BEV DAUPHINEE
... UNFORTUNATELY, in HRM, one story has been dragging on far too long: the sad saga of Brindi, the six-year-old dog that has spent most of the last two years living in an SPCA shelter.This week, a judge delayed proceedings until April 16 after Brindi’s owner, Francesca Rogier, asked for time to have a behavioural assessment done on her dog before its fate and Ms. Rogier’s sentence are decided. In February, Ms. Rogier was found guilty of violating Halifax Regional Municipality’s animal control bylaw on three charges, including owning a dog that attacked another animal.
This case has been debated in the media and on online sites since Brindi was seized by HRM’s Animal Services in the summer of 2008. We have received a lot of email, most of it coming from other parts of Canada and the U.S., generated by the online interest. In the past few weeks, we have received about a dozen locally written letters and published six of them, most pleading for Brindi’s return to her owner.
In an effort to save the dog from a possible euthanasia order, several Nova Scotian animal experts are advocating to have Brindi adopted by a suitable owner who can provide the dog with a good home and proper socialization skills.
Ms. Rogier has said she would appeal any decision that would not see Brindi eventually returned to her and she has accused HRM of conducting an "unfair" and "abusive" process.
I have no doubt Ms. Rogier loves her dog, but I do not believe the municipality has some sort of vendetta against her or Brindi, as has been suggested in many emails sent to our office.
Perhaps it is time to stop fighting for a principle and for everyone to concentrate on what is best for Brindi. If there is to be a way out of this mess for everyone — the HRM, Ms. Rogier, and especially Brindi — surely it is time to try to negotiate a happy ending to this story before it is too late.
( bdauphinee@herald.ca)
Bev Dauphinee is editor of the Opinions pages for The Chronicle Herald.
(note: the letter below was written in response to the original article's clearer position in favor of re-homing Brindi)
> Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:09:03 -0300
> From: Olive Pastor
> To: bdauphinee@herald.ca
> Subject: A Response to A dog's Life in HRM
>
> Ms Dauphinee:
>
> I will be the first to agree with you that this case of Brindi has dragged on too long. I will disagree with you that the HRM doesn't have a vendetta against Ms Rogier. As far as I am concerned this is a case where a resident of the province has challenged the authority of a Municipal Government and she has been made pay for this financially and emotionally. Not to mention what the HRM has put this dog through in the last twenty months. As to the experts, Bob Ottenbrite was hired to train Brindi by Ms Rogier. It looks like he failed. And further, now he has gone on the attack to take Brindi away from Ms Rogier.
As for the SPCA, Ms Williams is a Public Relations person talking to the media about finding a good home for Brindi. She would certainly know how to put the spin on this to make the SPCA and HRM look good while making Ms Rogier look bad.
I have to ask, how objective is the SPCA on the subject, considering the lucurative contract they have had with HRM over the past number of years? Has any reporter ever researched into this, or even interviewed Ms Rogier so she could tell her whole story? I've only seen short write-ups about her case in court and what was said, not an interview. I also notice that Ottenbrite said he was threatened by one of Ms Rogier's supporters. Did he report this to the police?
I have to ask, how objective is the SPCA on the subject, considering the lucurative contract they have had with HRM over the past number of years? Has any reporter ever researched into this, or even interviewed Ms Rogier so she could tell her whole story? I've only seen short write-ups about her case in court and what was said, not an interview. I also notice that Ottenbrite said he was threatened by one of Ms Rogier's supporters. Did he report this to the police?
What was Ottenbrite's solution for taking Brindi? I think he was just going to kennel her and keep her there for the rest of her life. Has anyone ever researched into why Brindi acts in this manner because of her past life? I don't think so.
Ms. Rogier had told me she has received numerous threats against her. I never seen any of this reported by the media because I never saw an in-depth interview.
I would also like to know why Brindi was not released by the Supreme Court when the kill order was quashed. It appears the door was left open for the Provincial Court to do the deed or to make it look like they were doing the correct thing by taking the dog from her owner, that would give a win to HRM.
As to Ms Rogier, I sympathize with what she is going through. Here are people speaking up saying the dog should go to a good home. Really! Ms Rogier has all the love and kindness and a good home that Brindi needs. Anyone who would fight for her dog like she has deserves to get her dog back.
Peter Kelly could stop this right now but HRM will not back down. Are these the type of people we need in government?
Peter Kelly could stop this right now but HRM will not back down. Are these the type of people we need in government?
Here in Canada we are supposed to temper justice with understanding and kindness. I have seen nothing of this in the Brindi case. Nothing short of giving Brindi back to Ms Rogier is acceptable. How about doing a good in-depth interview with Ms Rogier before deciding who is right or wrong?
Olive Pastor
Pictou, N.S., B0K 1H0
Pictou, N.S., B0K 1H0
3 comments:
Why isn't this editor interested in why this mess happened in the first place? Doesn't she care?
I don't think Brindi's owner is fighting for any principle! She was charged and convicted and the city is trying to kill her dog, for God's sake! That is not her doing. As for negotiations - the city has ignored all her offers, with a trainer, a fence, and a muzzle! here is no reason not to give the dog back. It's not fair to blame the owner because she could not find a decent, trustworthy lawyer who would not waste months and months of time! So she ended up having to represent herself. What a nightmare, and no dog at home to comfort her! And she's doing this for her dog, make no mistake about it!
Olive Pastor is so right! Nobody really knows this story, nor do they seem to care. I for one think it's a shame. Ms. Dauphinee belittles the issues but there are many "principles" involved that affect all of us and I don't like seeing what is happening.
No vendetta? Then how do you explain this atrocity? Idiocy? Obstinacy? Whatever it is, it's not right and should stop.
There is no question here that both Brindi and Francesca are being treated unfairly by the City of Halifax and the SPCA is no better. To take away a dog from an owner where she has been shown nothing but love, something she had never known before, is totally unfair and unjust. Francesca has been fighting to get her dog back for a year and a half now, and the SPCA is suggesting that Brindi be rehomed. In what way are they advocating the best interest of the dog here? Francesca is fully capable of taking care of Brindi, and so she had an accident with the muzzle slipping off and the dog getting away once. What dog owner hasnt had something like that happen to them. I am sure there are very few. Francesca has done everything she has been asked to do and is willing to do more, so she can just have Brindi home with her. Home is where Brindi belongs and going to another person is not her home. What is wrong with you people? I am so frustrated by all of this stupid talk about finding Brindi another home when she already has the best.
Marcine
Grande Prairie, AB
I don't see where Brindi or Francesca's offence was different than that of other dog owners charged with By-Law violations, yet the penalty being suggested is so much greater.
Death vs. fines? Where is the justice in that logic?
How is this penalty possible? Why is that acceptable?
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