GIVE PUNKY (MY FAMILY MEMBER) A CHANCE TO LIVE
Spende geschützt
My name is Susan Santics and I live in Vancouver, B.C. I am raising $9,000 to support my legal struggle to save the life of my beloved dog, named Punky. I ask for your help to reach this financial goal.
I adopted Punky as a puppy four years ago, from what had been a neglectful and abusive situation. He is an Australian cattle dog, a breed of dog which is known to follow their human companions everywhere. Indeed, soon after Punky came into my life, he demonstrated a high degree of affection and loyalty, as well as intelligence. He was my constant friend, a member of my family, and we became inseparable.
Unfortunately, in August 2017 at an off-leash dog park, Punky, then a two and a half-year old, bit a woman below her knee. She was treated in a hospital ER Department and released. No stitches were applied. Two weeks later, Vancouver Animal Services came to my apartment and seized Punky. He has been impounded in a small kennel ever since, with minor exercise twice a day, in a slightly larger area. I am only allowed to see him (from outside his kennel) once per week for 30 minutes.
In addition to charging me under the Vancouver Animal Control By-law 9150, the City of Vancouver applied to the Provincial Court to have Punky deemed a “dangerous dog” and to be “destroyed.” The Court agreed with this application, despite Punky being given no chance for rehabilitation. I represented myself and testified on my own behalf. Without expert witnesses, there was no one to testify as to Punky's rehabilitative potential. I have since been told by an animal consultant that Punky is capable of being rehabilitated.
For the past two years, then, I have waged a legal battle through the B.C. court system in an effort to see Punky’s life spared – and for him to have the opportunity for rehabilitative therapy. B.C’s Appeal Court recently agreed to postpone seeing Punky euthanized while I take this legal battle further — to the top Court in Canada. See Punky’s execution stayed as owner takes run at Supreme Court of Canada.
I am fortunate to have Victoria Shroff, one of Canada’s most experienced lawyers dealing with cases involving animals, working on my behalf. Victoria and two other public interest lawyers, Erin Reimer and Amber Prince, have all taken this case on pro bono because it's significance goes beyond Punky’s life and, if you will, his right to life. Indeed, as Victoria has said:
“We are in a transformed legal environment where animals matter. Even if you think an animal is not a family member, before you take somebody's property away — especially sentient property — you better be 100 per cent sure that this animal has no prospects of rehabilitation."
Punky has shown friendliness and much affection to the kennel workers while he has been incarcerated. For the last two years, I have taken dog training classes, participating with my trainer's dogs. I have educated myself with books by behaviourists, Patricia McConnell and Janis Bradley and others. I follow trainers such as Dr. Ian Dunbar, Emily Larlham and Chirag Patel.
Punky and I have been separated now for two years, and I miss him dearly. I am deeply concerned about the stress and misery of his confinement — something no dog should have to endure. I also believe that any dog that has shown behavioural issues should have the chance for rehabilitation.
This is why I am fighting this fight, and I ask you to join me. I am a retired OR nurses’s aide and not wealthy, so I need help to pay for court filing fees, for travel to Ontario (and back again to Vancouver) for the potential hearing before the Supreme Court of Canada, and for incidental expenses as they may arise. No funds will go towards paying lawyers’ fees. If you would contribute to my funding campaign, I would be eternally grateful. Thank you for your kind and compassionate consideration.
See CKNW Jill Bennett Show at https://globalnews.ca/bc/program/the-jill-bennett-show
Please read and sign my petition and help save Punky: http://chng.it/csgvsBh7
I adopted Punky as a puppy four years ago, from what had been a neglectful and abusive situation. He is an Australian cattle dog, a breed of dog which is known to follow their human companions everywhere. Indeed, soon after Punky came into my life, he demonstrated a high degree of affection and loyalty, as well as intelligence. He was my constant friend, a member of my family, and we became inseparable.
Unfortunately, in August 2017 at an off-leash dog park, Punky, then a two and a half-year old, bit a woman below her knee. She was treated in a hospital ER Department and released. No stitches were applied. Two weeks later, Vancouver Animal Services came to my apartment and seized Punky. He has been impounded in a small kennel ever since, with minor exercise twice a day, in a slightly larger area. I am only allowed to see him (from outside his kennel) once per week for 30 minutes.
In addition to charging me under the Vancouver Animal Control By-law 9150, the City of Vancouver applied to the Provincial Court to have Punky deemed a “dangerous dog” and to be “destroyed.” The Court agreed with this application, despite Punky being given no chance for rehabilitation. I represented myself and testified on my own behalf. Without expert witnesses, there was no one to testify as to Punky's rehabilitative potential. I have since been told by an animal consultant that Punky is capable of being rehabilitated.
For the past two years, then, I have waged a legal battle through the B.C. court system in an effort to see Punky’s life spared – and for him to have the opportunity for rehabilitative therapy. B.C’s Appeal Court recently agreed to postpone seeing Punky euthanized while I take this legal battle further — to the top Court in Canada. See Punky’s execution stayed as owner takes run at Supreme Court of Canada.
I am fortunate to have Victoria Shroff, one of Canada’s most experienced lawyers dealing with cases involving animals, working on my behalf. Victoria and two other public interest lawyers, Erin Reimer and Amber Prince, have all taken this case on pro bono because it's significance goes beyond Punky’s life and, if you will, his right to life. Indeed, as Victoria has said:
“We are in a transformed legal environment where animals matter. Even if you think an animal is not a family member, before you take somebody's property away — especially sentient property — you better be 100 per cent sure that this animal has no prospects of rehabilitation."
Punky has shown friendliness and much affection to the kennel workers while he has been incarcerated. For the last two years, I have taken dog training classes, participating with my trainer's dogs. I have educated myself with books by behaviourists, Patricia McConnell and Janis Bradley and others. I follow trainers such as Dr. Ian Dunbar, Emily Larlham and Chirag Patel.
Punky and I have been separated now for two years, and I miss him dearly. I am deeply concerned about the stress and misery of his confinement — something no dog should have to endure. I also believe that any dog that has shown behavioural issues should have the chance for rehabilitation.
This is why I am fighting this fight, and I ask you to join me. I am a retired OR nurses’s aide and not wealthy, so I need help to pay for court filing fees, for travel to Ontario (and back again to Vancouver) for the potential hearing before the Supreme Court of Canada, and for incidental expenses as they may arise. No funds will go towards paying lawyers’ fees. If you would contribute to my funding campaign, I would be eternally grateful. Thank you for your kind and compassionate consideration.
See CKNW Jill Bennett Show at https://globalnews.ca/bc/program/the-jill-bennett-show
Please read and sign my petition and help save Punky: http://chng.it/csgvsBh7
Organisator
Susan Santics
Organisator
New Westminster, BC
