[Alty]

I'm starting this thread not only to encourage discussion, but also to bring people together. We need to band together to stop BSL, to save other dogs, like Lennox, from being killed unjustly. This is murder, nothing less than that.

Okay, having said that, I guess I should tell you who Lennox is, and why he was killed.

Two years ago Lennox, a bulldog lab cross, was removed from his home in Belfast because he looks like a pit-bull. Belfast has strict laws against owning pit bulls, and so Lennox was removed, caged, and deemed a dangerous dog.

Lennox has never shown aggression to anyone, human and animal alike. He has never bitten a single soul. He was a service dog for the daughter. He was up to date on his shots; he was registered with the city with his breed listed.

Lennox was DNA tested for evidence of his breed. It was determined that he was not a pit-bull. The DNA evidence was rejected; instead they measured him, and used those measurements to determine that he was a pit-bull.

Cesar Millan offered to take him to the states, tweeted about it. He was denied.

Victoria Stilwell (celebrity dog trainer) offered to take him to the states. The council would not meet with her.

For two years the family fought in court to get their dog back. They lost.

After the final court case the daughter called to ask if she could see Lennox, and they hung up on her.

Sarah Ferguson, duchess of York, pleaded for the dog to be saved.

The family hired an independent dog behaviourist to assess Lennox. That dog behaviourist deemed that Lennox was not a dangerous dog, not violent in any way. Videos were taken during the assessment, and despite prompting the dog to attack, his tail remains wagging, and he doesn't so much as growl. This was the second dog behaviourist to assess Lennox, and both stated that the dog was not aggressive.

The person that testified to his temperament being dangerous was also in the video. She also has no qualifications to judge a dog's behaviour and she lied on the stand.

The family were not allowed to visit their dog, and were told that they would receive his ashes in the mail. They were not even allowed to get his collar back. Some speculate that this was because Lennox was killed some time ago, or died because of lack of care while imprisoned.


After a two-year battle to free Lennox, and over 200,000 signatures on a petition, from people all over the world, the Belfast council decided to end Lennox's life on July 11, 2012, yesterday.

It's too late to save Lennox, but it's not too late to save others. It's not to late to stand united, put an end to BSL, and put an end to the murder of innocent animals.

Alone we are weak, but together we have strength, and a voice, and we have the chance to stop another case like this from ever happening again.

The more people that hear about Lennox, the more support we have to end BSL. So please, post the story about Lennox on fb, tell your friends. Let's make the world listen and change things. Don't let Lennox's death be in vain. He can find a voice, through all of us.

Disclaimer: All the information posted on this thread has been from news articles, videos, and face book statuses. I did not witness any of the events that transpired during Lennox's incarceration. If you find that any of the information posted is false, please feel free to correct it, and show your source.

If you are one of the people I have encountered that's actually glad that this happened, feel free to post, but please be respectful. A lot of people are very upset about this, myself included. We have shed enough tears, and we do not need harsh words to inspire even more.

Thank you.

[Alty]

Here is a video of Lennox, the "vicious", "aggressive" dog, with the behaviorist (the male) hired by the family to assess him, and Ms. Lightfoot, the person that lied on the stand about Lennox's temperament.

Watch out, he might lick you to death!

Belfast City Council Slapping Lennox - YouTube

[LadySam]

I'm certainly not indifferent I am just without words. I watched a couple more videos while I was there and one ended with a picture of that little girl with a sign asking to please send her bestest friend home to her.
I'm still in tears over here. This is truly sad.

[Alty]

I'm certainly not indifferent I am just without words. I watched a couple more videos while I was there and one ended with a picture of that little girl with a sign asking to please send her bestest friend home to her.
I'm still in tears over here. This is truly sad.

Finding the words is hard. I told my daughter about Lennox the day before he died, told her what was going on, and that he was going to be put to death.

Syd wants to be a vet when she grows up. When she turns 16 she wants to volunteer at the humane society animal shelter. She's going to face death, like it or not. But, she's only 9, and I had no idea she'd react the way she did over a dog she never met. She cried for 2 hours. Finally, when it was getting late and nothing I did would make her smile, I lied. I told her that Lennox was going to a new home, and that he'd be fine.

The next day, after finding out that all efforts to save Lennox were in vain, that he had been put to death, I sat Syd down, and told her the truth. We had a good cry. Then I explained to her that Lennox is in heaven, with Indy and Jasper, and that his death would not be for no reason, that he has united the world for a greater cause. His death will bring on change.

She liked that idea, and told me "mommy, you have to write about this, so that people don't forget, so that Lennox died for a reason". So that's what I'm doing.

I have to say, I couldn't be prouder of my little girl. I just hope that her compassion doesn't end up breaking her heart one day. She's far too much like her mother. :(

[mogrann]

I am part of Lennox's Army. What that means for me is I will fit to see the end of BSL. I am doing this by letting others know about Lennox, boycotting Belfast (hit them in the pocket book and they may listen).
NO more being silent as others can not handle hearing about what happens to animals. RIP dear sweet boy you have brought many around the world to fight to end this.

[msdebdardx4]

My heart is sad right now. I will tell others about this. They say that "justice should be blind". I disagree. I believe justice should have very clear vision. Justice should be able to see clearly when someone is or is not a threat to others. From all indications, this dog was not a threat to others. Lennox is gone. I hope his family finds peace.

[Alty]

I am part of Lennox's Army. What that means for me is I will fit to see the end of BSL. I am doing this by letting others know about Lennox, boycotting Belfast (hit them in the pocket book and they may listen).
NO more being silent as others can not handle hearing about what happens to animals. RIP dear sweet boy you have brought many around the world to fight to end this.

My husband is one of the people that can't stand to read about animals being hurt, or see animals being hurt. I feel the same way. It hurts, and it stays with me always.

But, being aware, watching and reading about the atrocities, that's something every animal lover should do. If you don't, you have no idea what's really going on. It's all too easy to put on the rose colored glasses and pretend that everything is fine. It's a lot harder to witness what's really happening and do something about it.

So I force myself to watch the videos of backyard breeders, read the articles about dogs like Lennox. I force myself to watch for a few seconds what they live through every single minute of their lives. If I can't do that, then how can I possibly put an end to it? Ignorance is bliss, but it's still ignorance.

I've had so many people say "I'm only one person, if I don't get involved it won't matter". Every single person that tried to save Lennox is only one person. If any of them had sat back and said "I can't make a difference, I am only one", then this story may never have been heard. If more people had decided to do something, instead of just sympathize, maybe we could have saved this dog.

Yes, he's only one dog, just like each of us is only one human being. Every life is sacred. We have to start somewhere.

[Alty]

Important read;

Lennox: The gloves come off.

[Alty]

My heart is sad right now. I will tell others about this. They say that "justice should be blind". I disagree. I believe justice should have very clear vision. Justice should be able to see clearly when someone is or is not a threat to others. From all indications, this dog was not a threat to others. Lennox is gone. I hope his family finds peace.

Thank you so much for posting, and for your support.

Lennox is gone, but the fight goes on. :)

[mogrann]

May I suggest people keep talking about Lennox. I asked my niece to make a photo for me to show I am in Lennox's Army. She then asked questions and has now posted about Lennox on her page. I am one person but can get others talking just like you can.

[Lucky098]

What I don't understand about this... is why the city officials wanted to euthanize him when the big name trainers OF THE WORLD wanted to take him off their hands... Its like they wanted to prove a point.. to scare people...

Its pretty sick and derranged. That poor dog sat in Iso for 2 years... became friends with those who killed him.

And why lie? I hope some agency takes this on and investigates what really happened. It just all seems so fishy to me.

I hate BSL.. its ridiculous.. the city of Colorado Springs doesn't have BSL (yet), but any time a pit bull or a mix of it does something wrong, it is blasted all over the evening news, makes front page of the newspaper and so on.. yet, when a different breed bites a kid and causes that kid to get a dozen staples.. that's in the fine print area of the newspaper and no mention of it on the evening news AND that dog gets to keep its life. So unfair.

:(

[smearcase]

The State of MD recently passed a law that has essentially been a death sentence for many pit bulls.
I am not a lawyer but the way I understand it, they have created a great amount of liability for owners of these dogs to the extent that many people feel that they have no choice but to get rid of them--and they will be arriving or have arrived at shelters already with no place to go after that. The MD legislature was supposed to reconsider that law during a special session that was to be held concerning a major gambling bill, but that session has never materialized. Many of the activiists in MD trying to reverse that law would be on your side in this effort if they knew about it. This is one of the many stories you can find about the efforts in MD:
Maryland's Pit Bull Ruling Incites Emotions - Essex-Middle River, MD Patch

[Alty]

We have restrictions for pitbulls where I live. They are as follows;

1. The licence fee for a restricted dog is $250 per year and the dog must have a valid license.

2. You must have a minimum of $1 million liability insurance that specifically covers damages for personal injury caused by the restricted dog.

3. If you take the restricted dog off your property, you must ensure it is:

Under control
Muzzled
Held on a leash no longer than two metres

4. When the restricted dog is on your own property, you must have it kept one of the following ways at all times:

Indoors
Outdoors, secured in a fully enclosed pen
Outdoors, muzzled and secured by a chain fixed to the property that prevents the restricted dog from coming closer than two metres to the apparent boundary of the property

5. Attack fines;

Property damage - $500
Chase, attack or bite any person or animal - $500
Chase, attack or bite any person or animal causing physical injury - $2500

*This section does not apply if the chase, attack, bite or damage is a direct result of the restricted dog being provoked.

Dogs that fall under the "restricted dog" category are as follows;

-Has chased, attacked or bitten any person or animal causing physical injury and resulting in a conviction under this bylaw.
-Has chased, attacked or bitten any person or animal on more than one occasion, with or without causing physical injury, and resulting in separate convictions under this bylaw.
-Has been the subject of an order under the dangerous dog act of my province (I can post a link for that dangerous dog act if you would like to read it)
- Is certified by an Alberta licensed veterinarian to be primarily of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed, as defined by the Canadian Kennel Club.
- Is certified by an Alberta licensed veterinarian to be primarily of the American Staffordshire Terrier breed, as defined by the Canadian Kennel Club.

Keep in mind that a spayed or neutered dog that's not a restricted breed costs $35/year to register.

Also, if you adopt a pitbull, or pitbull mix, from the shelter, you will also undergo yearly police visits to your home.

Still, it's better than banning the breed all together. :(

[Lucky098]

... That's ridiculous..

[Alty]

Just read that this is now happening in Canada. Not the same issue as Lennox, but close.

Wicca, a pitbull, is now on death row in Montreal. There is a two bite law in Canada, and sadly Wicca has two reported confirmed bites to her name.

Like Lennox, people all over the world are banding together to save Wicca. One interesting factor, and I may be wrong because I have only started reading about this, but from what I've read so far, the owner isn't fighting to save his dog Wicca, a group, under the leadership of Sophie Fournier, are fighting for this dogs life in court.

As you will recall, Lennox never showed aggression to anyone, nor did he ever bite anyone. I'm torn about this. I don't agree with BSL, and I don't think any dog should die, but can Wicca be reformed if she's saved? She's 6 years old, her owner has stated, in the articles that I've read, that she's a very nervous dog, will bite if scared, and that's why he doesn't often take her out in public. He knew about this, yet he took her out in public, didn't muzzle her, and sure enough, his dog bit someone. As the paramedics were called to tend to the woman that was bit, Wicca once again attacked, this time she bit one of the paramedics.

Now Wicca has two bites under her name. Two bites on the same day. Makes you question how many bites she's had that weren't reported.

Yes, I do agree that this is a matter of ownership, not breed. Obviously Wicca's owner wasn't responsible, and shouldn't have a dog. But, what about Wicca? If she's spared, then what?

I did post on a site fighting for Wicca's life, and I will sign the petition to save her because it's not her fault that she drew the short straw and got an owner that couldn't do her justice. But, I did make what I think is a valid point.

Here's my post, and the link to that site.

https://www.google.com/url?q=http://...XXTkHRaxUitBvg

Sadly you all hit the nail on the head. It isn't the breed that makes the dog, it's the owner. Doesn't sound like this owner trained his dog very well.

I've just started reading this, and from what I've read, Wicca has bitten twice, the owner has admitted that Wicca is a nervous dog, which is why he doesn't take her out in public very often. That's what I read, and it was on the internet, so I'm not sure how accurate it is, but, if this is true, the owner has done a great disservice to Wicca. A nervous dog is a dog that bites, and there is a two bite law in Canada. Wicca has had two reported bites.

I will sign the petition to save Wicca, because I don't believe that Wicca should die because of poor ownership and training, but I do have to ask, why isn't the owner fighting to save Wicca, why is it this Sophie person? Also, if they win, where will Wicca go? Back to an owner that obviously cannot train the dog and keep the public safe?

I also have to ask, if Wicca were a poodle, would it have gone this far, with this much support? Breed specific goes both ways. There are millions of dogs euthanized each year for far less that biting someone, but they're not pitbulls, so their stories never get told. They die without a petition to save them.

I do agree that Wicca should be saved, so before you start pounding me with negative feedback, I do agree with this fight. But I also think that instead of focusing on just one dog, why not put your energy into dogs you can actually save. The dogs on death row in shelters right now.

[LadySam]

I wonder how many of these cases AREN'T brought to the publics' attention?

[Alty]

I wonder how many of these cases AREN'T brought to the publics' attention?

Millions. Not necessarily cases like this, but, 5 million dogs are euthanized in shelters every single year in the US alone.

I'm not in the US, I'm in Canada. The humane society is a "no kill" shelter. What that means is that they don't kill animals that are healthy, sound and can be adopted. They do euthanize animals that are sick, or deemed un-adoptable. There was one dog, and I started a thread about him years back, that was in the shelter for over a year. His name was boots, he was 8 years old, a border collie cross. My husband and I were ready to adopt him, his story and his picture broke my heart, and I wanted to give him a forever home. Sadly we weren't a match. He didn't get along with other animals, he didn't tolerate kids. Even though the humane society knows me, and usually lets me adopt any animal I want, they couldn't allow Boots to go home with us because we have kids, and had two dogs at that time, not to mention the bunnies.

Boots was euthanized shortly after I inquired about him. He went cage crazy. :(

I've done this before, and I'll do it again on this thread. Here are 5 dogs in my local shelter right now.

[LadySam]

I had a rather length reply typed up and went to the bathroom, during that time my grandson woke up and made short work of my reply, I guess it's somewhere in hyperspace, but not here where I intended. Any way it's gone, but the gist was this.
Personal responsibility, there is a general lack of it where pets are concerned but how do you begin to even pass a law that enforces something like responsibility?
Of course you can be held responsible after the fact, but why should it have to come to that?
And all breeds are capable of biting, humankind has made it a breed issue, with some very good dogs and dog owners paying the price for the stigma that people have imposed on particular breeds.
I think these things should be considered on a case by case basis, not "in general".
Evaluate the dog AND the owner, it is very likely that the owner shares a good portion of the blame in many, many of these cases.

Edit: Those guys are adorable by the way, I especially like the beagle and the shepherd/collie looking mix. Is your shelter no kill also? Or just the humane society?
Sadly our shelter is not a no kill, but like you our Humane society is, euthanasia is an absolute last resort.

[Lucky098]

I blame the large amount of dogs being euthanized and dumped each year on public education.

Maybe its just where I'm at, but people look at dogs as just another object. How could you honestly starve another living creature that has no way of providing for itself? I'm sad to say, but nothing really shocks me anymore.

I also blame the over population and lack of care on veterinary care being too expensive. Basic care, such as the parvo/distemper, Heartworm test and rabies vaccines shouldn't cost over $100 to do. If care was easier, maybe less pets would have to suffer.

I also think that spaying and neutering shouldn't cost over $100. I realize all the costs that a hospital has to run and maintain.. but for the greater good, spaying and neutering should not cost so much.

How many people come into the dog forums with medical problems.. what is their number one reason they can't go.. money. I realize that if you want to have pets, you need to be prepared.. but the economy sucks, the lack of jobs suck, the fact that people need to feed themselves and their families.. dogs just aren't a priority at that time. And in retrospec.. if we had public education (and yes, maybe we should involve the schools), then maybe the person making $7/hr with 5 kids wouldn't get the puppy that has receieved no vaccines in the first place.

Pit bulls get a bad wrap becaues of gangsters and wanna-be thugs. And because they are associated with people who are law breakers, they must be bad dogs. Lets not take into consideration that any dog can bite and do major damage. There was a show on pitties a few years back.. and the behaviorist that was studying the crimes stated that over half of the pit bull bites were coming from mixed breeds. Did you know that people are breeding shar-pei and pit bulls together.. you know what that creates? The ultimate fighting dog. Some of these mixes are not mistakes. They end up in the shelters or in peoples homes because at the young age of 5-6wks, that particular pup shows no aggression.

If you are going to own a bull breed or any kind, you need to know what they are all about. These dogs typically cannot go to dog parks, they can't be around other strange dogs.. and people don't understand that. They think that if their dog is friendly, so is yours. I come across that so much with my own dog. She is dog aggressive, but she listens to me. I can take her to parades and pet stores where other dogs are, and she is fine. But when I start backing away from another dog, or trying to leave when another dog is coming towards me, people automatically think that I'm afraid their dog is aggressive.. When I tell them my dog isn't friendly, they look offended..

People are the reason dogs, cats, horses and other types of animals suffer.. the majority of people who own these animals are literally, stupid.

[JudyKayTee]

[QUOTE=Alty;3211842]I've done this before, and I'll do it again on this thread. Here are 5 dogs in my local shelter right now.




Love this one - too bad you're so far away, I'd be tempted. Does he/she have a Passport?