Florenceville Sucks! Don't Ever Go There!

Woodstock Bugle-Observer Article

By Marc Hudon, May 2, 2006

A Florenceville woman, who owns a Rottweiler used as a therapy dog for autistic and special-needs children, says she is being forced out of the community by village officials over a dangerous dog by-law. Jane deWeerd, who works with patients as an intensive behavioural interventionist, moved to Florenceville from Ontario three weeks ago. She says town officials failed to inform her and her husband about the ban despite repeated requests for information concerning Florenceville’s dog bylaws. Now, the couple, who have spent close to $15,000 on surgeries and medication for the 126-pound female Rottweiler named Shire, say their house is up for sale.

Both Hartland and Florenceville have by-laws banning Rottweilers and pit bulls from the village limits. “It was very important to us that we thoroughly research any bylaws,” says deWeerd. “So what we did was we found out about the Hartland case and the situation there. We had a Realtor call the (Florenceville) village clerk’s office and she [the Realtor] was told quite specifically that there was no issue at all.” The dog by-law, which came into effect in November 1998 and amended in January 2003, clearly states no person shall harbor, own or keep a pit bull terrier or Rottweilers within the village limits. But deWeerd says her dog, who has undergone three arthroscopic knee surgeries and two knee replacements is not a threat to anyone. In fact, deWeerd believes her background with special-needs youth and Shire’s ability to connect with children should be welcomed as assets to the community.

“She’s so patient,” says deWeerd, as her one-year-old daughter Lily hand feeds the dog in the family living room. “She has a calm temperament. She’s extremely intelligent. She seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to understanding kids. She’s very gentle.” deWeerd says she was in her home for less than two days when animal control arrived with a summons for the dog’s removal. She says repeated requests to Mayor David Morgan for a bylaw exemption have fallen on deaf ears. Morgan, who was contacted at his home in Florenceville Friday, refused to provide details of the bylaw to the Bugle-Observer only to say that the bylaw has been on the books for years. A clearly frustrated Morgan says the village has no plans to discuss the issue with the media. “I have no comment,” says Morgan. “If you want to put that in the paper, go ahead. And don’t call back.”Clarence Walton is responsible for animal control in the area. Like Morgan, Walton is staying tight-lipped on details surrounding the dog’s removal. “I’m not allowed to comment at all on this,” says Walton.

Dr. Mildred Drost is a veterinarian in Florenceville. She says Rottweilers bred by conscientious breeders are stable and know the difference between blind attacks and defending their territory. She says much of the fear and hype surrounding Rottweilers is the result of negative media attention. According to Dr. Drost, a wide-ranging ban on Rottweilers and pit bulls is not the solution. “What I believe is not banning certain breeds,” says Dr. Drost. “I believe in banning vicious dogs. I won’t say that every Rottweiler is vicious. If you’re going to ban, then ban dogs that bite.” Ruth Hartmann, who has spent more than a decade breeding Rottweilers in the Kingston Peninsula, agrees with Dr. Drost. Hartmann admits Rottweilers can be a protective breed. However, she says poor breeding and training techniques are to blame for the aggressive nature of some Rottweilers. In order to be happy and well adjusted, Hartmann says Rotweilers need to work and be kept busy. “They are very responsive to human command and very easy to train,” says Hartmann. “They love being with people and trained to take commands. People I know who own them return to the breed. They are so loyal and good with people.”

deWeerd says she is loyal as well – to Shire and that she has no plans of giving the dog up. The mother of one, who is currently expecting her second child, says both she and her husband are currently debating whether to search for another home outside Florenceville or leave the province. “We are not being given an inch,” says deWeerd. “She has never bitten anybody, never menaced anybody.” deWeerd, who has multiple letters of support for the dog from past patients and local residents, says she is currently seeking legal advice on the matter. deWeerd says if all else fails, Shire will be left with a friend until the couple find a new place to live.

CAMPAIGNERS AGAINST Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) have called for a boycott of a frozen foods company’s products in order to save the life of a dog targeted by BSL bylaws in a Canadian town.

John and Jane deWeerd moved from Ontario to the village of Florenceville, New Brunswick with their elderly Rottweiler named Shire. Shire is a therapy dog and has a good temperament, never having caused concern to any other dog or human being. Even though Ontario has harsh breed specific laws, these had not caused the family concern for Shire’s safety. The move had come about as a result of John being asked to relocate by his employers, McCains Frozen Foods, by who he is employed a Senior Business Systems Analyst.

The deWeerds checked out the situation with regard to dog control laws in New Brunswick before moving. They asked the Florenceville village clerk if the village had breed specific legislation and were told that there were no such laws. The deWeerds purchased and received a dog licence for Shire - the application clearly specified Shire's breed. Contrary to the village clerk's statements, Florenceville does have breed specific legislation and Rottweilers are listed as a ‘banned’ breed. However, according to a reliable source, the village council does not impose its breed specific legislation on the two Rottweilers living there that belong to "old families", although “incomers” are obviously another matter. The Florenceville village council has since issued a warrant for Shire's death as a ‘dangerous dog’, and Shire has been moved into hiding to save her life.

The village mayor and council have refused to answer or even acknowledge any correspondence on the matter of Shire and are adamant that they will push ahead with the dog’s destruction if they ever manage to seize her. However, they have granted Shire a temporary reprieve for any legal challenge by the deWeerds, although in between times Shire has been housed in kennels some miles away.

Dianne Singer, officer of the Dog legislation Council of Canada (DLCC) told OUR DOGS: “Shire is upset and lonely without her owners. She is elderly, and this relocation is stressing her greatly. Shire has done nothing to deserve a death sentence. If the deWeerds had been correctly advised by the village clerk, they would not have moved to Florenceville.”

McCains Foods, the primary employer in Florenceville and the employer of one of Shire's owners, was asked to approach council to discuss the matter, and refused. Anti-BSL campaigners have pointed out that that the primary employer in a ‘one-horse town’ they have significant power and could intervene if they wished.

Five year-old Shire has had three cruciate ligament knee surgeries as a result of slipping on a floor. She has had a full gastric by-pass due to an ulcer blocking her intestine – caused by the painkillers given for her knees. She now suffers from arthritis, but remains cheerful and is devoted to the whole family, who have owned her since she was a puppy.

British-born Jane deWeerd told OUR DOGS: “Shire is once again home on a seven week reprieve, our fifteen month child Lily was clingy and devastated during Shire's two absences in safe kennels. After the seven weeks is up, who knows how she will be?

“We cannot make the mayor honour the dog license that was issued by the town, as the courts are backed up until early next year, and the license expires in December. The town acknowledge that John asked about any dog restrictions at the Village office, but say his question wasn't specific enough. Our estate agent also asked whether Rottwielers were allowed and was told yes. Quite simply, the town lied to us.”

Jane works with special needs children and adults, with specific expertise with Autism, and in the field of Intensive Behavioural Intervention and Shire has assisted her over the years by providing therapeutic care. She is currently home with Lily, and is expecting the couple’s second child at Christmas. John is currently on sick leave, largely caused by the stress of the situation.

“So far we have spent lots of money on lawyers and have got nowhere. We appear to be at the mercy of the Mayor's office,” added Jane. “It is has been reported by a reliable source, that other Rottweilers are resident in the town and have been left alone. These Rottweilers supposedly belonging to 'long time' residents.

“We have reduced our house price by $10,000 but no takers as yet. The ramification of the whole situation has been a major factor in my husband’s current medical leave. My husband also asked McCains whether Rottweilers were allowed and was told yes, at the initial interview, prior to our decision to move from Ontario. So far we have had no intervention from them. He, of course, cannot speak out publicly against his employers, but that won’t stop me. We have had tremendous support from the DLCC and dog owners all over the world.

“We don’t want to stay in Florenceville, that’s for sure, but quite how we can get out of this situation as things stand seems hard to contemplate. Basically it comes down to saving Shire’s life, and we are not prepared to sacrifice her life because of small-town prejudice.”

Dianne Singer adds: “ McCains' refusal to approach council on behalf of responsible owners and their unoffending dog, and Florenceville's refusal to lift its unfounded and unjust death sentence on Shire, precipitated by the village clerk's gross errors in stating there was no breed specific legislation and then issuing a dog license for Shire, leave us with the only course of action open to us.

“We ask all dog owners to join us in a boycott of McCains products and it’s subsidiary products. We also ask that you write McCains to advise them that you are boycotting their products until Shire's unfounded and unjust death sentence is lifted and she is allowed to live out her days with her owners in Florenceville.”

Neither McCains nor the Florenceville’s mayor’s office was prepared to comment on the matter.