Categories: Social Issues
In small town Caledon, Ontario there is a little boy named Sam. He is 3 years old and shortly after birth was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. He cannot walk, or crawl and lives with his single-mother, and siblings on their grandparents rural-residential home. As part of his therapy it was recommended that he try equestrian riding because it triggers the core muscle strengthening.
Sam has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and has seizures from traveling distances so his grandfather gave him a miniature pony. Sam and his pony, Emily, now spend hours together and have formed a strong therapeutic bond. That was until a neighbor complained and now the town is threatening to take the pony away because their home is not zoned rural.
His mother, Antonia Spiteri is now collecting letters of support and will appear before the Caledon committee of adjustment December 10th to ask for an exception because of Sam’s special circumstances. I have emailed Ms.Spiteri and will be collecting letters of support which will be presented to the Caledon committee and further circulated to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Please post your comments of support to encourage the Town of Caledon to permit Sam to keep his therapeutic animal.
I will also be posting updates if there is a fund to help raise financial assistance on the lengthy bureaucratic process facing Ms.Spiteri. The costs are $800 for the application, and another $345 to circulate to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.
Please show your support by posting a comment which will be forwarded to the family.
That is awful! I think that as long they take care of the pony and clean up after it etc that there shouldn’t be a problem. Let Sam keep his pony
What a bunch of miserable “good for nothing lowlifes”, clearly nothing better to do than to bitch and moan about people less fortunate than themselves. I worked as an RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association) teacher in the UK I can can tell you that people with severe disabilities receive enormous benefits, both physically and mentally from riding horses and ponies, in fact I’ve seen it give positive direction in some lives as they have taken up competitive dressage (the UK has a very large disabled dressage scene).
Congratulations to the people involved, this has crossed the Atlantic, so now at least people on 2 continents can see how uncharitable and self-centred some people are in Caledon, Ontario. A smell which you can get used to and I can’t imagine for the life of me being that bad for just one pony is NOTHING in comparision to a life spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. 0.4 hectares is enough for a small, miniature pony. I’ve seen whole equestrian complexes built on not much more than that here in The Netherlands.
I’m going to post links to the story it on my Flickr account above, I’ve granted permission for this photo to be used in a publicity campaign for Sam to keep the pony, which I hope he does.
Let them keep their pony. This child obviously has enough barriers to overcome. He doesn’t need a town full of people against him as well.
Please allow Sam to keep his pony Emily. It is clearly helping his condition and clearly the experience of interacting with his pony is improving his quality of life. He ahs plenty of difficulty already.
As someone who grew up around horses, my whole life, I can attest to the benefits of Sam being allowed to keep his miniature horse. There is scientific research that discusses the benefits of riding and simply being around these loving creatures. To take away this horse, in my mind would be no less that city approved and sanctioned child abuse, by complaining neighbors, who appear heartless at the very least.
The world is watching to see what will happen, and I implore the Caledon, Ontario officials to show the rest of the world, what true compassion and understanding look like in a world where those traits are being lost within the premise of self serving righteousness.
There can be a compromise, if everyone comes to the table and tries to listen openly. Think outside the box for a real solution and allow Sam the medical benefits of keeping his horse.
It’s really infuriating that some people are so self-centered and inconsiderate. I would love to ask the person who filed the complaint why he or she cannot make an exception for Sam. It seriously makes me wonder what goes on inside of some people that makes them incapable of thinking of others or putting themselves in someone else’s shoes.
Our society has rightfully made exceptions for people with disabilities to use animals for support. I see no reason why that exception cannot be extended to Sam.
I suggest we all send letters to the neighbor. Ask them to explain themselves for their lack of compassion. When they don’t respond report it on our blogs and sent them a copy of that blog. Turn the neighbor into the bad guy – they might pull their complaint if we send enough mail their way and possibly get some local news exposure.
You have people that keeps exotic animals as pet, like little potbelly pigs, large pythons snakes. What would you rather help catch in case of escape the pony or the python?
I found this link for miniature guide horse http://www.guidehorse.org/faq_horses.htm . Would the municipality more lenient if it was a Guide Horse?
There is a facebook group and an online petition for people to their names. Please join and sign your name for Sam to keep his therapeutic pony.
Here is the Online Petition http://www.petitiononline.com/EmilySam/petition.html
Just read about this in the Digital Journal shortly after reading that the US were planing to euthanize 30,000 wild mustangs because the public lands on which the are roaming are wanted by cattle ranchers.
My first thought was “those bloody Americans” ,if they can’t make a profit kill it, when I checked on the original story I was even more surprised to see it was in Canada. Anyway, the story is now getting good coverage in the US. The civil service mentality at its finest.
No child should suffer ever. Childhood should be a time of happiness. Consider me signed up.
I am from America, and so I am not familiar with Canadian law. But a thought occurs that might provide a fruitful resolution if the provisions of our two countries are similar regarding the disabled. If the pony were classified as having the same status as a service animal ( for instance, a seeing eye dog which helps the blind ) his status might be protected as a service animal ( rather than his simply being simply as classified as livestock ). Perhaps the law would then land on the side of the child being able to keep his friend.
What ever you need if I have it it is yours. They are ass clowns for for doing this to a 3 year old.
Okay, I’m completely disgusted. Antonia, your neighbors are complete jerks… get yourself into that courtroom and let ‘em have it with both barrels. Just tell me where to send the money order. Seriously, email me.
Best regards, and greetings from Texas.
Paypal link found and noted.
A PayPal account has been setup under the following for generous contributions to assist the family.
antoniaspiteri82@hotmail.com
Emily should stay with Sam of course. Unfortunately the house is zoned as a residential space and does not allow for farm animals to be kept on the property. The city or community needs not only to listen to the motion for a variance, they need to be willing to seek out any other solution that might be available. I would also hope that the Council will be guided by their conscience rather than the local bylaws before making any final decision about the future of Sam and Emily. I am sure as a council member looking at all the bylaws and rules, protecting peoples rights, keeping everything fair and square seems all very complex. Really however its pretty simple, the right thing to do is Sam and Emily stay together, the rest is just paper work.
=S
Someone needs to lap that neighbor. How can you be cold and harsh to Sam?
He and Emily have a strong – important – bond, and you want to go tear that apart?
You need to rethink your self.
Emily should stay with Same. Both are beautiful and deserve each other’s love.
I actually was in Caledon a few weeks ago for the first time. It’s an interesting mix of rural pristine wilderness and encroaching big box stores, ugly cookie cutter houses, etc. as the spawl comes up north from Mississauga.
The people in the town should be doing everything they can to preserve the rural nature of their town – not kill it with zoning laws.
So from what I can see, there should be ample room to allow this to happen if only bureacrats weren’t standing in the way.
I really like the idea about labelling it as a “guide animal”, although it doesn’t sound like that will help in this case. You’ve got my support, Antonia, and come payday (Friday) you’ll have dough via Paypal if that helps. Us mothers with special kids need to stick together. My autistic son’s 21 now and I learned LONG ago he’d need me to stand up for him against the red tape jungle. Keep the faith, hon, you have an incredible amount of support out here.
Wow, it takes a real ruthless bastard to be that heartless in destroying a small child’s life. I hope you emailed this link to all of your local news stations. Good luck withe everything and I’d def like to stay posted on the situation. Headed to the petition now.
There should be a law that takes exception to the zoning rule in this case or any other like it. No kind of zoning law would apply that could make a blind man get rid of his seeing-eye dog. Since this horse is therapeutic and necessary to this child’s health and well-being, this zoning law should definitely be overruled. I plead this child’s case and ask that the acting officials allow Sam to keep his horse.
My son, 4, also has spastic quadriplegia CP and recently started therapeutic riding. Although we have only had a handful of sessions, the benefits are already showing. Not only is his posture improving, but more importantly he has an activity that is unique to him at a time when he is starting to express his sadness at not being able to play soccer like his friends. I can easily imagine the powerful bond that Sam must now have with Emily. I’ll have to look for the Facebook group to help spread the word.
Live long and prosper.
It is essential that Sam and Emily remain together. There is very good data supporting the benefits of therapeutic riding for kids with cerebral palsy. I have seen an incredible improvement in my son with CP since he started riding as well. I sincerely hope that the beurocratic problems can be overcome in order to permit this loving and helpful bond to remain intact.
As a mother of two young boys with special needs, I commend Antonia Spiteri for finding a therapy that works so well for her son, Sam. The challenges he faces are many, but his life’s potential is vast, and taking away his companion pony would be gravely detrimental. I implore the authorities to zone her property in such a way as to allow Sam to keep Emily with him, and I sincerely hope her neighbours find it in their hearts to help create better accommodations for Emily, rather than tearing down this child’s happiness.
I think you helping is more then words I have to say
You Rock and Glad there People Like you still in the world
If you ever need anything please let me know
Your Friend
Christopher Hancock
I just watched the news and you get to keep the pony….power to the people…
I also noticed the people who filed the complaint did NOT even show up for
the hearing…??? You got to be joking….I can smell that stink from here…
Any ways good for you and your son..Merry Christmass indeed!!!!
I’m so glad that the council allowed Sam to keep his pony. Yay!
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I’m happy to hear that he gets to keep the pony. I agree Emily should be considered a guide animal such as a seeing eye dog. There is no legitimate reason that a child such as Sam should be denied his therapeutic rights. Merry Christmas!
Just signed the online petition. Let me know how else I can help. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to help Sam.