OFKU0

Ontario to announce ban on pit bulls
CTV.ca News Staff

Ontario's Attorney General Michael Bryant is expected to announce Friday a plan to ban pit bulls in the province, CFTO News has learned.

The ban is expected to prevent anyone who doesn't already own a pit bull from bringing one into Ontario, according to the CFTO report.

Current pit bull owners won't have to hand over their dogs, but they will face restrictions, possibly including:

Using leashes and muzzles on pit bulls in public places
A complete ban of pit bulls from public parks
Stiff fines and even jail time if the pit bull attacks or harms someone
Bryant once described pit bulls as "an assault weapon on four legs." He has been holding consultations with victims of pit bull attacks, as well as pit bull owners, and police, following a series of attacks in Ontario.

He says he received thousands of emails from people on the issue -- and the majority have been urging him to ban the dogs.

"Are these dogs controllable by any owner, and if they are dangerous, then we're going to have to look at the very extreme measure of banning them," Bryant said.

Postal worker Darlene Wagner supports the ban. She lost an ear after being attacked by a pit bull while she was delivering mail.

"I'm happy this is happening. It's been a long time coming. It will make me feel safer out on the streets when I'm out there and for everybody else too."

Kitchener, Ont., has already banned pit bulls, as allowed under the Ontario Municipal Act. The city's bylaw says that anyone who has acquired a pit bull since April 7, 1997 and has not removed it from the city faces a fine of up to $5,000.

Ever since that ban, dog attacks have dropped dramatically in Kitchener-Waterloo. However, in Winnipeg, attacks by Rottweilers jumped after the city banned pit bulls.

"It's a slippery slope," said Gary Gibson, a canine behavioural expert. "Once you ban one breed, then the next breed becomes the issue, then another becomes the issue."

Steve Barker, a pit bull owner, says the ban in Ontario won't work.

"What happens if you've got a dog that is half pit-bull, or a quarter pit bull, that looks like a German shepherd, with a bit of pit bull in it? Where are you going to draw the line?" Barker said.

Saskatchewan is the only province to pass "dangerous-dog" legislation with penalties that include fines of up to $10,000 or six months in jail or both.

With a report from CTV's Peter Murphy


http://g.msn.com/0US!s6.73430_734763/2.a7371/2??cm=CTVNews


I'm not a big fan of pitbulls but to ban a breed of dog really smacks of big brother pushing his weight around. I'm just guessing that something might have to do with the dog owners who are responsible for training their dogs in a civilized manner. I guessed wrong.

I really feel that this topic is irrelevant. Last month while I was in Toronto, in a two hour span I must have seen 2 dozen homeless people snoring away right at morning rush hour right smack dab in the middle of the sidewalk. Lovely. I see T.O has really declined that way since I left many moons ago.

Anyways here's a suggestion. Don't ban the breed but make acquiring as well as breeding a pitbull a big ticket item. Think tax dollars. And if a pit bull bites someone, automatic 10 grand fine and community service. Then those dollars can be used for the homeless. But's that to hard. It's much easier taxing people to death and worrying about minute problems. Micro-management at its best. Take a bow Dalton.

To ban or not to ban?

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" In Canada, you can tell the most blatant lie in a calm voice, and people will believe you over someone who's a little passionate about the truth." David Warren, Western Standard.

blar

i duuno

well there has been many attacks over the year by pit bulls but i dunno if banning them is needed

feelgood

It's just plain stupid.

The problem isn't the dog! The problem is the owners.

They're the one who has the leash on the dog.
They're the one who lets them run around freely.
They're the one who takes the leash off the dog.

Can the pitbull do any of the above while he's on leash and still in the house or yard?

Yeah, I've heard excuses like "Yeah well, my pit just dug himself out of the yard" or "Yeah well, my pit just jumped and went through the window" Guess what? When you buy a pet, whether it'll be a dog, cat, or even a hamster, it's still YOUR responsibility.

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Looking out the window, that's an act of war. Staring at my shoes, that's an act of war. Committing an act of war? Oh you better believe that's an act of war

Charlatan

Yes it is the owners responsibility BUT clearly we have a problem with owners. The difficult thing is to make owners more responsible. The easy part is to ban the dogs.

You can come down hard on irresponsible owners but that is always after the fact. After the dog has mauled or killed someone.

It is better to be rid of a breed that is difficult to control (mostly due to bad breeding and poor ownership) than to risk another life.

__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

hossified

its fukin retarded.......banning a breed of dog. What next......putting a limit on how many kids you can have...or not allowing blacks (or whatever) into the province? This is ridiculous. If the dog attacks...fine the shit out of the owner / person responsible...and move on. I know myself I don't go up to strange animals and pretend they are all happy to see me......

when is the slippery slope gonna stop sliding!?

Janey

Who cares if a breed is banned? The issue is greater than that. I think it's about time as the breed tends to attract unsavoury owners. Yes I know these assholes, who can barely afford to support themselves will substitute the next available 'macho' image dog (they've already started down the Rotty path) but there is a real problem when you get involved with an aggressive dog of that breed compared to let's say a border collie. IT's scary and intimidating.

I for one am glad that this is happening, slippery slope notwithstanding. There's lots of other dog breeds available.

breastboy

I think that I'm gonna side with the government on this one..i've read too many stories in the newspaper about little kids getting mauled to death by these dogs...fining someone $10k or sending them to prison isn't going to do a heck of good to a parent who just lost his or her kid..

plus, there's been arguments about owners not being responsible and all that crap...what about the guy in TO who got mauled by the two pit bulls that he was walking? I don't think he was doing anything to set the dogs off..I just think that this breed of dog is very uncontrollable and any little thing can set them onto kill mode...I mean, the two pit bulls that mauled that guy..the frickin' cop needed to pump 12 rounds into them to get them to stop ...how many other animals do we know require 12 bullets in them before they keel? (okay..black/brown bears not included)

OFKU0

Thanks for the new sig. Just classic.

__________________
" In Canada, you can tell the most blatant lie in a calm voice, and people will believe you over someone who's a little passionate about the truth." David Warren, Western Standard.

canuckguy

first thing our government has done in awhile that makes sense! imo.

dobster

Well its a little more serious than that, you see:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4276426/

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/London...15/629549.html

http://kyw.com/Local%20News/local_story_259122334.html

The point isn't so much the owners as the breed. There is alot of evidence that the breeding of this dog has resulted in a dangerous and unpredictable animal. I'm aware that they can be loyal and lovable like any other dog, but the incidences of them turning on people unprovoked has proven that they can be uncontrollable.

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1. One's name as written by oneself.
2. The act of signing one's name.
3. A distinctive mark, characteristic, or sound indicating identity.

splck

As a guy that got attacked by one, (had to hit the dog fucking hard on the head with a hatchet to get her to let go) I’d be happy to see them banned, but as a guy that loves dogs I think it's over the top.

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nice line eh?

yoyoyobro

Ridiculous have the owners take care of their dogs and punish them if something happens. Do it severly, but banning the breed rediculous

dobster

Again surely its a stable door/horse situation. Punishing people won't discourage a dog from attacking people.

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sig-na-ture
1. One's name as written by oneself.
2. The act of signing one's name.
3. A distinctive mark, characteristic, or sound indicating identity.

Broonix

Yea this is reidculous, whats next? if pitbulls don't make the news some other dog breed will..

dobster

Well the ones that consistently cause these problems might. If a breed is renowned for being sporadically uncontrollable, something should be done.

However, in Britain a few years back I'm sure I remember a law being passed saying that certain breeds should be muzzled at all times. Doesn't seem to have been upheld.

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sig-na-ture
1. One's name as written by oneself.
2. The act of signing one's name.
3. A distinctive mark, characteristic, or sound indicating identity.

highthief

I can't muster any outrage for the banning of the poor pitbull. We created the breed, if we as a society choose to eliminate it via selective or non-breeding, so what? Its an artificial creation.

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Si vis pacem parabellum.

Almo

I kind of see where the government is coming from. It’s impossible to control people training these animals to be killers (and some dogs just going ballistic on their own), and at the same time can’t ignore all the people who have gotten mauled over, not for sniffing around at the dog, but random attacks in parks and other people’s property.

It’s easy to say just fine the owners but what justice does the kid who got his face bitten off get when the owner shell out some $ and he have to live with plastic all over his face for the rest of the life?

Well that was a hypothetical situation, because the dog that attacked the kid was a family dog I believe.

I did hear that they plan to do this over time and not killing all the pit bulls in Ontario.

Janey

maybe so. however according to the OSPCA, 40% of reported dog attacks in Ontario are by Pit Bulls, which only represent 1% of the dog population. hmmm.

Back when the issue was the in-breeding of German Shepherds, or Dalmations, I don't think that the numbers were this skewed. I really believe that banning the breed is a necessary and emergency first step. Since there are so many other types of dogs for pet owners to choose from why not try this 'ridiculous' solution? If it saves even one person, never mind adult or kid, from being mauled, it is well worth it.

Sometimes I think that people's priorities are misplaced, when an obviously dangerous breed, one that has been purposely and selectively created for fighting, is more important than protecting their neighbours. It speaks to a callous disregard for society.

OFKU0

I'm not defending pitbulls but again much has to do with it's training. Is that an excuse? Partially and only because my brother in law (a respected individual in the community) has had 3 of them in the last 20 years who were bigger babies than you could imagine and probably because he went to a respected breeder and didn't buy them out of a trunk of a car.

Could they have attacked at a moments notice? Sure. Are they as dangerous as a person with a gun or knife? Maybe, maybe not. The point I'm trying to make is that I think more important issues are at stake other than pitbulls. Is it tragic that someone is attacked by a pitbull? Yes. Is it tragic that a repeat pedophile is allowed to continue abusing because of loopholes in the law? Yes. Is is tragic a young offender can take a life and serve a two year sentence? Yes.

When it comes to callous disregard for society, pitbulls just don't top the list for me. But if they are banned outright so be it. I expect the government to come down as equally hard on the other scourges of society regardless of their rights or lack thereof.

__________________
" In Canada, you can tell the most blatant lie in a calm voice, and people will believe you over someone who's a little passionate about the truth." David Warren, Western Standard.

Charlatan

It isn't the owners, it's the breeding... For years, these dogs have been bread for certain attributes that have made them AS A BREED dangerous animals.

The ban is a good first step.

__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

hossified

ok...how many people here actually own a pitbull....(and no knowing a guy who knows a guy who owns one doesn't count). I have one, and the dog is a dream. Yeah she is protective, but she knows who the boss is. I also have had shitzu's that are way more violent and unpredictable, but they are tiny so their bite's don't cause as much harm. I believe its all in the ownership and how the animals are treated. Cripes I see how people's kids act these days and how they are treated....so I don't even want to imagine what the dogs are treated like!

Janey

Apparantly about 1% of dog owners. Yet they account for 40% of reported dog attacks.

hmmm...

actinic

I live in the area (TO) where the poor guy got torn apart walking his friends pitbull and the "cops" had to shoot them. They looked awfully like Staffordshire Bull Terriers to me, or more Staff in the mix. I know of 3 friends with "pitbulls" and they're one of the most affectionate dogs I have ever encountered...and they have children too.

Not bad dogs, bad owners. I have to say, not to sound predjudice or elitist, when you look at the economic, social and cultural bacground of those that do have a problem pit...well...have brought upon this problem themselves and spoiling it for other responsible pit owners.

Those with great pits, fight the good fight as I will be supporting those responsible pit, or any breed, dog owners.

JustDisGuy

Perfectly well trained, well behaved dogs have inexplicably attacked people for no discernible provocation. These dogs are NOT only pit bulls, but it is pit bulls that can exert 3000psi with their jaws and pit bulls that are almost impossible to disengage once blood has been drawn. One little kid that doesn't get mauled as a result of the ban would be worth the ban. And don't forget, this is just about NEW dogs. The ones already in place get 'grandfathered' and are only required to be properly restrained to prevent harm to innocents.

__________________
"Act as if the future of the universe depends on what you do, while laughing at yourself for thinking that your actions make any difference."

thriolith

I still don't agree with an outright ban, maybe a muzzle when outside. Wouldn't that do the job?

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- Thriolith

Charlatan

It is true that there are other breed that bite more frequently than Pit Bulls... Pomerainians and German Shepherd are more likely to bite. But the likelihood that that bite will result in death increases drastically when it is a Pit Bull that does the biting.

__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke

highthief

Agreed. People aren't allowed to walk to have tigers or lions as pets, or take them for a stroll in the park. Why? Because they are dangerous animals that require someone (IE a licensed zoo keeper) to handle them.

Pits fall under the same category. So many owners would be utterly incapable of controlling their pit if it wanted to get loose. And then once it got loose, the damage it can inflict is more severe than any other breed.

I saw a video a few years ago of a pit bull charging a police officer. The cop shot the animal point blank in the head. The bullet bounced off the animals skull! It stunned the beast for a second, and then he was back up. Luckily, the cop was able to access his cruiser's shotgun and put a proper end to the beast.

Say NO! to bullet proof dogs!

I don't know if the ban will be effective, but I agree the government needs to try something. I'd also institute a mandatory fine or jail term for any dog owner whose animal attacks and causes injury - be it a pit bull, rotty, shepherd, lab, whatever.

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Si vis pacem parabellum.

Suave

That's stupid. Maybe next we should ban Ford Tauruses because car thieves like to target them. Or maybe we should ban Vietnamese people from entry to Canada because some of them are in gangs. This is just another example of the government taking the easy way out to mollify stupid people.

JustDisGuy

We're not talking about property crime, or about immigrants. We're talking about dogs that are bred to kill and that regularly and without warning attack human beings. Human beings that may be their owners, their owners children or those of their neighbors. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

__________________
"Act as if the future of the universe depends on what you do, while laughing at yourself for thinking that your actions make any difference."

highthief

Ah, thanks for calling me and everyone else stupid, brainiac.

What's the big deal here? Can the pit bull owners not be happy with their next dog being a chocolate coloured lab? Or a border collie? The breed is an artificial creation of man, created to fight. So it won't be around in a couple of generations - neither are Pintos or Chevy Novas. Who's crying about it?

All the fuss raised by pit bull owners is ridiculous. No one is coming around to put your dog down.

__________________
Si vis pacem parabellum.

Suave

Pit Bulls aren't as dangerous as people are led to believe; that's the issue I take with it. It's also the point I was making with those analogies. The logic behind "ban pitbulls, they're a huge threat" is the same logic that rednecks use to justify harsher immigration laws when they talk about Mexicans coming to take their jobs or some BS like that. Yes, some lazy rednecks will have their jobs taken by more hard-working immigrants, but it's not like they're going to destroy the economy. In the same way, dogs bite people. Pitbulls, like other dogs, bite people. The average pit bull isn't going around, trying to kill small children though, and I don't think it warrants banning the whole breed. And I'm sorry if I inadvertantly referred to anyone here as "idiots". I meant everyone who thinks that way who doesn't post here. :P

IC3

I agree that it has alot to do with owners..and banning one breed of dog isn't going to solve the problem of dogs attacking.

There is always a chance of any dog..no matter how spoiled, babyed the dog may be that something in his head could just go demented and he turns, It's not very likely though. This is Ontarios quick and easy way of thinking that there solving the problem by banning pitbulls.

There's still going to be pitbull attacks along with other dog breeds attacking. The owners are the solution to the problem..banning them is not the solution. I think they are singling out the pitbull breed because of what some stupid owners do with them..But what about the owners who train these dogs to be good and not viscious.

It's like car insurance. The average working person has to pay higher insurance rates because of idiot drivers and insurance fraud.

Dogs cant tell you to fuck off your bugging me, There warning is growling at you and if you proceed to do whatever it is to piss them off, Then they are gonna snap.

about 7 years ago when i lived in London our neighbor had a huge dog, I never approached it but when i seen him he always looked to be a very well trained dog. The dog was on his leash in the backyard and one of the kids in the complex gave him a piece of food, The dog took it and dropped it at his feet..The kid then went to grab the piece of food from the dogs feet and the dog grabbed hold of his face. He had over one hundred stitches on his face.

Ya i felt sorry for the kid, But i felt even more sorry for the dog and it's owners. Obviously the kid didn't know what he was doing wasn't right, But again it go's back to the parents..My niece is only 3 years old and she has already been taught not to go around dogs that she doesn't know. This kid was about 11 years old living in a complex that had alot of big dogs, So where was the parenting.

It makes me sick when I read in the paper how some people treat there animals. So anybody that does abuse there dog..I prey they get what's coming to them.

I have a 5 month old German Sheppard Boarder Collie Cross, I don't even think about the fact that he could turn, even though there is a possibility. He was almost fully trained by the time he was 4 months old..when i walk him and parents are walking there kids..i encourage them to let thier kids approach my dog and pet him, You have to get your dog out and let him be around other people other than the people he lives with. The more you let your dog be around people..the more friendly the dog is gonna be. If people keep thier dogs locked up in the backyard all day..That's a form of abuse.

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"To win any battle, you must fight as if you were already dead" -Musashi

RCAlyra2004

BAN THE BREED.... BAN THE BREED.... IF GUN CONTROL CAN WORK SO WELL IN CANADA... THEN BANNING PITBULLS WILL WORK ALSO....


Huh?

You get my point!

__________________
Living on the edge of sanity

happyman

I don't know much about pit bulls, but my brother owns a pure bred rottie. In B.C., rotties are looked upon much the same way. When he walks Sascha, people cross the street when they see him coming. The thing is, the dog is just a giant pussy. He takes a beating from the cat in the house, gets viciously violated by little dogs at the park, and lets our nephew tell him what to do. It's not the dog, it's the owner.

tiltedbc

After seeing a neighbor dog get killed by a PitBull, I'm all for some changes to the legal system regarding dogs and the punishments handed out. YES, there are other dangerous dogs besides PitBulls, but this breed really is something else when they get mad.

People that own these dogs should face jailtime for the actions of their dogs and know that upfront. All this talk about how "nice" these dogs are is hard to swallow after seeing a little kid get their face disfigured or worse. Sort of how your serial killer neighbor "seemed like such a nice guy" routine. Parents of spoiled little brats will also gush on and on about how great their little monsters are as well. Yeah we get it, everyone elses dangerous Dog is vicious except yours (until one faithful day).

I have ZERO sympathy for dog owners that can't control their "pets" or don't follow simple rules like getting a dog license.

Tirian

Anyone wanting more info on this topic can head over to www.pets.ca where there is an entire forum dedicated to the topic. Lots of links to good info, and lots of angst and name calling as well......

...and no just because I mentioned this site twice in one night does not mean I am working to publicize them or anything, pure coincedence.

I'm not sure I have enough factual information myself to have a firm opinion on the pitbull ban, but I do have an opinion on purebreds and breeders and all that.

It amuses me to see breeders going on about mixed breed dogs and how people who look for a cross bred dog for a pet are encouraging this cross breeding and poluting the dog lines etc.

Yet there is, to my knowledge, no breed listed on the AKC or CKC that does not state in it's history the fact that the breed was created by selective crossbreeding. Since all domestic dogs are generally believed to be the same species there is, in fact no way a breed could be anything but selective breeding created.

I believe that since these breeds were created for societies needs of the time period to fill roles why should we retain these specific attributes in dogs when the needs of society has very likely changed.

Most folks no longer use terriers to kill vermin, or wolfhounds to hunt the (now extinct) Sottish wolf. Pit fighting has been outlawed my many countries now.

Perhaps it is time to give up on some breeds who by their nature do not fit well into todays society's needs. In another 100 years, or 2, the cocker-poodle cross will likely be a recognized breed with feirce defense by breeders of protecting the purebred cockapoos blood lines.

Today is seems that most families looking for pets are looking for character traites that have not traditionally been selectively bred into the lines of the working and hunting dogs.

This is further brought to light by the fact that hunters and users of working dogs are complaining that the current trend to breed dogs to be champions in the show ring is making it harder for them to find working dogs that still know how to work. Yes they may physically look exactly the way the judge wants them to look, but are loosing the purpose of their origin anyways.

OFKU0

Just thought the last paragraph was classic. Dog attacks and is impounded for not being restrained and for being a dangerous animal. Two dogs come to the rescue, seemingly unrestrained and labelled as dangerous, to save the day.

My comments are mocking the writers style not making a judgement of the animals

http://g.msn.com/0US!s6.73430_734763/45.b7384/1??cm=TodayonMSN
http://www1.sympatico.ca/

__________________
" In Canada, you can tell the most blatant lie in a calm voice, and people will believe you over someone who's a little passionate about the truth." David Warren, Western Standard.