Goodness knows, they are a lot less exploitative.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Responsible Dog Ownership Week?

Well, yesterday's Meet/Treat/Educeet had a modest turnout, but pretty nice results all the same!

I borrowed Ella, a friend's chocolate lab and a stauch supporter of Brindi. Ella chose to lie down right in the middle of the base of the City Hall steps, greeting all comers with a friendly wag of her tail, cleverly giving me a chance to speak to them. Thank you , dear Ella!

We did meet a handful of city councillors, and it was good to speak to them one on one. They were very cooperative, and why not, with three beautiful pooches at my back, and three dedicated humans, plus some delicious cookies (I had big chocolate chip cookies on reserve in the car, in case they were needed)? And of course, I had handouts with Barking Points, all about Brindi and A300, to give them.

I also spoke to reporters from the Herald and News 95.7. It pays to get out there! So everybody is invited to next week's Meet and Treat, 5 pm, Grand Parade. I have more signs, more cookies, and more handouts, and I really hope we get a great big turnout. It's a special occasion, because Mayor Kelly, in his infinite wisdom, has declared Sept. 20-27 "Responsible Dog Ownership Week" in Halifax, apparently with the Canadian Kennel Club's support.

Great idea!

Maybe as part of the festivities, Mayor Kelly will make good on the offer to help save Brindi he sent in an email emailed to one of Brindi's Angels last week. After all, he owns a dog - who happens to be known to bolt out his front door rather often. A good reason for him to take a critical look at A300, since running at large is an offence, isn't it?

Of course, the bolting story may be hearsay. Then again, my lawyer says hearsay is routinely admitted in court when it comes to dog crimes. Something to think about, I guess.

I was interviewed by CKDU radio on Monday for a news report by Debbie Johnson, a hardworking student journalist. It was aired yesterday. Nice to have some media coverage again. And a good story, thanks Debbie! One or two small glitches - Brindi has not been in the pound three months, but two, although it may as well be three...

Also, the city's spokesperson, Deborah Story, again spoke a bit less than accurately about the situation. I realize she has a job to do, but it should not be about killing dogs, should it? Story said the city could kill Brindi anytime, but is being nice not to. Actually, they cannot kill her as long as any court case is pending or filed, or they would be breaking the law. I guess they are nice not to be breaking the law, then. Also, she said that they are waiting to hear from my lawyer, when the opposite is true. The city's lawyer was supposed to file a reply to our statement of claim within 20 days, before we can apply for a court date. He has not done this. We are considering several options, including applying for a default judgment, in our favor, as well as an injunction.

Meanwhile, the Care2 petition is well over 1,000 and we are going to be sending it to the Regional Council along with the iPetition documents, with 785 names.

Don't forget, the entire Council and the mayor are all up for re-election. This is their chance to clean up the situation to insure votes from pet-owners by getting Brindi out, AND changing A300, before the election. Then they would be worth voting for.

MEET, TREAT, AND EDUCEET! Tomorrow 5:30 PM

MEET regional councillors before session.
TREAT them to a cookie!
EDUCEET them about our proposals to change animal control - and to FREE BRINDI!



Please come to the Grand Parade in front of City Hall this Tuesday at 5:30 PM, September 16. We will greet HRM councillors as they arrive for the 6 pm, and peacefully call for them to reform A-300 before the Oct. 14 election - and release Brindi now.

Meet at 5:30 at Grand Parade--dogs (and angels) are welcome! We will have free COOKIES; and handouts about our cause, and we will give both to the councillors. Many of them are actually unaware of how bad By-Law A300 really is.

They do know, however, that they have the power to change it at any time. And, court cases notwithstanding, they also have the power to retroactively suspend A300 where Brindi's offences/seizure are concerned, which will make it possible to release Brindi right away, so that she does not have to suffer through months, even a year, of confinement while a court deliberates!

It's election time! Half of HRM owns pets. Pet owners must come together to make themselves heard - promise your vote on the condition that this matter is taken care of before the election. If not - there are other candidates out there!

Let's MEET, TREAT, and EDUCEET every Tuesday until we succeed!

Hope to see you there!

Information on how to help with legal costs

Many people have asked how they can contribute to the mounting costs of Brindi's defense, as well as the cost of boarding her at the SPCA pound for $25 a day, since July 24. The total is already into the thousands.

In addition to the bank account posted on Save Brindi at Facebook, there is a Paypal account to donate to the Legal Defense Fund for Brindi. Just click on the button!

Any amount is welcome, and all contributions are gratefully accepted!

If you are unable to make a financial donation, your prayers and thoughts are very welcome too, because I know that they are priceless, and sometimes more powerful than money.
Anything that will help bring Brindi home to me is welcome! And thank you.

(PS: please leave a comment if the button link does not work!)

"Shame, shame, shame."

One of the 924 signatures on the Care2 petition:

# 908: 6:51 pm PDT, Sep 9, Patricia Howarth, Rhode Island
I am the Animal Control Officer in Scituate, Rhode Island and am appalled that you would give the death sentence for such minor infractions. We have vicious dog laws in our state also but let the punishment fit the crime. I don't know what government agency or group came up with your rules, but, Shame shame shame. I'm sure glad I live here.




Thank you, Patricia! I wonder if your colleagues here feel the same about the law.