The Chronicle Herald Archives are a fabulous resource - people should go there and have a look around - there are just a ton of articles there that are so relevant to dog politics in HRM today. Today I went and looked up the search term "animal control" and came up with so many good and juicy items you wouldn't believe it - so I'm going to post a few of them tonight - and a couple of them are about our newly re-elected Councilor Mr. Jerry Blumenthal.
He very obviously hateshas a thing about dogs, and has a thing for pit bulls in particular.
Back in 1999 he wanted Animal Control to do more about seizing what he considered "vicious pit bulls" - he felt this breed of dog was terrorizing his neighbourhood and he thought that something needed to be done about it. At the time the NS SPCA had the contract for Animal control and "he accused the SPCA of failing to fulfil its contract with the city by not enforcing dog bylaws - He called for a report to find out why.
I'll put the article at the bottom of this post.
In a second article in July 2000 Mr. Blumenthal goes all the way and calls for an outright ban on pit bulls - he said "that metro should follow the lead of other jurisdictions and outlaw the breed."
He also said at the time - "I think it's about time that we look at the idea of banning certain dogs," Mr. Blumenthal said. "Pit bulls are not bred for harmony or for friendship.""
I wonder if some 9 years later, and now elected to city office a 2nd time if he still feels the same way about these types of dogs that a lot of people feel are no different than any other dogs - so in fact he is making these generalizations about every type of dogs - and therefore by association - saying these very awful things - about our own dogs - and the animals that we let sleep on our beds every night?
I certainly hope he has changed his mind about wanting to ban certain breeds off the face of the earth - although really it would seem like he hasn't seeing as how just in December was saying that in the "new year" he wanted to City Council to look at banning vicious breeds of dogs
Mr. Blumenthal is indeed a City Councilor here in the HRM who is an enigma who needs to be watched by dog lovers who have breeds of dogs that tend to be targetted by legislators who say things like "Germany is now getting involved in (banning) vicious dogs, and . . . I think it's about time that we look at the idea of banning certain dogs," - it`s 9 years later, and he`s still talking about his distaste of certain kinds of dogs - so yes, we should be watching him I think.
Here`s the 1st interesting article from the archives:
Metro, Wednesday, July 5, 2000
Councillor calls for ban on pit bulls
Halifax regional council has been asked to consider banning the ownership of pit bull terriers in metro.
Coun. Jerry Blumenthal (Halifax North End) told council Tuesday that metro should follow the lead of other jurisdictions and outlaw the breed.
No decision has been made.
"We should start looking at the idea of . . . banning maybe a breed, such as" pit bulls, Mr. Blumenthal said.
His stand was prompted by a recent unprovoked attack in Halifax in which a small dog was mauled by a pit bull left unattended in a car.
Pet owner Allan Offman had to repeatedly punch the pit bull in the head to free his terrified Lhasa Apso, which was leashed, from the jaws of the larger, muscular dog.
"Germany is now getting involved in (banning) vicious dogs, and . . . I think it's about time that we look at the idea of banning certain dogs," Mr. Blumenthal said. "Pit bulls are not bred for harmony or for friendship."
Mr. Offman's dog, Mookie, was not seriously hurt when it was attacked during a walk on South Park Street. But he wants the offending pit bull seized and destroyed.
Mr. Offman has asked Halifax Regional Police and animal control officers to investigate.
German officials have announced countrywide bans on breeding and importing attack dogs such as pit bulls after two attack dogs recently mauled a child to death in a schoolyard.
Mr. Blumenthal asked city hall staff to prepare a report on the possibility of outlawing brutish breeds.
Meanwhile, a proposed cat bylaw that's been debated off and on for years has clawed its way back to council's agenda.
Coun. Harry McInroy (Eastern Passage-Cole Harbour South) said staff has been sitting on a report about the proposed new rules.
He said he continues to get calls from residents frustrated with the city's lack of response.
"It's my understanding that there is a (staff) report and a draft bylaw," Mr. McInroy said.
Many householders have long complained about pet cats on the loose, damaging gardens and other private property. Cat lovers say the free-spirited felines are entitled to fresh air and exercise.
Coun. Robert Harvey (Lower Sackville) supported Mr. McInroy's call for a planned bylaw to be brought forward by staff.
"Many residents want to see this faced by council," he said.
Staff was directed to present a proposed cat bylaw to council next week.
The controversial cat-control issue has dogged council since 1996. In January 1997, city hall had a proposal that would have seen cats wearing identification tags with their owners' names and addresses, and owners would have faced a $25 fine if their pet was caught destroying property.
The SPCA estimates there are more than 200,000 pet cats in Halifax Regional Municipality, plus thousands of strays.
Figure:
Jerry Blumenthal: Pit bulls are not bred for friendship.
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Metro, Wednesday, August 25, 1999, p. A5
Councillor wants SPCA to seize vicious dogs
Jeffrey Simpson; Patricia Brooks
Staff Reporters
A Halifax regional councillor says by not doing its job the SPCA is allowing vicious pit bulls to run wild and terrorize city residents.
Coun. Jerry Blumenthal (Halifax North End) says recent incidents involving the dogs endangered people in his district and he wants to know why the unregistered animals aren't being taken off the streets.
"My residents are afraid," Mr. Blumenthal told council Tuesday night.
"This extremely upset me and the community of the north end."
He accused the SPCA of failing to fulfil its contract with the city by not enforcing dog bylaws. He called for a report to find out why.
When two pit bulls got loose Monday and were acting aggressively in his district, they confronted Halifax police officers who were trying to catch them.
That prompted one officer to fire two shots, but the dogs weren't hit.
Mr. Blumenthal said by missing the dogs, the police unnecessarily endangered people.
"Either the policeman shot at the dogs and missed both times and needs some extra training or the policeman shot in the air and he expected the dogs to stop and lift up their paws and say 'I surrender,' " said Mr. Blumenthal, who also called for a report from police to find out why a weapon was drawn in an area with children and families.
An internal investigation - standard procedure after an officer fires a pistol - is already under way.
An animal control officer seized the dogs, but they were later returned to their owners.
No charges have been laid, but the animals are now listed as "fierce and dangerous" under the municipality's dog control bylaw, meaning they must be muzzled and leashed if off their owner's property.
Mr. Blumenthal said that's not good enough, citing a section of the bylaw he said the SPCA should follow more closely.
Under that section, animal control officers may chase, impound, sell or destroy any dogs that "run at large, . . . that has without provocation attacked or injured any person or animal or damaged property, that are fierce or dangerous to persons or animals, (and) ... that are not registered" in the municipality.
Animal control does not have to let the owner claim the dog.
One of the pit bulls involved in Monday's attack was seized for a second time that night, after her owner was arrested.
Crystal Dawn Morris, 26, was picked up on an outstanding warrant shortly after 11:30 p.m. at her North Street home.
The woman had a tan-coloured female pit bull and two young children in tow as she was taken into a police cruiser.
Judy Pal, police spokeswoman, said Tuesday the warrant - issued after the woman was charged with failing to appear in court - was not related to the earlier incident.
An animal control officer took the pit bull to the SPCA in Burnside. The second dog was not on the premises, Ms. Pal said.
The woman was told to appear in court and then released, but the dog remained in the custody of animal control, Ms. Pal said. Animal control officials couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.
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