Wednesday, November 25, 2009

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To defend what I love

 
Happy is he who dares courageously to defend what he loves.
- Ovid

The SPCA and Animal Services have decided to change the time and location of my brief weekly visits with Brindi. Last Wednesday when I arrived at 1 pm, I was asked, "Didn't you hear?" It turned out that the two parties decided that we could no longer spend time outdoors at 1 pm; instead we would be inside and the visit would start at 4 pm. This was not something I had agreed on, for two reasons. First, Brindi needs all the outdoor exercise she can get. Or at least fresh air. She doesn't really get much exercise in the pen.

Second, in the room they allow us to use, which is a newly refurbished waiting room to the left of the lobby, Brindi can see out the windows to the street. And boy does she know it's the outside world and boy does she WANT TO BE FREE. It was torture for us both, frankly, as I posted last week

She was the best girl throughout but she could not resist jumping on the couch and sitting prettily while gazing out those windows with longing. I tried once to get her down and she obeyed, but I didn't have the heart to do it again, and I ended up just sitting next to her on the couch. By the end of the time, I was hugging her close and praying and weeping all at once, with my head resting on her back. It was awful.

Yesterday my lawyer reminded me - inadvertently, really - about this change. He had tried to no avail to talk the SPCA out of the the change. They claim they have to watch me during the visit, more closely than they do outside, so that I don't give Brindi "contraband" treats. As if I would deliberately make my dog sick. In the event, nobody watched me anyhow, and it was moot. The person from Animal Services assigned to watch me spent the time out in the lobby deep in conversation with an SPCA investigator.

By today my lawyer was supposed to have worked out with HRM to get the agreement back to where it was before. But that hasn't happened. So I dread another tortuous time with Brindi in that room with those windows, a single pane of glass the only thing separating her from the freedom we both long for.  

3 comments:

  1. Hi

    It is very sad to read that Brindi cannot go outside anymore. Are you allowed to bring her any treats at all? Is it because of her health condition? I would like to know if your lawyer has done anything to get Brindi released from that prison. Does the HRM still want to KILL Brindi or do they have other plans?

    Praying for you and Brindi that this horror will soon end.

    Much Love
    Carol

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  2. I hope you guys can go outside this week and that your visit will be moved to the earlier time. You both deserve it!

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  3. My lawyer has done very little, dear Carol, while saying that the law is on my side. I am afraid it's up to me now and I don't know where to start.

    HRM is still pursuing the charges as a means to get a court order to euthanize Brindi, yes. They were uncooperative about it. Sending her elsewhere is not a guarantee she will be looked after properly and the record is not good on such things.

    This fall, two judges found excuses not to even hear an application for releasing Brindi based on the law about property detention and our evidence of her character and my commitment to insure public safety. They must feel enormous pressure, that's all I can say, but meanwhile I have not had due process and the trial is no subsitute for it. And meanwhile the judge also claimed she did not have the authority to even order that Brindi be transferred to a better facility!!

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