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6 - The Canadian Champion Friday JuIy 19 2002 <~COMMENT *THE CA4NADIAN CHAMPION Box 24X, 191 Main St .E. Milon. Ont. L9T 4N9 (905) 878-2341 Neil Oliver Aseisoci' Piilli.thtn itl Davis Eu lnt est Gîtes? Karen Smith Edineii Wendy McNab Adia-tisi;tg Managen Steve Crozier Citculatin notaguer~ Teri Casas Oftwce Managert Tim Cotes Ptaieenieue t The Cnadian Champion putlishedr!epry Teesda ni ad Finit o i l 9 Main SI E ,Miltoil Ont ,L[BTZ459 (Boxn'248, s aonofThBe. ornn Pnnînniog Pinjsiig & DnsirinitigLtd groupofosoiibinhannoii opàile ahi Il ioldnes Aan Pickernii News Aivetisen Alisi n i niin ii Baiei Adeanco Boro s Bay This We BoltoniEintopie Bliniptir Giiardan i Bulnnoti P. si Burlrirglri Shing e vii ois C iy Parelnt iy(, onrk Gijiin' itni.atns.a onnectn istFiG nB Min ur Eni Bitocate/Cooniin1 outes. 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Ignoring water ban___________ can mean hefty fine OUR REA4DERS WRITE It's hard to sit back and watch the lawn turn frorn a lush forest green to a crunchy golden brown and the pansies wither under the blazing suni. But get used to it. It's JuIy and we don't have an infinite supply of water. With temperatures continuing to range frorn 25 to 30 degrees C and tonly modest rain in the forecast, Halton Region bas instituted a ban on lawn watering. It's a necessary precaution to take in order to ensure the Region's reservoirs have the ability to meet essential household needs and fire protection. Duning the ban, residents may flot water their lawns (unless it's new sod) or wash their vehicles regardless of whether the water cornes frorn Lake Ontario or wells. This goes for businesses. too. Flower and vegetable gardens rnay only be watered using a watering can or hose with a spray nozzle. If you think nobody will see your sprinkler going full tilt in your backyard, think again. You neyer know who's watching. The Region seriously frowns on those who fail to comply and doing so can mean a fine as high as $2,000. Water is a precious resource - use it wisely. Bell Street resîdent asks Milton flot to smash botties in parks after dog sfices Up hîs paw Dear Editor: l'm writing this letter to appeal to those people who're responsible for the broken glahs bottles that litter our parks and school grounds. Believe me, theres a lot. The other day my puppy and 1 went for a walk through the forest near my home - a forest we're grateful to have. My puppy bounced tbrougb the forest, bappy to be free of his small back yard. Ail of a sudden there was a yelp tnd a cry. 1 raced over to where he was tnd discovered he had sliced his paw deep, rigbt across bis pad. He bad mun into a large pile of smasbed glass right beside a garbage can. He lay down, knowing he couldn't make the joumey home. We mtontged to get him home, but now he bas to stay off bis feet for two weeks. This isn't an easy task for a young puppy. We bad to carny him outside to use the wasb- room -tgain, flot easy wben bes a 50-pound puppy. 1 bave to bold bis leg now wben he drinks water or etts because he can't stand tny pressure on bis paw. So please, please, please spread the word. Stop smasbing boutleh in local parks. Put tbem in the garbage cans. There are lots around. Or take tbem home and collect the money. Stop smashing them for the sake of Rufus, my puppy, and ail tbe other dogs that play there, tnd for aIl the children that play there as well. Let's preserve these small pieces of wildemehs we have. Be thtonkful it's flot a high rise with a paved parking lot. K. Tobin Bell Street Current animal cruelty lawjust not tough enough Animal loyers across the country sbould be encouraged by tbe recent third reading of Bill C- I 5B, whieb if given final approval in September would mean significant changes to Canada's ani- mal cruelty law. penalties would include a maximum sentence of i ve years imprisoniment, an unlimited fine and a possible lifetime ban on animal ownersbip. Just this past week we got an appalling reminder of wby stiffer punisbment is needed - as two young men were charged in connection witb a seven-montb-old pit bull being dragged behtnd a car for a kilometre in Vaughan. Perpetrators of tis type of violence sbould def- nitely face more severe penalties than tbose cur- rently on the Criminal Code of Canada books. I only hope that these proposed changes are rub- ber-stainped by the time these two men go to court September 24. But wbat about everydtoy cases of animal neg- lect - wbicb are far more common and, despite ongoing messages from animal rigbts groups, seem to almost pass as acceptable? Just this past Sunday during a quick trip to Milton MaIl, I noticed a rather sizeable poocb (I'm flot sure wbat breed exactly) lefi in a pick-up truck. Upon my departure (at least 10 minutes later, and mtoybe even 15) the truck and dog were still tbere. Now granted the window was rolled down sligbtly, but given last weekend's tempera- tures 'm sure it was still quite stifling. About two weeks before tbat while stoppioîg by Canadian Tire, 1 came across a littie poodle lefi in a car. While it was evening and certainly not bumid, the little guy was Ieft there at least 15 minutes (judgmng by my visit there) and obvious- ly agitated by bis confined quarters. I would neyer put these two incidents on any kind of par witb tbis week's dog-dragging in Vaughan, but tbeyre nevertheless cases wbere an animal's best interests weren't taken into consid- eration. And perbapo I'm partially guilty for flot stick- ing around and voicing my outrage to these own- crs. How mnuch good it wouîd bave donc I'm flot sure, but then mtoybe it's tbtot kind of apatby that allows this type of tbing to continue. Al i1 can say is tbat l'd neyer do that Io my lit- tIc kinty Sasba (flot that sbe'd ever let me live it down anyway) and I sure bope I don't mun into any more ctses like tbat tbis summer. If you've got to pick up a few tbings at the mail before beading out to tbe cottaoge or wberever, please do so before packing up the dog - or bet- ter yet, leave one ftomily member outside to walk your dog wbile you do tbe sbopping. Wbetber its bot out or flot, a cramped car is no place for an animal. After aIl, you dont take your dog or cat home and luck tbem oin a closest ail day. So please Milton, let's put a bit more tbought into taking care of our funy friends. Al tht'ts needed is a littie extra effort - and nobody said owning an animal was suppose to be easy any- way. Have your say on a local issue. E-mail letters to miltoned@haltonsearch.com. 1 7 imâd& Editorial Fax: Advertising Fax: Classified: Circulation: Ian Oliver 1 905-878-4943 905-876-2364 905-875-3300 905-878-5947 Publisher