The sad saga of Trevor the dog from Yukon continues. According to the behaviour specialist, Trevor is a dangerous dog and to all appearances it looks like she wants the poor mutt to be put down. If only Trevor had been lucky enough to have his life in the hands of the understanding Erika Rozsa-Atkinson who wrote:
Dear Whitehorse Star: I am sad to see a lack of willingness the Star’s reporter displayed in her article to correctly report Travor’s court hearing. It painted a picture that jades the truth. My name is Erika Rozsa-Atkinson, a Whitehorse trainer who successfully rehabilitates aggressive dogs over 17 years in the Yukon Territory, and have training consistently for 27 years in Europe and Canada combined.
I set in the court room for 3 hours and closely paid attention to what was said. Unlike your unsuspecting readers I do know what was said in the court room. There is a code of ethics I think should be honored when informing the general public. What your reporter produced did not follow this simple core principle.....
Saturday, September 26, 2009
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Because I love dogs, I wonder what kind of life Trevor will have if he is to be constantly monitored? Same goes with other breeds like pitbulls, when the law says they need to be chained up in their backyards, it just makes them more aggressive, not less aggressive.
ReplyDeleteThere can not be a blanket law for any breed, each animal needs to be assessed individually. It doesn't sound like Trevor passed his evaluation. I would never trust him around a young child. Not every dog is a good dog.
Trevor's looks, reminds me of a pet we had when I was a kid. Loved the family but would turn into a monster when we had visitors. Before he could get really dangerous, my dad gave him away to a farmer where he took on the role of a sheep dog, very successfully, I might add.
ReplyDeleteHowever, my siblings and I refused to speak to my dad for over a week. :}
I live in Whitehorse, and have followed this story for some time. All these folks that are willing to stand up for this dog, including the dog trainer, advocate for this poor dog, but who is willing to step into the breach and put cold hard cash down to buy the liability insurance that should be required to keep him alive?
ReplyDeleteWhen you know the whole story, the problem stems from a 'First Nations' community that has a habit of owning dogs and then neglecting them. This is where this story DIDN'T go.. Why is that? The dog was tied up so long on a short chain that the chain grew into the dog's neck. Th e dog was abused, neglected and ignored so long that he became mean and aggressive. Who's fault is this mess, REALLY? The newspaper report doesn't mention the condition that caused this horrific story to unfold.. but taxpayers are paying for lawyers and dog experts to settle his case but not a peep about who abused this dog for so long that it even became an issue. Why are the original owners not footing this legal bill? Why have animal cruelty charges not being brought against these people? Could it be that they are Indians, and therefore 'off-limits'? But I guess political correctness trumps animal welfare... that is of course only true because the guilty party in this fiasco is not a white person. FYI.. you can go to reserves all across this country and see similar animal abuse wherever you go... isn't it time to stop this? Animal-lovers? Concerned citizens? Nobody gonna step up to the plate for the animals? I guess you all would if it werent for the threat of being called a 'racist'?
Warren - I wondered about the original owners and had a feeling that Trevor must have been ill-treated.
ReplyDeleteMaria, mis-treated is an understatement. And poor Trevor is only one of dozens in that community who either leave the dogs tied up or left to run loose. It is a terrible shame that such frequent abuse is ignored.
ReplyDelete