Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Good news from UK: RSPCA calls for end to BSL

Calling for the end of a bad law is the first step: The RSPCA, UK's largest animal welfare org, has gone public to demand the immediate end of BSL in the UK
Many experts, law makers and dog lovers from around the UK and globally have seen the devastation caused by breed specific legislation - which outlaws dogs by ‘type’, meaning a dog is deemed ‘dangerous’ and illegal simply based on what it looks like and not because of any offence caused by the dog. As a result of breed specific legislation (BSL) in the UK, many innocent dogs have lost their lives since the law was brought in by Ken Baker in 1991. - DogMagazine.net

Gives the words 'Happy New Year' a whole new meaning. Keep your paws crossed that other UK animal welfare orgs will be inspired to join the RSPCA in this statement.

News from Home
The Oklahoma dogs are settling in. Tiny TugTug (right) is battling an ear infection and the tips of his ears are starting to scar over from the frostbite he endured, while Nelly is being tended to for a case of pneumonia. Life in the cold was hard on these guys! We're getting ready to post photos of 'Goji' one of the females that came to live in CA.

The Berkeley Animal Care Services made room for two dogs from Oklahoma ... a brave move for an open-admission shelter whose dog population is generally over-represented by local pit bulls. But Berkeley has been working steadily on their overpopulation issues and with adoptions at an all time high and kennels at an all time EMPTY, they were moved to help these out-of-state dogs in crisis.

Effie here is one of the two females now being cooed and adored by staff and volunteers. We knew they liked her when ACO Johnny dragged an office chair into her kennel to make her feel more at home. Thanks Johnny. Senior girl Effie is all about the love. She's dog tolerant (may even be dog social), adores people and flashes her toothy "Love me, Love me" grin to anyone who smiles in her general direction.

BACS is one of our favorite shelter partners and a must-do destination for Pit Ed Campers. We love showing out of town shelter workers that it really IS possible to increase your pit bull adoption numbers, support their owners and enjoy empty kennels.

Address for Dr. Yunker
As promised, the address to the unflappable Dr. Yunker who did fast and fantastic surgeries in unimaginable conditions in Oklahoma. He really deserves pit bull lovers' thanks for going waaay out of his way to help these dogs....
Dr. Terry Yunker, DMV
Animal Welfare, PO Box 20061,
Oklahoma City, OK 73156

Below, 'Turtle' from the Oklahoma case is reunited with her puppy in Oakland. Turtle is waiting for a home at BACS and her pup will be on our Available Page shortly.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is all great news. I can't wait for the 2009 Happy Endings to start appearing :)

Anonymous said...

Great news all around.
Great video.
Dogs just live in the moment eh.
That`s what`s so great about them.

Along with a call to end BSL(let`s hope that spreads around the world),I hope a demand for education spreads around the world because there have already been some tragedies which probably were preventable if the focus was NOT on a Breed of dog.

Anonymous said...

awww such a sweet reunion! turtle, you think your baby's clean enough yet?

2beemo said...

I think I am in shock over the good fortune coming to our bullie friends in the UK. Such good news!

Get better soon Nellie & TugTug... hugs to you both... and miss Effie? Keep up the good work impressing BACS visitors with your majestic presence.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this post and the earlier one with all the good news about pittie happenings & positive press in the last year! You guys are making amazing things happen for these wonderful dogs! Keep up the hard, heartbreaking, incredible, fabulous work! It's gaining momentum.

Stubborn hope!

Just sent thank you cards to the sheriffs and Dr. Yunker - I hope they know what a truly wonderful thing they did.

Love & best wishes to everyone at BadRap - Happy 2009!

-catherine, hattie & zeus

Anonymous said...

Hey Donna,

Mailed my thank-you to the good doc today. Hope he gets hundreds of them. A little positive reinforcement never hurt anyone. I wish that I had the room to foster one of the cuties, but I would just end up keeping them, and what would the "Diva" say?

Keep up the awesome work!

Natalie

Anonymous said...

Don`t know if this will help in the BSL battle but it can`t hurt.

Ideas for Change in America
This suggestion finished 3rd in the first round.
Vote button is to the left of the title.
Check out the endorsements on right side.
A lot of familiar names.

http://www.change.org/ideas/view/ban_breed_specific_legislation

Laura said...

This is my first time visiting your blog and I just cried happy tears at all the positive news for these babies. Keep up the good work. Our pit bull is the sweetest dog in the world and I'm tired of people's prejudice against this breed. It's good to see positive information about the breed being spread around.

Caveat said...

Good, the Bill put forward in December needs support and the RSPCA has a strong voice in the UK - they have opposed the DDA all along, by the way.

The Bill obviously needs some tweaking but just the fact that the UK is realizing how useless and expensive this trip has been is progress indeed.

Selma

Kirsten said...

This is great news and finally promted me to summon the wherewithal to introduce myself (and my thoughts on BSL) to the CEO of my shelter. Leant him Pit Bull Placebo :)

2 Brits, 2 Yanks, 2 Dogs said...

As a British citizen living in the US with 2 pit bulls I can not be more thankful that the RSPCA is doing its best to ban BSL.

Lets hope they manage to stop it.