BSL up north
Ontario is considering a breed ban. The ban’s opponents have responded:
The Canada Safety Council has slammed the idea of a ban on pit bulls in Ontario, saying it won’t be effective in reducing dog attacks.
“Breed bans are a reactionary measure,” council president Emile Therien said today. “Good animal control bylaws, well-enforced, are part of the solution.”
Therien said the council opposes a breed-specific ban as a quick fix because it blurs the real issues: responsible owners, good breeders and municipal government action.
“Animal control has just not been a community priority,” he said. “Let’s face it, municipal governments have dropped the ball on it. We need to make it a priority like drunk driving is. Owners must be held accountable.”
Aaron Campbell, who has raised pit bull terriers for a few years, also wants to see the onus placed on the owners, not the dogs.
“It is unfair to target a specific breed,” he said. “The owners are to blame if their dog attacks someone, and they should be criminally prosecuted. Owners will be more cautious when they are faced with paying a $5,000 fine to the victim.”
A ban would be largely ineffective in controlling the proliferation of aggressive animals on the street, Campbell said.
“Dog owners will just breed bigger, meaner dogs in place of the pit bulls,” he said.
Susan Lavictoire of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association agrees.
“Dangerous dogs can exist in every breed and cross-breed,” she said. “In fact, any dog can be raised to be aggressive.”
