just want to cry a river for Lennox and his family…
http://celiasue.com/2012/07/13/justice-for-lennox/
http://celiasue.com/2012/07/11/for-brooke-justice-for-lennox/ RIP LENNOX
First Minister Peter Robinson calls for Lennox to be rehomed to the USA
from Victoria Stilwell... Still no response or movement from the BCC today, but NI’s First Minister has publicly joined the calls asking them to let me take him to the US. Let’s hope the mayor and council are willing to listen to him. Meanwhile, news outlets continue to apply pressure…http://on.msnbc.com/NaUN01
Worldwide Prayers for Lennox and family ♥ https://www.facebook.com/events/354894874583632/
no matter what happens, remember that Love is bigger than hate… and Truth and Justice WILL prevail eventually.
http://celiasue.com/2012/07/07/pray-for-lennox/
the latest word from VS
http://positively.com/2012/07/04/lennoxs-last-chance/
She is in Dublin and then Belfast later this weekend to meet with the Barnes family re Lennox. working with his team on last-minute efforts to find another solution for him. Will keep you all updated as things progress.
write a polite letter to the Belfast City Council asking them to allow Victoria or Jeff Coltenback in the USA to have Lennox leave at their own expense… It will cost them NOTHING… all they have to do is say yes.
Lennox has never lifted a paw in harm to anyone. His only crime has been the way he looks, and the tragic numbers from the seamstress’ tape measure that doomed him as a dog “of type” under the Dangerous Dog Act; the United Kingdom’s version of breed-specific legislation. Please do this one last thing to help save this precious life.
http://www.examiner.com/article/letters-urgently-needed-to-help-lennox-move-to-the-united-states
basically, their legal counsel has said there is nowhere for them to go legally, no recourse. They have admitted defeat. A home in another country has been offered to the Belfast City Counsel. The family is fighting to see Lennox one last time. It is unconscionable to not let him see his family nor be rehomed. The situation looks very dire, pray for a MIRACLE.
http://www.examiner.com/article/lennox-s-family-forced-to-admit-probable-legal-defeat?
“…Our concern and priority has always been the welfare of our beloved boy. We have fought to have Len returned to our family from the moment he was seized but we have been advised that the legal fight is at an end. We are obviously distraught but have to consider the impact that any future lengthy legal battle would have on Len if we chose to go against the advice that we have been given. We cannot subject him to any more as there are no grounds for a further appeal and we do not wish to prolong his suffering any longer by engaging in a battle that we simply cannot win.
We have attempted to write this statement many, many times but have struggled to put in writing that the fight to spare Lennox’s life may well be over. It has been almost impossible for us to accept that we have to admit defeat. We always believed that there was some hope and that justice would prevail. We were wrong. There have been many dark days for us since Len was taken and we want you all to know that it is your support and kindness that kept us going through the blackest times.
This is all we can share with you at the moment and we are finding it hard to come to terms with the fact that there is nothing more that we can do from a legal point of view and that Lennox may well be killed. We have one last hope that Belfast City Council will allow Lennox to be rehomed in the USA. The offer is there but we have no say in whether this offer will be accepted. We have never refused to rehome Lennox. That decision was taken out of our hands from the moment Len took his final walk with us from our house to the Dog Wardens van.
If the offer is turned down we will fight for our right to say goodbye. We cannot bear the thought that Lennox will die without being reminded of the hearts and hands that love him.”
Imagine inviting a few people into your home for coffee. Then, imagine that they take out a measuring tape and measure your child’s teeth. They say his teeth are too big, that people with big teeth are thought to be a danger to society and therefore your son will be arrested and sentenced to death.
It’s unimaginable, isn’t it? Well, that’s what happened to a four-legged family member named Lennox and his family, except dog wardens used a tape measure to determine the size of his legs and head and concluded that he was a danger to society. (This also happened to two dogs named Bear and Kooda in Australia. Read their story here:
Veterinarians slam Breed Specific Legislation killing two innocent dogs in Australia).
Note that the UK’s Dangerous Dog Act was recently amended and stipulates the that the “accused” dog must also be proven dangerous. So under current laws, Lennox is not a dangerous dog, however, this amendment was not applied in judging Lennox.
http://www.dogheirs.com/dogheirs/posts/1363-will-the-lennox-tragedy-impact-breed-specific-legislation-in-your-community
BSL is wrong on so many levels. Exterminating a breed of dog will not stop irresponsible dog owners nor will it stop dogs of ALL breeds from biting.
What kind of people kill an innocent dog because of the way he looks????????
This says they plan to kill Lennox on July 10
URGENT
Please call/write/fax…
Time is of the essence. Northern Ireland is five hours ahead the Eastern Daylight Time zone in theU.S.
Contact details for Secretary of State Owen Paterson
Westminster
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 5185
Fax: 020 7219 3955
[email protected]
Constituency
No constituency office
Tel: 01978 710073
Fax: 01978 710667
[email protected]
To: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Rt. Honourable Owen Paterson, Secretary of State Northern Ireland
Dear Sir,
I am writing to you with regard to a travesty about to occur in Northern Ireland and to beg you to please intervene and help save a life.
The life in question belongs to Lennox, a seven year old American Bulldog Labrador Cross who was living happily with his family in Northern Ireland. On May 19, 2010, Lennox was seized by council officials as an alleged “pit bull type” and taken to secluded kennels whilst his owner was issued a warrant of seizure with an incorrect address for another location.
While incarcerated in undisclosed kennels, Lennox’s family has never been permitted to visit him. It is now beyond two years that his family has not had an opportunity to interact with Lennox. According to the animal behaviourists who have examined Lennox and the various pictures on public view, Lennox’s health has been very much impacted while in custody. Lennox has lost a lot of his body fur much of it falling in clumps, Lennox has open soars throughout his body, he suffers from an injured neck, he has an unattended bleeding paw, and he is administered anti anxiety medication on a daily basis to help alleviate his stress.
In a desperate attempt to save Lennox, his owner Carolyn Barnes’s supporters have created petitions and videos resulting in worldwide support to bring Lennox home.
Northern Ireland has yet to fully implement the same dog legislation as in mainland UK. If Northern Ireland were to complete the same dog legislation Lennox could now be at home with his family. The USPCA stated that the law in Northern Ireland could be changed simply and rather quickly by an order in Council. As it is, Lennox was branded a “pit bull type” by the Belfast City Council despite a dog license issued yearly for five years by the same City Council who seized him.
It must be noted that Lennox never bitten n or attacked any human or any other animal in all the seven years of his life. There have been two independent comprehensive assessments conducted by professional Animal Behaviourists, – Ms. Sarah Fisher and Mr. David Ryan - both arriving at separate conclusions confirming Lennox as a harmless, friendly dog posing no danger to humans. For further reference, Ms. Fisher has made an excerpt of her Lennox examination available to public viewing.
It must also be added that Lennox’s owners were always thoroughly responsible in their care of Lennox. Since a puppy they had him neutered, licensed, insured, DNA registered, Pet Safe registered and micro chipped. Lennox never had a complaint issued against him while living with his family nor was he ever allowed to run free outside of the boundaries of the family home.
If Lennox lived in Southern Ireland where no breeds are nationally banned, Lennox would never have been seized at all. Lennoxhas been offered a place of safety with a reputable rescue in many parts of the world where he could legally live out the rest of his life. Most recently he was invited by an organization led by the reputable dog handler Mr. Cesar Milan in the United States of America.
I understand that you have the power to grant a Pardon and we beg of you to do all within your power to allow Lennox the chance of life by requesting Lennox be granted safe passage to the United States of America or any other country where a rescue placement is awaiting him.
I am sure you are aware of how emotionally committed good owners are to their pets. Dogs are part of the families to which they belong. In this particular case the little girl Brooke Barnes, a child afflicted with asthma and physical disabilities, was very much attached to Lennox and consistently relied and depended upon him for her safety and well being. Please spare the owner the further trauma of destroying Lennox so needlessly. Please Pardon Lennox and allow a blameless animal the chance of life.
Yours faithfully,
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2012/07/02/pardon_lennox/
