Protest for Jan.29/09

The protesters who ‘showed their dismay’ for Benoit and Bailey’s business practices in October, have applied to the town for a permit to stage another protest Jan. 29.

HEAD:
Prospective protesters asked to plan ahead

By Jeanne Whitehead
DIGBY COURIER
NovaNewsNow.com

Canada’s Charter of Rights trumps municipal bylaws—so Digby town council’s Oct. 9 decision to classify public protests as ‘special events’ that require permits might not hold up to a challenge.

And that’s just fine, according to Mayor Ben Cleveland. He says when the previous town council decided individuals planning to hold a protest in Digby should apply for a permit under bylaw 2006-02, council wasn’t attempting to prevent spontaneous protests. They were just hoping to be forewarned.

Although the ‘special events’ permit has a $500 fee attached to it, Cleveland said that is typically waived anyway.

Frank Mackintosh, who was the mayor of Digby at the time, called an emergency meeting of town council Oct. 9 after Dana Bailey asked him to stop a protest that was going to take place in town Oct. 11.

A group of individuals were coming to Digby to protest the business practices of Bailey and his partner, Gail Benoit, local owners of a business called Puppies ‘R’ Us.

The two puppy brokers, already facing a 2007 animal cruelty charge, gained added notoriety in the summer of 2008 when puppies that they sold to individuals in the Maritime provinces died hours after the parking lot transactions were completed.

Esther Smith was one of the people whose puppies died. She was also one of the organizers of the Oct. 11 protest—which went ahead as planned.

The prospect of the Oct. 11 protest, however, triggered some research by the town’s lawyer, Andrew Montgomery.

He advised councilors that they could use bylaw 2006-02, which governs amusement performances and special events, to require organizers of future protests to apply for a permit. At the Oct. 9 meeting, councilors decided to do just that.
“We had a lot of discussion, at the time, around the fact that people have the right to ‘assemble’ and ‘express their views’,” said Cleveland.

“But it’s in the town’s best interest if we know about these things in advance, so Richard (Parry) is now telling people who ask that they should apply for a permit.”
“If there’s going to be a large number of people involved, and we need to close a street, it makes sense to know this ahead of time,” said Cleveland.

The people who staged the Oct. 11 protest are planning another one—to coincide with Benoit and Bailey’s next court date. Jan. 29, 2009. That’s when Judge Jean Louis Batiot will render a verdict on animal cruelty charges against the pair. The charges stem from the seizure of pups from their Roxville property a year ago.

Smith and her fellow protesters are doing everything ‘by the book.’ They have written to Digby town council advising, “We would like to hold a one-hour peaceful demonstration to show our dismay towards Benoit’s business practices.”
They have also asked Digby town council to waive the $500 permit fee because “We do not generate income of any sort.”

2006 Dog virus outbreak in Halifax, Annapolis Valley linked to road side puppy seller named "Gail"

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2006/08/11/parvo-dogs.html
Last Updated: Friday, August 11, 2006 10:05 AM AT CBC News

Dog owners in Halifax and the Annapolis Valley are being warned of an outbreak of canine parvovirus, a disease that can be fatal.

The highly contagious disease affects mainly puppies and can be transferred through feces and saliva.

"It just makes them very sick: lethargic, diarrhea, vomiting," said SPCA spokesperson Judith Gass. "Oftentimes you lose them, and fairly quickly."

Treatment of the disease can cost close to $1,000, but without it, 80 per cent of infected puppies will die. Even with prompt treatment, however, the virus can be fatal.

The outbreak has been traced to at least two sources: a Pet's Unlimited store in Dartmouth and a woman from Digby known only as Gail, who sells puppies through newspaper ads and on the roadside.

Vaccines offer limited protection

Gass says she doesn't know how many puppies are affected, but advises anyone who got a puppy with the virus in the last six weeks to give them a call.

"We don't want unsuspecting purchasers to be buying puppies that turn out to be very sick," she said.

"It's not only expensive … but very disappointing to them and also distressful for the animals involved as well. So we just want to stop the disease from spreading."

Gass is asking the public to take note of roadside dog vendors.

"Get a licence number so that we can go back and trace the source and make sure that the premises where the puppies are kept are cleaned up appropriately so that the disease does not spread," said Gass.

Gass says vaccines will protect older dogs, but for puppies, and certain vulnerable breeds, shots will offer only limited protection.

Gail Benoit Sells 6 More Puppies that die

Gail Benoit is on the news 2 nights in a row for selling puppies that die - in Nova Scotia
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq05GzK6We0

Gail Benoit & Dana Bailey Protest

October 11th Gail Benoit Protest Coverage in Digby, Nova Scotia.
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg1rAmeayDg