Kwe Kwe Kahnawake’ró:non,

My name is Lily Ieroniawakon Deer, and I am making this petition for my mom Lane Rice. On Friday April 29th, 2022, she was walking home on her usual route from town to her house on Clay Mountains. As many of you know, Lane does not drive, so walking and biking are her ways of getting around. She was attacked by a dog near the CP Tunnel, which ripped her jeans and underwear, and caused her to bleed. She ran into a nearby trailer, where two local Kahnawakeronon helped her by calling the Kahnawake Peacekeepers, and Kahnawake Animal Protection. Lane was brought to Kateri Hospital to get her wounds cleaned really well, and to be put on antibiotics because she is diabetic and can get infections easier. Lane had to start rabies vaccination treatments, and I brought her to Kateri Hospital on Saturday. She got 10 needles, 6 were directly in the wounds. She was nearly crying. It was so painful, and my mom has to continue the rabies prevention treatment for the next week and a half to two weeks. She said she is having trouble sleeping because the pain of the bites wakes her up, and she is scared and nervous to walk down the street. Lane does not want this to happen to any other community member - this could have happened to a child or an elder! 

I am calling for our community to put pressure on the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake to create a Community Consultation and creation of a Responsible Domestic Animal Owner Law in Kahnawake, including consequences for not abiding by the law - for example, if another community member gets attacked by a dog. We need to promote and teach good dog ownership, with guidance from trained professionals (example dog trainers) on how to socialize dogs properly so that they do not become vicious in the first place. People in our community deserve the safety to be able to walk freely in our community without fear of being attacked from poorly socialized dogs, and consequences need to be in place when people are injured. 

Please write your name and Box # below if you also want a bylaw to be made about loose dogs in the community.