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Features- Dogs tragic death sickens pet owner By LISA BOONSTOPPELPOT The Herald When George Binden of Acton saw his best friend and loyal com panion of seven years lying dead in a pool of blood he was sicken ed But that feeling soon turned to anger and disgust when a police investigation revealed his pet may have been brutally killed Anyone who owns and cherishes a dog can understand the range of emotions Mr and his wife MaryAnn have gone through since their beloved Sheba a faithful companion of seven years went missing on 17 Sheba and Lady the Bindens other German Shepherd were out for a jaunt on the 50 acre property at RB3 Acton Like many pet owners with sizeable property Mr raised his dogs on the freedom of the farm away from the restricted existence of life on a chain The two dogs wandered to the back of the property and into Grand River Conservation Pro perty called the Ospringe Tract starting where the pro perty ends By midafternoon Mr Binden felt the dogs had enough enjoy ment and exercise and called out for the pets to return to the farm yard Only Lady came loping home By late afternoon there was still no sign of Sheba and Mr decided to search for his dog For hours he and his brotherinlaw searched the pro perty and the conservation area When darkness fell and Sheba hadnt been found Mr began to suspect the worst His suspicions were shockingly confirmed the next morning when was found with one limb dangling from a piece of skin and a gaping hole in her side dead I felt like my kid had been remembers Mr I felt totally heartbroken Ill never be able to find a dog with her temperment and personality Being that Sheba was a friend ly unaggressive purebred Ger man Shepherd Mr couldnt understand why anyone would have reason to or want to shoot his dog If my dog was a threat to anyone especially to people or domestic livestock I would have killed her myself he said Feeling that a grave injustice had been committed Mr Binden resolved to research all bylaws and government acts regarding dog liability and protection He also resolved to see that the shooting incident was in vestigated by police There are basically two acts governing dogs One is the Dog Licensing and Livestock and Poultry Protection Act and the other is the Dog Owners Liability Act Bob Halton Hills bylaw enforcement officer ex plained that the Dog Licensing Act doesnt give anyone justifica tion to shoot a dog or dogs found running at large on your proper ty But it does give farmers the authority to shoot any dogs found bothering livestock or poultry said Mr if its at tacking or chasing your livestock If theres a dog in with your calves or if it turns on you you can shoot it be said The act itself states any per son may kill a dog that is found killing or injuring livestock or poultry that is in a township or village between sunset and sunrise straying from the premises where the dog is habitually kept or that is found straying at any time and not Sheba was a sevenyearold purebred German Shepherd with an inquisitive and friendly nature She was found lying in a pool of blood after not returning home after an afternoon excur sion under proper control upon premises where livestock or poultry are habitually kept The other dog law the Dog Owners Liability Act is new pro vincial legislation said Mr Before if a dog bit or attacked a person or domestic animal the case could be taken to court where it would be decided whether the dog should be destroyed or not With the new legislation dog can be destroyed and its owner charged up to if he knowingly per mits his dog to bit or attack said Mr In Mr Bindens case where his dog was shot on Grand River con servation property nobody had any right to shoot the dog ac cording to Ministry of Environ ment officials who said no hunting of any animals is allowed except during hunting season and there is no hunting season on dogs As well shooting isnt allowed on any conservation land on Sun days the day Sheba was killed Mr Binden also investigated laws surrounding the use of guns in Ontario According to the Criminal Code of Canada any normal shotgun or rifle can be shot on private pro perty as long as the gun owner has a permit and license for the weapon Normal means the rifle or shotgun isnt fully automatic isnt equipped with a silencer and doesnt have a barrel length under mm or over 660 mm overall length But handguns have a different set of rules Constable Earl Soley a firearms officer in the Chief Provincial Firearms Office of Ontario said handguns are con sidered restricted weapons Its very difficult to get a Firearms Acquisition Certificate and Registration certificate for a restricted weapon he said The only reason people can own a restricted weapon is if its used to protect life in a lawful profession owned as part of a gun collection used at a legal gun range or gun club or possessed as a keepsake I want people to know when you can and cant shoot a dog and what kind of guns are alhjwed so they wont lose a pet like I did said Mr Binden in explanation of his research into dog and gun laws For Mr knowledge of these laws came too late to save his pet but they did allow him to fulfill his other desire to see that justice was done After police investigated the in cident and determined that the dog did die from gunshot wounds they charged a neighbour of Mr in connection with the shooting Michael Schotcsh of Concession Erin Township was charged with mischief killing an animal other than cattle and unsafe storage of a firearm Hell appear in Guelph Provincial Court criminal division on March at am George Binden of RR3 Acton strokes Lady the only dog be has left since his purebred German Shepherd was shot to death while running in Grand River Conservation property Herald photo THE WEEKEND OUTLOOK Friday March Ifftl Page Georgetown resident wins scholarship in Spanish studies By LISA The Herald When Rosemary Davison of Georgetown started studying Spanish because she was dating a Hispanic she never expected to major in Hispanic studies She also never expected to become so good at her studies that McMaster University in would award her a scholar ship to travel abroad Miss Davison 21 is one of three McMaster students who won the AG Alexander Scholarship awarded to students on the basis of excellence in modern languages Miss Davisons ex cellence in Spanish language and Hispanic culture caught the schools eye though Miss Davison never expected to excel in Spanish Five years ago Miss Davison started dating Francisco Mora and decided to take a beginners course in Spanish to help her communicate with his family who back then were just beginn ing to the English language But her personal interest in Spanish soon developed into an academic interest and she decid ed to major in Hispanic studies at McMaster University after graduating from high school Its such a beautiful and color ful language said Miss Davison I like literature and poetry and studying Spanish allows me to learn about all the things Im interested in through the perspective- of another culture Shes now in her third year of studies and her courses lectures and assignments are all given in Spanish I can hold a conversa tion in Spanish but I dont think Im bilingual because I havent been immersed in Spanish culture yet After this summer she will be truly bilingual because shell be spending the holidays in Mexico Although the scholarship money will pay for her trip Miss Davison had already decided to spend this summer in Mexico and had saved funds to do so I had already planned the trip to Mexico before this scholarship and had told one of my professors about my plans said Miss Davison He was the one who urged me to apply for the scholar ship and gave me a written recommendation was surpris ed to get a phone call informing me Id won the scholarship but I was really ecstatic While in Mexico Miss Davison plans to study Latin American Literature at La del Estado de Mexico in City near Mexico City When shes not in class she hopes to travel to places likes the Yucatan Peninsula where the ruins of the ancient Mayan In dians are located Another place Rosemary Davison she is eager to see is Jalisco since one of the famous Mexican writers she studied based many of his stories in this area Moreover she wants to ex perience the culture of some coastal cities and towns in Mex ico While becoming fluent In Spanish and immersing herself in the Hispanic culture has never been a lifelong goal of Miss Davison she thinks her personal interest In the culture will expand her job and career opportunities In Canada North America does a lot of business with Spanishspeaking countries and now with the possibility that Canada might enter a free trade agreement with Mexico the job op portunities are expanding she said I dont know exactly what I want to do yet but I know I want to convey the fascinating aspects of this culture to Canadians whether it be teaching Spanish or working in a related profession She said her main reason for travelling to Mexico this summer is to extend my education beyond the classroom You can only learn so much from behind a desk listening to a professor I want to experience it for real SAME DAY TAX RETURNS Guelph St Georgetown 8772217 FLYERS Watch for these MONEYSAVING flyers inside this edition of The Herald CANADIAN TIRE SALE do your Ttw it