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Guest Column
by
Doris Shields
12/05
Maybe it's time
TheDogPress did an expose on
professional Dog Politics? The following attachments include 2 posts from
the Australian Cattle Dog Club of Canada's Yahoo board & they are pretty
straight forward.
(Editor's note: contact Ms.
Shields directly for those posts) The posts deal with the fact of a person (or a
couple really) who have been living off the fat of the dog enthusiasts for
years.
This person is now involved with DLCC, (Dog Legislation Council of Canada)
which is an anti-BSL group. As you can see from the ACDCC Yahoo posts, this
pair has financially & physically wrecked 4 dog clubs + rescues in the past.
(Ditto information from the CKC hearing transcripts)
I have been approached several times to join this group (DLCC) & have
replied that I will not have anything to do with them as long as Bev Lewis &
her hubby continue to be a part of their organization, especially in regards
to fundraising. (Once burned, twice shy!) I will post the DLCC reply below,
but....
You have to ask yourself, ?Why would a group continue to defend this
person??
She has been kicked out of the Canadian Kennel Club twice; if you count the
appeal she lost and is now in court on another matter. (I suspect the Aus.
Cattle Dog Club may be trying to recover either their club funds, or court
costs, or both.)
The reply from DLCC is that This Particular court case will decide her fate
with them. Why? The CKC case found her behavior less than sterling twice.
In the past, we could assume that dog organizations were operating in a
vacuum about her. Not now. This was all published in Dogs in Canada, May
2005. What evidence/impact will this court decision have that the CKC
decisions didn't?
They also state that she is no longer involved in their fundraising & has
not been since the decision by CKC late last winter. Wrong on both counts.
She was soliciting admission for
'Herding Instincts Testing' well after that date & for fundraising for the
court challenge to the Ontario Bill 132 which makes BSL legal. I and
countless other have received tons of unwanted solicitations for that and
various other fundraising projects from her. Lately, it's been for a
$350/per plate Ball scheduled for March 2006 in Toronto. (Only(!) $650.00
for a couple.) If that flies, I'm waiting for a squadron of Pot Bellied Pigs
to buzz the Ontario Legislature.
(Re: The All Breed Herding Instincts Testing... Does anybody care that their
Rotti, Mini-Poodle, or St. Bernard can herd Ducks!? More to the point, why
would they care? I'd be happy if any of these dogs could still do the jobs
that they were supposed to be bred for. Is it possible that Dog People are
the dumbest group of people on the planet?)
Here is DLCC's reply if we need further proof:
**********************************************************
You can state that Ms. Lewis has made full disclosure of her current
situation. Conflicts with organizations outside of the DLCC are judged on an
individual basis and considering her endless efforts (which in no way
involve monies) she has given freely of her time and efforts to fight on the
behalf of all dog owners.
DLCC Executive Board
**********************************************************
Another comment from a DLCC member was as follows:
"I suppose that I will wait to see how the situation is resolved in a court
of law. Should Ms. Lewis be unable to clear her name in court, then I am
sure she will be asked to resign from the DLCC as a member. I understand
that she voluntarily resigned from the executive as well as a member, but
was asked to come back as a member due to her unwavering fight against BSL.
Which I must applaud.
I don't think there is anything I can add at this time. I am sure that the
results of the lawsuit will be made public in some way."
**********************************************************
If she made full disclosure, she either made it several months after the
fact, or they debated for several months after the fact to take her off the
exec. When they say 'her current situation', do they mean that the CKC
rulings against her meant nothing? Or that they were told about this a very
short time ago?
Unwavering fight against BSL- Her timing is uncanny! Just at the time she &
hubby became persona non grata with Akitas, they became Aus Cattle Dog
enthusiasts/owners. And no sooner was she in deep doo-doo with them; she
became an unselfish champion against BSL. -?????
If there is anything or anybody that should be applauded in this situation
at all, it's the fact of The Australian Cattle Dog Club of Canada going to
bat for other breed clubs & rescues. Not only are they a 'Real Dog Club' in
that the members communicate with each other & find this kind of problem,
but they cared enough about other dog clubs to take things a step farther to
the CKC level.
Those other 4 dog clubs could
have done that -but they/we didn't!
We did not communicate & act as dog clubs should. When we found out there
was a problem, we did nothing about it. We were still being taken in by
suspicion & mis-information about each other. We just let things slide that
should not have been allowed to do so!!
I am writing this with the risk of being labeled anything from 'An Old Poop'
who doesn't appreciate a nice day of Duck Herding with a Dandie Dinmot, to a
Pro BSL person who is playing into the bloody hands of the Ontario Liberal
Government. Not so. I have written my share of letters to MPP's, The
Premier, & the 'Papers. I've made calls, stood out in the snow waving a
sign, driven for 2 hours to get to anti-BSL demos BUT -
I'd like to say, "Enough is Enough!" I guess groups like DLCC cannot
appreciate what ACDCC tried to do for Them? They have never appreciated why
they have so few( if any) Akita & Australian Cattle Dog owners in their
Org., nor do they seem to care. What I have said here does not change the
fact of Ontario Bill 132, & DOLA being completely contrary to the Canadian
Federal Bill -The Charter of Rights & Freedoms, & common sense.
After some extensive checking
with past & present Aus. Cattle Dog execs, they can find no individual
member who is taking Bev Lewis to court, nor is the Club or Rescue at
present although all are giving it serious consideration in future. I have
also checked with former Akita Alumni members. Several people have
contemplated legal action over club property not returned to original owners
after the official dissolving of Akita Alumni by the CKC but these actions
are on hold until the property can be located. TRIO Kennel Club may be
taking Tom Lewis (Tom Lewis Web Design) to court over the stats & photos of
all their past dog shows that he removed & took possession of when he
removed their web site, but again that is pending but is a persistent rumor
from a TRIO KC members. So at this time, nobody has any idea who has
Bev in court. !!!!
Doris Shields fshields@sympatico.ca
See letters
from DLCC and editorial comments re same -
DLCC RESPONSE
TO Dog Politics
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