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November 9, 2006
EDITORIAL: Animal emotion

The scene outside the provincial court building in Didsbury this week was both disturbing and heartwarming.

Dozens of protesters showed up when 19-year-old Daniel Charles Haskett made a brief appearance before a judge.

Haskett and a 17-year-old are accused of allegedly dragging a border collie/Labrador cross named Daisy Duke behind a vehicle with the dog's feet bound and a sack over its head. The animal was so badly injured that it had to be put down.

What an evil, disgraceful thing to do to a poor, defenceless animal.

But what got some of the protesters upset was not so much Haskett's alleged actions, but a scenario being played out back in Ottawa.

Animal rights activists appear to be using Daisy Duke's tragic death as a lever to force the Conservative government to insert harsh new animal cruelty amendments into the Criminal Code.

Nobody in their right mind could condone what happened to Daisy Duke. Causing undue suffering to animals has no place in society.

A key proponent of beefed-up animal cruelty laws is Toronto-area Liberal MP Mark Holland, who has seized on the Daisy Duke incident to promote his private member's bill. The draft bill is basically a relaunch of similar Liberal legislation that dropped off the order paper after last January's election.

It's competing with another piece of legislation sponsored by New Brunswick Senator John Bryden - who takes a far more rational approach than Holland.

Yet, Holland has branded Bryden's proposal as a "diversionary tactic" and vowed to "fight it with every ounce of my strength."

It is a fight he, hopefully, will lose.

The Alberta Fish and Game Association and other outdoors groups across the country already wrote a letter to the previous federal government expressing grave concern about the intent of Holland's resurrected bill. They believe it will give animal rights activists the green light to launch private prosecutions to harass lawful hunters and anglers.

And they have warned that Canadians will be discouraged from participating in these "heritage outdoor activities" for fear of being prosecuted. Farm groups have expressed similar concern that the bill's loose language - animal cruelty is not specifically defined and codified - will severely limit their ability to earn a living. This could have a serious negative impact on Alberta's fragile rural economy.

Yes, animal cruelty is exceedingly offensive. But to use the emotion surrounding the death of Daisy Duke to manipulate these well-meaning animal lovers for political gain is just as distasteful.

Let cooler heads prevail.