http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2012/07/02/pardon_lennox/
Efforts For Pardon Of LennoxUnderway, Protests Organized
By North Country Gazette On July 2, 2012
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND
—-A mixture of emotions erupted late Monday afternoon as word spread quickly on Facebook and Twitter that the family of the beloved dog Lennox had decided not to appeal the government’s verdict to kill the dog by lethal injection. http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2012/07/02/no_appeal/
There is no specific date when the euthanization might occur.
Protests are currently being organized for the city of Belfastwith times and dates to be announced. Anyone in the Belfastarea interested in joining a peaceful demonstration in favor of saving Lennox’s life may contact the organizer at slamina2009@gmail.com and/or join the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/389848901062370/
An email/telephone campaign is also underway pleading with key high level authorities inBelfast including the Secretary of State for Compassion, Grace and Mercy in sparingLennox’s life.
A template (Sample Letter) for a “Plea For Pardon” follows.
It must be individually emailed or faxed and/or calls made to the Secretary of State’s office.
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
patersono@parliament.uk
Constituency
No constituency office
Tel: 01978 710073
Fax: 01978 710667
owen@shellbrook.demon.co.uk
To: sos@nio.x.gsi.gov.uk patersono@parliament.uk owen@shellbrook.demon.co.uk
Cc: peter.robinson@mla.niassembly.gov.uk
Rt. Honourable Owen Peterson, Secretary of State NorthernIreland.
URGENT PLEA FOR A PARDON/INTERVENTION TO ALLOW EXPORT OF “LENNOX” TO THE USA OR OTHER COUNTRY OUTSIDE THE UNITED KINGDOM WHERE LENNOX HAS BEEN INVITED
– SAMPLE LETTER
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 inNorthern 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 bringLennoxhome.
Northern Ireland has yet to fully implement the same dog legislation as in mainlandUK. IfNorthern Ireland were to complete the same dog legislationLennox could now be at home with his family. The USPCA stated that the law inNorthern Ireland could be changed simply and rather quickly by an order in Council. As it is, Lennox was branded a “pit bull type” by theBelfastCity 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 bit 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. Lennoxnever 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 theUnited 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 destroyingLennoxso needlessly. Please Pardon Lennox and allow a blameless animal the chance of life.
Yours faithfully,
—————————————————–
Offers are still before the court by well-known trainers Victoria Stilwell and Cesar Millan for Lennox to be released to them in theU.S.
Additionally, the Canine Justice Network has told the Belfastgovernment, “We here at Canine Justice Network in Cincinnati, Ohiowould like to officially offer a forever home here for Lennox in the USA. We would even pay for the family to come & visit with Lennoxas much as we can. Please share. Thank you all & don’t give up!” http://www.caninejusticenetwork.com/
On June 20, Stilwell told Lennox supporters to “Please keep shouting out forLennox—we have the backing an amazing sanctuary and financial support to get him out—the courts know this yet they will not let him go. Of course it would be best if he went back to his family and they will keep fighting for him just as we all will”.
After learning of the family’s statement, Monday night Stilwell tweeted, “Please, to everyone who supports @SaveLennox know that I won’t give up. I am deeply committed to him and his family”.
On June 23, Millan had tweeted that his foundation, The Millan Foundation, “is involved in helping continue the fight to #SaveLennox”.
According to an article later posted on Millan’s website, Jillian Dunn, the executive director of the Cesar Millan Foundation, said she had spoken with Carolyn Barnes, Lennox’s owner, saying “it was our hope that the public uproar and outcry that spans the globe would help guide the City Council and the court to release Lennox and return him to his loving family”. http://www.cesarsway.com/dogrescue/rescuestories/The-Millan-Foundation-Joins-Fight-to-Save-Lennox-pitbull
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2012/06/23/lennox-family-awaiting-reply-from-belfast-cc/
Belfast, let him go. 7-2-12
July 2, 2012
Lennox’s family forced to admit probable legal defeat
In a statement issued by the Barnes family, they have said that based on the advice of their legal counsel, there are simply no more avenues that can be explored through the legal system to bring their precious Lennox home to them. It is beyond comprehension the terrible anguish the family must be feeling in having to come to this difficult decision. You can read the entire statement at the Save Lennox Campaign website here, or at the link provided at the end of the article.
Over the past 13 months, I have covered the heartbreaking story ofLennoxand his family’s fight to have him freed, after being seized based on a seamstress’ tape measure back in May of 2010. Several articles have been published here about him, and each time it seemed that hope for his return to his family grew more and more dim. When the last appeal was heard, and the judge’s original ruling thatLennoxmust be killed was upheld, hearts sank everywhere. It became clear that the journey to haveLennoxcome home was running out of roads to take, and soon no more would be available. That is where the family finds themselves now.
The only option to save Lennox’s life now is if the Belfast City Councill will accept an offer to relocate Lennox to a new home in theUnited States. While the family has never refused to allow this type of relocation, they had focused their energies on trying to get him back to his own home with them where he belonged. Now that it has become clear that option can never come to pass, the hope is that at least he will be allowed to live, even if it means he cannot live with them.
An offer for a new home has been made here in theUnited States, so the decision will now be in the hands of the BCC yet again. Surely they are not so blind to all of the evaluations done onLennoxthat said that he was not a danger to anyone, and that he could be rehabilitated from his long incarceration, and become a normal dog again. While not the perfect answer, at least it would mean thatLennoxcould live out the rest of his natural life, and not have that life snuffed out with a deadly needle, with him never having known love and family again.
The Barnes family has further stated that if the BCC rejects the offer to rehome Lennox, then they will fight for the right to at least go and see their precious boy, and give him a final loving farewell. It would be beyond comprehension to think that after the months and months of battling to save their beloved Lennox, that they would be refused that one small act of compassion. But, this is the Dangerous Dog Act/breed-specific legislation that is in play here, and thousands of dogs around the world have died lonely deaths without ever seeing their families again.
We can only hope that the BCC will show mercy onLennox. This legal battle has taken a toll on the family, and it is certain they are emotionally drained, most especially now that they have to come to grips with this horrible defeat.
We must all now turn our attention to trying to somehow make the Belfast City Council see that relocation is the best option, so that this precious life does not have to end, andLennoxcan at last feel the freedom of being a family dog again.
At this point the family has stated they will provide more information soon. Right now, they are just trying to digest this bitter pill of defeat, and decide how best to proceed. Once information about how to show support for a decision to relocateLennoxis known, it will be published here.
Sweet Lennox, the laws of this world have betrayed you so badly. You have suffered for the past two years for no other reason that the way you look, and the measurements of a seamstress’ measuring tape. You have shown the entire world just how wrong breed-specific legislation and especially theUnited Kingdom’s Dangerous Dog Act really are. Even at that, it seems heels were dug in and it is you who will pay the ultimate price for this incredibly short-sighted legislation that continues to rip families apart, and take the lives of innocent dogs everywhere.
We are so sorry that our voices simply went ignored, and the unfairness ofLennox’s seizure and separation from his family has had no positive resolution. Our hearts ache that he will never again live with the family who loves him so dearly and has fought so hard to bring him home. We can only hopeLennoxsomehow feels the support that has been sent his way all this time, and knows that he is loved by people who have never even met him.
It is a shameful and dark day when a family’s beloved dog gets a death sentence such as this. It is a time when many advocates are ashamed to be a part of the human race. Defeat does not come easily to any of us. Our heartfelt thoughts go out to the Barnes family, and we stand ready to help in any way we can.
Link for Barnes’ family’s statement:
Click here for the Save Lennox Campaign website and the family’s latest statement.
Related links:
Click here for the June 15, 2012 article about Lennox and the appeal rejection.
Click here for the March 30, 2011 article about Lennox.
Click here for the May 19, 2011 three-part series about Lennox’s case.
Click here for the December 6, 2011 Christmas article about Lennox.
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