A peaceful protest is planned in Chatham today as a hearing is set to resume regarding a euthanization application for 21 dogs from an alleged Tilbury dog fighting ring.
No matter what happens in court, Chatham-Kent Essex MPP Rick Nicholls will renew his call for an exemption to the rule that forced the animals out of the province.
Nicholls is asking the province to give an animal rescue group the right to keep the dogs.
"I've got a lot of support for this, I've been receiving calls from some of my colleagues who have been receiving emails from their constituents who are quite upset," he says, adding the dogs deserve another chance. "Observed by dog behaviourists who know how to train these dogs, re-train these dogs so they can be loving family pets."
The OSPCA is looking to have the dogs euthanized after an assessment by their American counterparts, the ASPCA, determined they were beyond rehabilitation.
Several rescue groups have filed applications asking they be allowed to assess or care for the dogs.
The pit bulls were seized during the investigation of an alleged dog fighting ring last October.