Animal Rights

In this year's budget process (2011), I lobbied council to support a grant of 1500 to provide to Spay PEI. This money I knew would be used to provide low income families a chance to spay their cats or dogs. In the back of my mind, I wanted to do something for my little 12 year old dog Nicki who during this time was diagnosed with liver cancer. I knew she was going to die as we had her to the Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI. They told me it was a rare form of cancer that had spread throughout her liver and there was nothing they could do. I would have remortgaged my house to save her but there was nothing they could do. Knowing we did not have much time left with her, I wanted to get something in the budget that I would know in my heart that was going to be for animals and I could do in memory of my best friend and beloved pet Nicki. I got my way and when I think of this grant and the good cause, I think of my little Nicki. She passed on March 19th 2011. The budget passed the end of March.
Now another issue that has been a bone of contention with me for many years has been the abuse of animals, in particular, the way animals are treated in circuses. When I was working in the United States in 1999 one summer at a sports camp in Pittsfield MA, we took some kids from the camp to the local circus. As we pulled up to the circus, I noticed a group of protestors pointing out that animals had to endure abuse to perform for us. This is when I started to become informed.
Ridicule - Fast forward to my first term on City Council
As the former Chair of Police Services, animal control fell under my committee. I tried to feel out other councillors how they felt about putting rules into place for circuses. I got nowhere. Management did not support either.
Erin Moore (on CBC TV) and Brendan Elliot (CBC Radio and who I might add is actually one of the few reporters on PEI informed on this topic) did stories with me on the circus on CBC and my views. Both stories were well balanced and I appreciate their reporting on this issue. I actually felt the Journal did a balanced story as well by former reporter Jim Brown. Unfortunately the most ridiculous, under researched and quite frankly most embarrassing editorial I have ever read appeared in the Journal poking fun at me about my views on the circus. I am not sure who wrote it but as an adult educator I give it quite frankly a 2/10. It provided zero research, no fact checking and essentially ridiculed me for taking a progressive stance on animal rights. I guess some view the torture and abuse of animals for human entertainment as a good thing like the writer of the piss poor editorial that appeared in the Journal back in the day!
I was also laughed at by some councillors (not in a mean way they just did not see as an issue) for wanting to put strict rules in place for the greasy circuses that would visit our City each and every year.
Left Wing Loon? I always thought I was a Progressive Social Democrat or at the very least a Left Liberal?
One CBC reporter said to me one time, "Every reporter in PEI knows you are the voice of the political left of City Councils in PEI" I took it as a compliment and a challenge.
Maybe I do lobby for issues that have not been seen as "politically sexy" in PEI such as the homeless, the poor, animal rights and such but I like to think these are just as important as any other issues. As a 35 year old adult educator and experience at the grassroots level with youth and seniors, these issues need to be addressed and I will continue to lobby.
I intend to present a draft by-law pertaining to the entertainment of circus animals in our City to the Police Committee in the next coming months. This could also be a component of our current animal control by-law- not sure yet.I feel I may have some others on council now who may support this. I will do this in memory of my best friend Nicki. If I am ridiculed, so be it.
"For those who know, no explanation is necessary, for those who don't, no explanation is possible"