A Different Kind of Post
HIYA!! SAVANNAH HERE!!!
I decided to talk today about something me, Mom and Dad have been workin’ on since Monday. This is about a dog, named Lennox, whose appeal was denied Monday in Belfast, Ireland.
He and his owners were appealing the enactment of his execution mandated by the Breed Specific Laws(BSL) in Belfast.
Now you are asking…”why is Savannah writing about this??…” “What about her recovery progress??” Well, I will get back to that message tomorrow, but I care about animal rescue efurrywhere…and for all animals, the slobbery, barky dogs too!
Anyways…this post is about the power of social media such as Twitter, Facebook and OUR BLOGS! We can make a difference.
And it is about offering my learning related to BSL to anyone else who may not know any more than I did before Monday.
So, here’s how I got involved with Lennox…
I have been away from Twitter for a couple of weeks…and BOOM!! Monday AM I log in and WHAMMO! Efurryone is tweeting madly about the decision on Monday to deny Lennox appeal and all the cat and dog anipals’ thought Lennox was probably already dead
So first, about the power of social media:
From Twitter on Monday, I learned what was going on…I got instant status updates from cats in the UK as they read on line and in news over there about what was happening.
I was provided with the link to the Facebook page set up to collect signatures to petition the Belfast government to reconsider (hoping against all hope that Lennox was not yet dead)…we collected over 10,000 in a matter of a few hours
From Facebook page Tuesday and from Twitter pals, I learned that millions had chimed in on Twitter and Facebook…flooding Twitter and FB accounts for Belfast officials and other officials
Thousands have taken to emailing officials in Belfast, the UK PM and the President of the USA and other elected official in the USA, etc. (email addresses were shared on both Twitter and FB) Finally, there was a mass demonstration organized in Belfast on Tuesday.
And on Tuesday through Twitter I learned that Lennox’ appeal was being sent to a higher court in England…YES!!! PAW PUMPS!!! He is apparently still alive…
Maybe the outcome will be the same and Lennox will die. BUT, for this moment, the power of social media had an effect on rescueing an animal…and that power was global. Pretty cool, huh?!
Now for the power of our blogs…my pal Rumpy Dog used his blog today to raise a discussion about BSL and Lessons Learned from Lennox. From the links Rumpy had in his blog today, I learned about stuff that affects my thinking about how effective, read ‘not’ effective, BSLs really are.
Finally, I also learned that there are other dog breeds that can be next on the hit list if we don’t address how to better manage dogs who can be dangerous…regardless of breed. Check out this link: Top 7 Dangerous Dog Breeds as identified by a National Underwriters’ website.
Mom about fell outta her chair when she saw that Huskies were 4th and Mals like Rumpy were 5th!!!
…this is Mom and Dad with their dangerous Huskies…
But, there ya go…now I know I better be way more careful whenever I do my morning patrol at the front door with Nanuk…never knew he was dangerous…
Mornings with Nanuk
I personally believe it rests on the peeps to make things better. Taking care of dogs more responsibly is the long term answer…you can read more about that on Rumpy’s blog post today.
I hope I have not disappointed my followers by digressing today…but this issue of Breed Specific Laws has captured my attention…as well as how it is affecting one dog in Belfast and her family…it is an open dialogue of what is best to do when trying to keep the peeps and little peeps safe from possible dangerous dogs.
But…I am only a 5 year old cat…yet I’m kind’a thinkin’ what the peeps are doin’ about it right now is not so great…what do you guys think???
Promise I will be back on track tomorrow…
Savannah's Paw Tracks 
Hey Savvy, Jetty here.
You are a socially responsible feline. Thanks for helping barky, slobbery souls like me. We wrote about BSL a few months back, since a law is coming up for a vote in our area again in August. (we lost a few months back.) See whatcha think…
http://heyitsjethere.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/my-first-blogspondent-assignment-part-i/, http://heyitsjethere.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/my-first-blogspondent-assignment-part-ii/
Mom does not permit me to tweet or FB, however, with stories like this, you may just change her mind! That’s amazing. We will cross our paws and fingers for Lennox.
Hey, nice post…I will forward on to Rumpy om case he missed it. This is an issue for all us domestic animals. Actually, it’s an issue for the peeps, but they just don’t seem to be able to get their act together to make progress that keeps us safe as well as themselves.
Rumpy posted a good link today to a a vet organization I think which has very logical suggestions.
Thanks Savvy, I agree completely, the humans need to really “get it together.” We appreciate keeping the subject active, so thanks for passing the posts on to Rumpy. Miss Deanna from For the Love of Dogs does a lot of work on this issue and she lives in our town!
yo Jet, why do you keep landing in my spam for wordpress!!!???? Anyways, thanks so much for not dinging me for the reblog—I must have offended some folks cuz I had so few ‘views’ or ‘comments’ today…sigh…We just learned from someone that apparently in Denver, if you enter the city limits, with a pitbull, even if on vacation passing through, they have the legal right to confiscate your dog at the local Mc Donalds when ya stop for a pit (pun) stop, and kill the dog…go figure
Hey Savvy, Big Guy here.
Ya know, when you tackle meaningful topics, humans can have strong feelings and react in unexpected ways. Stick to your paws, Savvy! OMD, that’s quite a law.
I think this was about Lennox?? again, dumped in spam file…whew…I keep forgettin’ to look in there
No worries!
Excellent post, Savannah. Thank you for taking this opportunity to bring our attention to this very important subject.
appreciate you reading this post…impawtant to all of us. hope you learned something new, I know I did all this week…purrs
Well pawed little mate,
RA, Isis & Nanük
hey guys! thanks so much for contributing to my comment queue! Appreciate your support about this issue…hard to belive Huskies were listed as 4th on list of 7 most dangerous breed of dogs. Still can’t get over that…sigh
Hi!!!
What amazing photos!
I love huskies!!!!
so do I…hard to believe they are considered as a dangerous breed
Excellent post! My human mom says the problem really isn’t the doggies, the problem is the humans who have the doggies and don’t take care or teach them properly. We have a part husky dog, Mika, and she is the sweetest doggy. Before mom adopted Mika someone had tried to make her an attack dog. With time, patience, love and lots of training Mika is a very calm, sweet and loving dog. Mika never tries to bite or hurt anyone.
Someone had to be really cruel to Mika to maker her attack…Husky type dogs are just not usually aggressive, toward peeps nor toward other dogs. I betcha Mika is so happy living with you…glad you liked my post…I just had to say something…
Good post sweetie. What has happened to Lennox should be a wakeup call for all of us. My oomans have known some wonderful large doggies that could be put on that list, yet they were/are well behaved and well trained. It the oomans in charge of the dogs that make them mean and bad. If we could only take the doiggies away from the bad people who train them to be mean, the world would be a niceer place. I won’t stop yowling about Lennox until he is safe for sure., Poor baby.,
we all have to yowl for Lennox…it is so inhumane…he has been gone so long from his homw, 2 years…peeps are the problem…always…not the dogs, cats…sigh
Love your serious side Savannah – this is a cause to get hot about. Such great news that Lennox is still alive to fight another day and here’s to the social media revolution and people power. Remarkable what enough people together can do.
Good for you highlighting this Savvy. The comments are excellent and I agree with Rumpy and Nellie too. I don’t think the Pit Bull breed would be banned here in the UK if it hadn’t been chosen by feral thugs as their weapon of choice on so many occasions! There are some dogs that are more susceptable to attacking like those you mentioned, but resposible dog ownership would see a different outcome I think. Sadly, we cannot put humans through a responsibility test before they get a dog!!
Biology is not destiny, even for dogs. Large and powerful dogs might be required more training or care because of the danger, but on the other hand even the little toy dogs can rip you up when their owners don’t manage them.
yeah, I am more afraid of the little ones sometimes MOL
great post, miss Savannah!
awww Jazz…thanks! How ya feelin’ my pal?
Yo! I was panting and upset because I HAVE NO TOYS LEFT!
Great post! I hadn’t read that we saved Lennox—for now. It’s a crime that he’s been away from his family for so long. Belfast hasn’t heard the last from me!
nor from me! Lennox’ case has apparently been referred to a higher court in England…maybe he has a chance…but I don’t trust thte officials. ANd yes, he has been away for so long I fear irreparable damage to his temperament
I have mixed feelings about this one Savannah. On the one hand, I don’t believe that it’s the breed and I would prefer to not have to legislate BSL. On the other hand, we cannot regulate responsibility, and pit bulls are a significantly higher rate of fatal attacks than ANY other breed. So, what to do? Do we be fair to the breed or fair to the innocent victims of dog attacks?
People can hurt and kill people too. Do we start putting them down too?
probably not…and Lennox is only on the hit list because he ‘looks’ dangerous…he has never biten anyone!
First, not all are innocent victims of dog attacks..some are attacked because they have done something to taunt the dog. Some children are hurt because they are rough, or abrupt or even cruel to a dog…and that is the parents’ accountability, not the child’s nor the dog’s. I continually fall to the side of “it’s us, the adult people…not dogs, breeds of dogs or children”. I do not like BSL. IMHO we can achieve way more if we try to be much more consistent at enforcing laws such as leach laws, and require all dogs be enclosed, without chains. Dogs running loose just invites potential danger…I could go on and on…I just believe dogs must always be on leash or confinded in a yard or enclosure of some kind. Both for their own safety and for the safety or people and wildlife. Course, I think the same about cats…sigh
I also believe a dog should always be on a leash. And I believe that some attacks are precipitated. However, the courts have traditionally always said the dog is at fault. Period. And that is not likely to change.
The laws we do have are not consistently enforced, and there are few consequences for a dog owner that does not properly care for a dog.
My contention is that until we offer realistic, enforceable solutions to keep people safe, BSL is not going away.
So, are we, the animal lover community, going to continue this pollyannaish talk about ending BSL without offering realistic solutions? And are we going to continue to alienate the majority of society by asking that they put dogs above people? Because right now, that’s what it sounds like alot of us are doing.
And I’m gonna copy and paste this in a post, because that’s what I was trying to say yesterday.
But even if you accept all that – dogs are always guilty when an attack happens – it is another large step forward to say that dogs are guilty *before* an attack happens and need to be put down because of their breed.
I believe that people do have to be protected as best as can be against attacks by dogs, of all breeds. But, targeting only certain breeds isn’t the answer…I think you and I are saying the same thing??? Yes??
I say good for you Savannah! I have been following and trying to help with Lennox for quite some time too. Social media is very powerful and we have done some amazing things with it. Did you know my Sister Dolly came to us only because of the power of social media? Keep up the good work Savannah, together we can all make a difference!
thank you Brian, and no I do not know the story of Sister Dolly?? And yes, social media will change the world I believe
Hi Savannah
Great Post! Me thought it was very insightful. We knows it is the owners not the pets.
We owns a condo in the city that we can’t sell yet because of the house prices, so we rents it out. We rents it for short term and we was letting peoples have their pets. We had one couple with a scottie. They were great, the doggy was great. Wes had no problems. When their house was finished, they moved out after 5 months.
The next peoples had a scottie too. They let him bark, he peed on the rugs, they did not pick up his poopies, the condo management company gots very mad about him. Our neighbors across the hall gots so mad they called us! Grizz was not the problem, his peoples was. We gots fined by the management company and we passed the fine along and when they asked to stay longer, Mommy also suggested that they take Grizz to Obedience lessons so they learned how to take care of a dog. Then they could stay. They did not like that. Mommy had to say no, you can’t stay. So they left. Me feels sorry for Grizz.
Mommy and Daddy say that next peoples who wants to rent who has a dog, will has to tell us they has had obedience training with their dog.
Kisses
Nellie
isn’t it always the peeps Nellie who don’t take accountability for us, their furry family, seriously???
Hi, Savannah. Thanks so much for this post about Lennox and breed specific laws. I have always felt close to pit bulls but I only found out why a few years ago. When I was a baby, Grandma had a pit bull and it babysat me. My early life was very difficult, and I’m very sure that Grandma’s dog loved me more and took better care of me than anyone else did in those early years.
I too am very uncomfortable around pits…but I know it is not their fault. If it is possible to breed into dogs a temperament, then it is possible to also breed out that temperament…I know this breed can be cleaned up without having to kill all the dogs! But people must do their part…what a mess, huh?