CFN – Bill 16 is about to be voted on at Queen’s Park. Bill 16 is to revoke the Ontario the Pit Bull or breed specific banning in Ontario. I think it was an emotional reaction to an issue that really has nothing to do with dogs; but more importantly to how people don’t care for their animals.
Dogs come in all shapes and sizes. The nastiest are usually the smallest. Pit Bulls though get a wrap because they can cause fatalities very quickly.
When I brought my bundle of joy home at the age of 7 weeks I knew what I was getting into. I knew the responsibilities of owning this type of dog and what she could be capable of. I also understood why some dogs do some things.
Not everyone who gets a dog has those understandings and that’s where stuff happens.
I trained my dog. I was very firm. I knew that if a situation arose that my dog would have to respond to me no matter what because if any incident ever happened I knew that because she was a Rotty she’d be the one in trouble. Altercations with another dog or human could lead to her being destroyed.
All her life I’ve essentially kept her on my own property. When I take her to public events she’s on a very strong leash. Even yesterday in the bright sunshine of a beautiful Spring like day when I decided to take her for a walk I was on guard. Two senior ladies stopped and one tried to put her hand out to my dog whose stump was wagging as only Rotties can; but I politely asked her not to because incidents can happen.
My dog has never shown any hostile reaction to humans. She’s protective by nature; not aggressive. She’s also very intuitive. Dogs feel; smell, and to things differently than we humans.
Are Pit Bulls evil? No. Can they do harm or kill. Yes. Can or should you legislate them. Not really, but there are things we can do to educate the public and if need be legislate certain behaviours.
In most of Europe muzzle laws are in place. Puppies actually wag their tails when they see the muzzle because they know it’s time to go out for fun and frolics. Here in Ontario it’s very rare to see a muzzle and it usually attaches a stigma that there’s an issue with the animal.
Hopefully Bill 16 passes its second reading Wednesday; but we all need to do more to limit issues with dogs.
Melly is now 11. She’s an old girl and I’m proud that she’s never ever had an incident. She’s been a huge gift in my life as most dogs are.
With proper care and responsibility dogs add so much to our lives. You can post your comments below.
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Its time to end the innocent slaughter of family pets in this Province.
If the nonexistend breed, ‘pit bulls’, are so deadly, why has there been only one fatality by a ‘pit bull’ type in the history of Canada?
That tale, as with most dog bite-related fatalties, was sordid and the victim was an adult.
There never was any evidence to support this legislation but those who are ‘trying to help’ are perpetuating mythology, beginning with the fact that ‘pit bull’ is a breed.
Over 99% of all dogs never bite anybody, and that’s a fact.
Anyone who thinks these dogs are dangerous should be kicked in the face. and i mean that. i find more of the small inbreeded dogs are more dangerous.
I have a 8yr old pitbull. and the most he has ever done was wanna play. i want to get another pit, but if this govnt keeps trying to turn this country into a communist country i think there would be alot better understanding of how bills are passed without the actual ppls consent.
Since 2005, the following countries have repealed BSL: Chili, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, The Netherlands and Scotland.
On January 31, 2012, the states of Florida (Miami-Dade), and Ohio, both passed legislation to repeal BSL. This day, the Governor of Ohio signed HB14 into law. The UK is also in the process and taking steps to repeal their Breed Specific Legislation. The City of Edmonton is also now rethinking their BSL.
Having had the pleasure of owning an American Staffordshire Terrier for 15 years and owning my own pet related business, it’s time to look at the other end of the leash. Dog owners must be held accountable and solely responsible for the behaviour of their dogs, regardless of breed. Punish the deed not the breed.
Breed specific legislation needs to end. Discriminating against Pit Bulls and any other dog that “looks” like a pit bull is unfair. Punish the deed, not the breed. Make the current laws against abusive and neglectful pet owners harsher. Refer to your own government’s current stats about dog bites and the breeds that cause them. Will you ban other types of animals if they bite as well? Birds? Lizards? Breed-discriminatory laws are expensive and have been proven ineffective in protecting the public. In these tough economic times, laws that waste precious taxpayer dollars while failing to reduce dog bites are tragically misguided. Many states in the U.S. are ending BSL because of the proof that Pit Bulls should not be considered any more dangerous than another animal. When poorly trained ANY animal can turn against its owner.
End BSL
Any dog can be reactive given the right situation. My dog is getting older now, he is more protective and less tolerant–and we respond to his needs accordingly by not putting him into situations where he may react. A breed ban solves nothing, it punishes people like me who are responsible and have well trained dogs, it does not deal with the real issue of bad dog ownership. I know my days with my beloved are slowly coming to a close, and who he is, and the gift his life to me has been, has nothing to do with his breed, it has to do with him being the amazing dog he is.
People in Canada really NEED to read Canadian Fatal Dog Attacks IF they are going to speak about dog fatalities, especially IF that conversation is in Canada. The average fatal dog attacks over the past fifty years works out to about 1 a year. I believe the first week of the New Year in Toronto we had 6 shootings and many of them turned out to be fatal. Dog fatatilies in Canada are EXTREMELY RARE and being killed by a “pit bull type” dog even rarer. There have been 40 child deaths related to dog attacks in Canada and NOT one single documented child fatalitiy from a “pit bull” type dog. The ONE that did occur was a 22 year old male who attacked the owner with a baseball bat in a drunken state. Most of the deaths involved were in Northern Canada and unsupervised children going up to unsocialized working dogs or stray dogs roaming. ONE can check these facts by going to the National Canine Research Council web page and hitting the dog bites link. One has the same chance of getting killed by a family dog in Canada as they do getting killed by a falling coconut while on vacation.
Fact is that the current legislation penalizes responsbile dog owners of ANY medium sized short haired MUTT while bad owners who have not properly trained nor socialized their dogs are NOT taken to task because of the “specific measures” in the Dog Owners Liability Act. As long as BSL is in place dog bites/attacks WILL NEVER decrease as animal control are being kept to busy going after dogs based on appearance.
This law has
Let the dogs live but if they bite then its a $10,000 fine, no questions asked! Pass that law!
A dog is a dog is a dog is a dog. Dogs are all capable of having ‘incidents.’ Every. Single. Dog. It’s up to the people who own the dogs to ensure that they are properly socialized.
That means not keeping your dog on your property at all times or preventing people from petting it. That means taking your puppy, from day one, out and encouraging happy fun reactions to humans, having people feed your puppy treats and making sure that your puppy believes humans are AWESOME creatures who are good.
‘Incidents’ happen when ill-socialized dogs are pounced by well-meaning humans before their owner has the chance to say no.
By not letting people pet a dog and keeping it on your property, you actually INCREASE the risk of having an ‘incident’ because your animal does not know how to respond appropriately to humans.
I think BSL of any sort is wrong. To me punishing an animal for what its owner does or has trained him to do is akin to putting the weapons used in murders in jail and letting the culprits walk away!
Let me ask you a couple of disconcerting questions. Who organises “pit bull”-fights? Is it the “pit bulls”? Hardly. Who benefits from these fights? What happens to these animals after the fight – assuming they survived it, of course. If this particular type of dog is banned, will people live better lives? If there were no “pit bulls”, and, indeed, no dogs, wouldn’t people have found another way to satisfy their beastly passions? Do we have the right to blame pit bulls for our own cruelty? If your pit bull is always on a leash, and someone else’s dog is let loose, some 100 yards away – who is the irresponsible owner? Why is it that we think that eliminating a type of dog would make us live in paradise? Who kills – the gun, or the man? Who pulls the trigger?
The truth is not always pleasant but if humans claim to be the most intelligent species living, they should muster the courage to face the truth and accept it!? There are many kind and responsible people who have Pit Bulls as members of their family. These dogs do not pose a threat to anyone. We should not be denied our loving Pit Bull companions because some people chose to make their dogs aggressive. Also, if Pit Bulls are banned they will still be in the hands of the criminal because they have no respect for the law. Criminals will still fight PitBulls and breed them. The only people a pit bull ban will hurt, will be the law-abiding good citizens who can provide loving homes for them. . I hope that together we can educate others that while the media and the Government are fearful of these great pets, the reality is the current ban unfairly targets and punishes an unofficial breed of dogs rather than the abusive and egregious owners!
In closing I have a statement credited to Gandhi that has special meaning for me;… he said “”The greatness of a nation and it’s moral progress can be judged by the way his animals are treated””
END this BSL once and for all.
I have a pit bull and she is the very friendly. I live in an apartment building and their are all sort of dog in here. She has never attack any other dog in here even though they have attack her by barking and snapping at her, especially the small ankle bitter dogs. I believe it is the owner and the way they are raised by these owners that should be punished and not the bred. It this bill goes through to ban the bred then it should also include the small ankles bitters as well. You don’t heard to many small dog bites in the news but they do more damage to a person as any kind of dog can.
Blame the deed not the breed! End BSL today!
I’d like to say good riddance to breed discrimination, it’s really the owner that should be punished. I myself have a dog that was poorly behaved when I took her in, it took 1 month of proper care and discipline to have her behaving correctly. Punish the breed not the deed.
OMG I mistyped!
Punish the Deed not the Breed.
We need to end the discrimination against what is one of the most beautiful, loving and most loyal dog breeds around, our beloved Pit Bulls.
I am a veterinary professional and I work with hundreds of dogs. Clearly, the makers of this law have NO experience with dogs because if they did, they would no that there is NO legitimacy to it. Some of the most loving, trusting and gentle patients we have are the ‘banned’ breeds. Talk to veterinarians and the people who live with and know these dogs first hand. Spend time with these dogs – spend time with a LOT of different dogs and breeds – you will feel horrible and guilty for ever thinking that this law was right. It is cruel and sick. PLEASE – end this now. I love so many of these wonderful dogs and their kind and gentle hearts. I work with them, they cuddle and are gentle yet in the same moments have ‘legal’ dogs almost ripping my face off. It is so unfair and makes no sense. Stop ripping families apart. END BSL.
I love a staffie and a pittie. To the people who made this law: how many pitties and staffies do you have in your lives? How many of them have you cuddled with in bed and kissed on the forehead and rubbed their bellies and felt their warm heartbeats? How many do you know personally? How many have you ACTUALLY spent time with? How many therapy pitties have you seen working with autistic children and cancer patients? Some of the highest ranking therapy dogs are pitbulls. Until you do this, you have no right to say it’s okay to kill them. You have no right to ruin our lives by killing our best friends. Two people have already committed suicide because they had to kill their best friends because of people who passed a law yet didn’t take the time to even get to know REAL pitties and staffies – the ones we love – our dogs – our darling, gentle family members who we LOVE SO MUCH.
Yes they can be dangerous in the hands of the wrong people and they can be dangerous if the owner doesn’t know how to handle the pitbull. If the ban is lifted should criminals be allowed to own them? What should be done if a pitbull does attack? How can we prevent attacks from happening? Lifting the ban without first adding regulations and rules can be a very bad mistake, not just for people but for the dogs themselves. If the ban is lifted who is going to be the first to jump out and buy them? Gang members, drug dealers, macho wannabes or friendly suburban house wives? Think about it and what you may be doing to the dogs themselves and where they will end up. 🙁
We have two very small dogs and they have never growled at or shown aggression to any other animal or person. They love all animals and all people, so the small breeds get a bum rap too by people saying they bite more than big dogs. My dogs have only known love and want to love everyone back in return! Any dog is capable of biting and BSL is unfair! Punish the deed, not the breed!
Why the scary picture of the ‘pit bull’?
Couldn’t find one without the Liberal mandated headgear
designed to further stigmatize these dogs?
II think there are some pictures sans headgear on this site
supporthersheysbill.com
These “killers” seem to be duds if you have a look at the Canadian Fatalities.
nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/dogbites/dog-bites-in-canada
@Frenchy
If you want a $10,000 fine for the owners of ‘pit bulls’ that bite,what do you want
for the owners of Husky/Sled dogs that kill?
They are the number one type of dog that has killed in Canada.
Stop believing the trash put out by most Media outlets and do some real Research
on the issue.
Where’s this poll………Should Husky/Sled dogs be banned?
That’s the one I’m waiting for Cornwall Free News.
BTW Husky type dogs are not dangerous either,the fatalities are due to the conditions
under which these dogs are kept and lack of parental supervision in many cases.
Fatalities by dogs of any type are extremely rare.
When a panel of 42 experts unanimously says it’s ridiculous and unecessary legislation, and the government STILL passes a law… what does that say to you? END BSL. Let’s put the onus on the owners… of ANY breed of dog.
@Yolandi,
This ban has not stopped drug dealers or gang members from owning a “pit bull” type dog. Check out kijiji.. or hoobly.. or any number of classified ads sites. Nor has it stopped housewives or anyone else…EXCEPT responsible owners who refuse to risk a dog’s life. What this law HAS done, is ripped dogs away from families because of their looks. Many of whom have taken the time to properly socialise and train their dog. Not because of the dogs’ actions, because of their LOOKS. You worry about where they would end up…right now, if found, they end up dead. Dogs under the age of 6 are euthanised. Or sold to “recognised” research facilities.
No, the worry should not be about “will gang members buy pit bulls if they’re legal?”. Because they are already buying them ILlegally. The worry should be that this law does NOTHING to add to the requirements of being a responsible owner. By focussing on breed, we are failing ALL dogs. Remove the breed specific portion and focus on strengthening aspects of DOLA that require the human at the end of the leash to be responsible for their dog, regardless of breed.
For those who don’t feel this affects them, a note: I am hypervigilant about leaving my house with my grandfathered pit bull type dog. He is always leashed and his muzzle is on every time we leave the yard..even if it only to walk 4′ to my car in my driveway. Why? Because all it takes is ONE complaint from a neighbour to the AC and they have the right to come into my home – without a warrant – and seize my dog. And kill him. The guys who may be dealing drugs down the street? THEY have more rights than I do. And if you own a lab, a boxer or any other substantially similar dog, YOU are in the same boat as I am. Think about that aspect of BSL and tell me you think it’s a great idea.
Thank you for this beautiful and personal article. Thank you also for laying out the easy logic for repealing the draconian breed-specific legislation in Ontario. Love to your beautiful Melly – may she live a long and healthy life (she looks so young!) From our home with 1 yellow lab, 2 golden retrievers and 1 very missed and ever-beloved senior Rottie. Melissa Munro, Maxville, ON.
everyone please feel free to post pics of your dogs!
I have had the blessing of owning 2 pit bulls. I had one for 10 years before he was sadly put down from cancer, and have had my current pitbull for almost 8 years now. They have been my companions, best friends and family. Both were by far the most loving and loyal dogs I’ve ever had. I’ve also had a german shephard for 17 years and a rottie for 10. It’s not the breed of any dog that makes it a dangerous killer, it’s the OWNER who TRAINS it to be what it is. My pitbull loves kids and her best friends are 3 CATS. Now, if the BREED was dangerous, how could it be possible for my cats to snuggle up to and sleep with her?! Dogs are only what they’re trained to be. Look at police dogs, they are TRAINED to attack and pin down criminals when they’re put into a situation where the officer is in danger or the officer sends them to catch a running criminal. They do what they’re taught to do by being trained that there is some kind of reward for their behaviour. Really there is NO DIFFERENCE to these poor pitbulls who only do what they think their owners want them to do. If ANY dog, doesn’t matter the breed, thinks it will please their owner to attack a person, they WILL do it. The ban is sickening. My pitbull is by far the best dog I’ve ever had. The most obedient, well behaved “suck” of a dog..she thinks shes a LAP DOG. But yet, because if this ridiculous law, I have to keep a muzzle on her when I walk her, making people think she’s a bad dog or vicious. I believe any dog who has shown aggression to a human being should be muzzled and dealt with accordingly, but it should be ultimately the OWNER who gets the trouble. Not the dog losing its life due to bad training. STOP THE BSL!!! STOP KILLING INNOCENT PITBULLS FOR YOUR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING THE BREED!!
For all we know the person in power who let the bill pass, was getting harassed and influenced by other ppl in power to do it possibly cause their wives dont like it and was nagging, or family members with pass experience !! even though the experts advised that the dog is no more dangerous then a jack russel and still did it. WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY !!!
FYI, to ANY of those supporting the ban? You can’t truly call yourself a dog lover. This law effects all dogs, especially anything with short hair. Labs, Viszlas, and various shorthaired mutts, have all been mistaken for “pit bulls.” There’s unsound, dangerous dogs existing in all breeds; the most recent fatal attack was by a husky (as the one before that). BSL is BS, period. Hershey’s Bill and Calgary Animal Control model are the way to go.
Dog owners must be held accountable and solely responsible for the behaviour of their dogs, regardless of breed. Punish the deed not the breed.
END BLS