My Dog Teaches ... Human Rights
 What can dogs teach us about Human Rights? Plenty, if we care to
examine how dogs and their owners have sometimes been treated by
those who make our laws.
Every dog is a unique animal. Likewise, every human being is
also unique. Each and every one of us has his own personality,
interests, ideas, beliefs, talents and goals.
In our so-called free societies, we generally presuppose that we
are at liberty to pursue any of these so long as our actions do
not harm others or put them at risk. Or that we do not infringe
on the rights and freedoms of others.
We trust that, unless we actually put someone in harm’s way, we
will not be arbitrarily punished. The constitutions of most
countries in the free world have clauses to this effect. The
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ratified by the United
Nations in 1948, states in Article 9, “No one shall be subjected
to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile”. Article 5 reads, “No
one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment”. And Article 10, “Everyone is
entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an
independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his
rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him”.
These points are all well and good in theory. How well do they
hold up in the real world where all of us live?
Well, what happens when the laws themselves are completely
arbitrary? It doesn’t much matter if you are entitled to a fair
trial if the “offense” you have committed is against some
arbitrary rule which has nothing to do with harming anyone or
putting them at risk. It is little consolation for anyone
charged or convicted of one of these “offences” to know that he
is being punished simply because he didn’t follow the letter of
the law.
Breed-specific legislation (BSL), enacted here in Ontario and in
many other jurisdictions around the world, is an example of a
law which can severely punish actions that are not in any way
detrimental or dangerous to others. Perfectly harmless and
friendly dogs can and have been taken away from their owners and
destroyed just because they are considered to be of a particular
breed, not because they have ever hurt anyone or even
demonstrated that they pose any slightest threat. Even week-old
puppies have been killed because they supposedly were of a breed
that had been banned.
For me, it would certainly be arbitrary and cruel and unusual
punishment if Hunny were to be taken away and killed just for
the fact of her being of a particular appearance. Yet this
possibility exists because the government here in Ontario has
taken away my right to play with my dog outside in her natural
environment.
Through the six years we have been together, Hunny and I have
become extremely close companions, and I feel that no one should
have the ability to interfere with that relationship if neither
of us has done anything to threaten or hurt another. Yet in
order for me to ensure that she gets the exercise she needs and
to continue to be the very happy and sociable dog that she is, I
have been forced into the extremely untenable position of being
unable to avoid breaking the letter of the law. I believe that,
in a society which calls itself free, the government should not
be able to over-ride our fundamental right to choose our
companions or have the ability to punish us for anything other
than actions which could be considered harmful.
Of course, it is always stated or implied by those creating our
laws that the laws are intended to be benevolent. In the case of
breed-specific legislation, it is usually presented as having
the goal of protecting children from dangerous and aggressive
dogs. Yet some of these children may be forced to go through the
very traumatic experience of losing a cherished childhood friend
through government decree.
What makes life interesting is that we are all individuals.
Although we have many things in common, we are not the same,
person to person or dog to dog. Therefore, we must fight for our
rights to maintain our own individuality and choices.
Breed-specific legislation, based as it is solely on appearance
rather than actions, instead of protecting us from harm, is an
assault on our fundamental rights and freedoms by governments.
David
Previous "Petitorial"
articles by David McKague:
Editor’s note:
I would like to encourage dog lovers everywhere
to start a PETITION to have this law thrown out or revised to such
a form where justice prevails. SFR.
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