City teen denied dog; protests punitive policy with pit bull petition
By Kyra Hoggan
A Castlegar teen is protesting city policy by posting an online petition opposing the city’s “vicious dogs” licensing fee of $1,000 (as compared to as little as $35 for other dogs).
To see or sign the petition, go to http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/city-council-of-the-city-of-castlegar-castlegar-lower-licensing-fee-for-innocent-pit-bulls?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=url_share&utm_campaign=url_share_before_sign
Castlegar’s Vienna Ready, 16, is a high-school student who works part time as a cashier at Safeway and has been saving up to rescue/adopt a dog entirely with her own money.
“I went down to the SPCA and just fell in love with this dog,” Ready said. “Her name is Honey and she is a Staffordshire Terrier cross, which falls under the category of Pit bull type dogs in Castlegar’s vicious dog list. She doesn’t look like a stereotypical pit because her ears aren’t cropped short, she’s pretty small, and her mouth/nose is a bit longer because, well… she’s a cross. Even dogs with crossed with a pit bull with attributes of one falls under the category of vicious dog in Castlegar. The lady at the SPCA also let myself and my little sister, who is 11 and small for her age, play with her and walk her around. She had no aggressiveness towards us at all, and was even scared of the other dogs.”
Ready said the city’s policy requiring a $1,000 license fee for dog breeds they deem as vicious actively punishes lower-income residents while reducing the chances of a forever home for dogs like Honey.
“I don’t want it to seem like I’m just doing this for myself to get (Honey), because even if the petition works there is a high chance I won’t get her,” Ready said. “I just really think it’s an injustice, and people are very misinformed about this breed because of all the negative stigma surrounding them. I’d want to educate people more than anything and make it easier for these dogs to find homes.”
For a history of the issue, see http://castlegarsource.com/news/general/city-revisit-dog-policy-10965#.UPivMx00WSo and http://castlegarsource.com/news/letters/letter-city-dog-policy-irrational-10964#.UPixHB00WSo and http://castlegarsource.com/news/politics/city-pit-bull-licensing-fee-remain-1000-11501#.UPixbB00WSo
City councillor Deb McIntosh, the only member of then-council at the time to oppose maintaining the bylaw, still insists it’s a flawed policy achieving less-than-desirable results.
“I think it penalizes responsible dog owners, and we can’t enforce it,” she said, adding there is not, to the best of her knowledge, is single such dog licensed within the City of Castlegar. “People just say their dogs are a different breed when they get their license, or they don’t get a license at all – people who are both honest and responsible get punished for it.”
Furthermore, she added, Robson and Pass Creek, etc., residents are not forced to pay such licensing fees, but are free to bring their dogs within the city limits whenever they please for as long as they please, so it’s only the Castlegar electorate paying the price (literally) for what McIntosh says is an exorbitant, and foolish, bylaw.
