Belfast: Grant A Little Girl’s Christmas Wish

COMMENTARY

© By June Maxam

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND—Christmas is supposed to be the merriest time of the year.

But there’s not much merriment in Belfast nor is there much peace or good will toward all—people or dogs—at the moment. 

The City of Belfast in Northern Ireland has a public relations nightmare.

But they could turn that all around in a flash with the release of Lennox, a disabled little girl’s support dog which Belfast has kept locked up for nearly two years, all because of a tape measure and a dog warden’s arbitrary and capricious opinion that the American bulldog/Labrador retriever looks like a pit bull.

There would be joy in the world, a time of celebration throughout the world.  Christmas is a time for families. Belfast needs to let Lennox go home to his family.  Let there be peace and good will.

Light up a little girl’s face with the return of her cherished, beloved dog and let the world rejoice.

In May, 2010, dog wardens employed by the Belfast City Council unjustifiably seized Lennox, then five years old simply because they decided all by themselves, with a seamstress’ tape measure Lennox was of “pit bull type”.  The dog wardens violated the Disability Discrimination Act. They took a disabled girl’s therapy dog without cause, without due process.  They violated her human rights and caused serious physical and mental harm to Brooke Barnes, 11 years old at the time of that Lennox was seized.

And for certain they have caused serious harm to Lennox as a result of his captivity without just probable cause.  They locked him away in squalid conditions, intentionally trying to create an aggressive dog in order to support their wrongful seizure.

The dog hasn’t harmed anyone, there simply was no offensive deed. There had been no complaints about the dog acting aggressively, he hadn’t bitten anyone, he hadn’t been running at large.   Dog wardens saw Lennox during a visit to the family’s home to check on dog licenses. Lennox had been licensed since he was a puppy and the government had never raised an issue with him.    He was neutered, microchipped, insured.  The owners had done everything right.  He never left his property unless leashed and muzzled.

He wasn’t aggressive, he’s not dangerous.  He’s a family pet. As numerous experts have stated, he’s no threat to public safety.  Return the little girl’s dog to her.

The Belfast City Council and their dog wardens have caused serious physical and mental harm to Brooke Barnes.  Her health has deteriorated drastically since because she has been separated from her “bestest friend” over some 18 months and is afraid the government is going to kill him.

And the BCC has caused serious harm to Lennox.

Belfast has become known worldwide as the place that kills dogs because of how they look, the place that takes family pets away from disabled children and then their biased “expert” witness disrespects the disabled by making such discriminatory and unacceptable statements against Lennox’s owner, saying that she shouldn’t own a dog because she has arthritis and limps.

That was in September when the court dismissed the appeal of Lennox’s family and reaffirmed an order to destroy him, refusing to accept the assessments and opinions of qualified experts and instead giving deference to a bigoted personal opinion of  Peter Tallack, known for his prejudice against pit bulls and paid by the government to kill a dog who has done absolutely nothing to warrant a destruction order.

Hyprocites.  The Belfast City Council and government is comprised of hypocrites.  Less than 90 days after Tallack made his highly discriminatory statement against Lennox’s owner, Caroline Barnes and after taking away a disabled girl’s support and therapy dog,  the BCC issued a news release saying that Belfast would be highlighting what it is doing to make life better for people with disabilities during a conference at City Hall.

While the BCC was observing the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, they were continuing to hold a disabled girl’s bestest friend in solitary confinement in a secret location in deplorable conditions.

They even had the unmitigated gall to promote their new “Therapy Garden” in Musgrave Park, designed with the help of disabled children at the same time they were cruelly continuing to deny a disabled girl her support dog, continuing to threaten to kill it.  They claimed that “Belfast is making ongoing efforts to be an inclusive city, welcoming and accessible to people of all ages and abilities”.

This is the government that steals therapy dogs from disabled children and then ridicules the child’s mother because she has a disability.

Hang your head in shame, Belfast.

Unbelievably, while the whole world looked on, shaking their heads and promising a boycott of Belfast and all goods manufactured in Belfast, the BCC arrogantly and insincerely claimed that “together for a better world for all, including persons with disabilities in development” was their theme.

Now the city is strongly divided with many demanding the resignation of the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Féin) after yet even more insensitivity by the Belfast government, refusing to present a Duke of Edinburgh award to a 15-year-old girl, a member of the Armed Cadet Forces.

Although the Mayor has apologized for his actions, it’s not appeasing most.

On Monday, the Belfast City Council passed an amendment which reaffirmed that the Lord Mayor represents all the citizens of Belfast and noted that he had promised to do so.

The council reaffirmed its commitment to “promote good relations…..to promote a stable, tolerant, fair and inclusive society where individuality is respected and diversity is celebrated” and reaffirmed its commitment to “improve the quality of life for everyone in the city by making Belfast a better place”.

Belfast City Council is saying one thing and practicing another. 

They certainly haven’t practiced good relations in their draconian breed specific legislation, targeting and killing dogs simply because of how they look.

In it’s so-called Good Relations Plan for the city, the council says it will lead the city in the promotion of good relations, tackling sectarianism and racism and promoting cultural diversity.

It’s poppycock, bulloney.  Words on paper.  What the Belfast City Council is doing to Lennox and all the other dogs they have seized with their tape measure is totally racist and discriminatory.  It is a new Nazism, a genocide focused on breed of dog.

Northern Ireland, the Belfast City Council and their “expert” Peter Tallack have a mindset of exterminating a breed or type of dog. http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2011/10/07/lennox_nazism/

This is simply unacceptable, to say the least and in the case of Lennox, essentially a disabled girl’s life support,  Belfast officials have violated the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) and the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) which provide a means of redress for disabled people who have been subjected to unlawful treatment.

The Belfast City Council has encouraged children to post a wish list to Santa at city hall. Brooke Barnes has only one wish for Christmas.  She wants her dog and best friend to come home.  And really, there’s no valid reason why Lennox shouldn’t be immediately freed.

 Lennox wasn’t home for Christmas last year.  This year, Belfast could show the world their humanitarianism by giving, giving a little girl her dog.  Smiles would be seen and laughter heard throughout the world.  Belfast would be the subject of great admiration and respect for doing the right thing and favorably ending the long injustices done to the Barnes family.

It’s sad when the people in Belfast, the people who elect the members of the Belfast City Council want Lennox to be freed. That is the will of the people.  They want Belfast to do the right thing and free Lennox and all the other dogs that are being wrongfully held simply because they look like a pit bull.  They want an end to breed specific legislation. When will the BCC honor the will of the people?

Belfast is in the headlines worldwide for all the wrong things.  Their Mayor has been called a bigot and worse but the Belfast City Council could change all of that by releasing Lennox.  Let him go home.

In trying to salvage themselves from the fallout resulting from the appalling actions of the Lord Mayor, the council has affirmed that the civic position of Lord Mayor is about representing and respecting everyone in the city—and that includes law biding families with dogs, family pets who bring much joy and comfort to a home.

A house is simply not a home without a dog.

The  Belfast government got a taste of the public’s ire over the Mayor’s bigotry.  Can you imagine what would happen if the little girl’s dog is senselessly killed, especially at a time when other dogs have already been exempted and the House of Lords has forcefully stated that the Dangerous Dog Act must be overhauled? 

Not only are Belfast residents irate about the ongoing captivity of Lennox and the indignities and harm reaped upon the Barnes family by the Belfast government, but so are thousands worldwide.  Over 120,000 people have signed the petition demanding the release of Lennox. The longer he’s held, the greater the ire.

The city council should now put their proverbial money where their mouth is, make the city a better place for people with disabilities like Brooke and her mother.  It’s a simple act of kindness and would harm no one.    City residents and the world are demanding the release of Lennox.  Let him go home for Christmas. 

Could there be a better way for Belfast to show their sincerity and score a home run in public relations?

There’s no place like home for the holidays and Lennox deserves to be home with his family for the holidays. 

Belfast, show Brooke and the world there really is a Santa Claus.  12-6-11