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The Dog Legislation Council of Canada, a not-for-profit corporation that has been at the forefront of fighting Ontario's dog ownership ban, is delighted to host the Canadian premiere of the documentary film Beyond the Myth on Saturday, November 5 at the Fox Theatre in Toronto. The film—which has been screening across the U.S. to rave reviews and high praise—aims to educate the public about the discrimination unfairly placed on Pit Bull-type dogs and their owners, as well as underscore the ineffectiveness and harmful impact of breed specific laws.

Beyond the Myth is a film about dogs commonly referred to as “pit bulls” and those who love and defend them. It intelligently explores the contributing factors behind the public’s fear of the dogs, and examines the conflict existing between advocates and opponents of breed discriminatory laws. It investigates the myths associated with "pit bulls", challenges the idea that they are inherently vicious, and presents eye-opening research regarding the media’s role in influencing people’s opinion on dangerous dogs.

Libby Sherrill, the filmmaker and former producer for Home and Garden Television (HGTV), first decided to tackle the film as a grad student at the University of Tennessee. Three years later, her theme has been honed to reveal the perils of breed-specific legislation as carried out in three cities that ban "pit bull-type" dogs: Denver, Miami, and Cincinnati—along with San Francisco, which requires the animals to be spayed and neutered. Denver enforces their ban more stringently than most, killing more than 4,000 dogs since 1989.

Sherrill has poured energy into a film she hopes will bring about awareness to both the cruelty and ineffectiveness of Breed Specific Legislation, as well as debunk the myth that pit bulls are inherently more dangerous than other dogs. “I along with every major animal organization in this the U.S. who know something about dog behavior believe every dog, like every person, should be treated as an individual and given a legitimate chance for a great life with a responsible human”, says Sherrill.

General Admission is $10 with advanced tickets available here.

Beyond the Myth at the Fox Theatre, 2236 Queen Street East

Saturday November 5th at 7pm, Facebook page here.
Sunday November 6th at 4pm, Facebook page here.



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A request

The reason for this blog is to help get specific dogs adopted from TAS but equally important is to try to normalize the idea of shelter dogs being just as good and just as desirable as any other dogs including those which are regularly merchandised by backyard breeders, puppy millers and those few remaining pet store owners who still feel a need to sell live animals. The single greatest stigma shelter animals still face is the belief that shelter animals are substandard animals. Anyone who has had enough experience with shelter animals knows this is untrue but the general public hasn't had the same experiences you've had. They see a nice dog photo in a glossy magazine and too many of them would never think of associating that dog with a dog from a shelter. After all, no one abandons perfectly good dogs, right? Unfortunately, as we all know, perfectly good dogs are abandoned all the time.

The public still too often associates shelter dogs with images of beat up, sick, dirty, severely traumatized animals and while we definitely sometimes see victims such as these, they are certainly not the majority and, regardless, even the most abused animals can very often be saved and made whole again.

Pound Dogs sometimes discusses the sad histories some of the dogs have suffered. For the most part, though, it tries to present the dogs not as victims but as great potential family members. The goal is to raise the profiles of animals in adoption centers so that a potential pet owner sees them as the best choice, not just as the charity choice.

So, here's the favour I'm asking. Whenever you see a dog picture on these pages you think is decent enough, I'd like you to consider sharing it on Facebook or any other social media sites you're using (I know many of you do this already and thank you for that). And when you share it, please mention that the dog in the photo is a shelter dog like so many other shelter dogs waiting for a home. If we can get even five percent of the pet buying public to see shelter dogs differently, to see how beautiful they are and how wonderful they are, and to consider shelter dogs as their first choice for a new family member, we can end the suffering of homeless pets in this country.
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