Ever since 2005, after a nasty dog attack on an individual, Ontario has legislated a ban on pit bulls, imposed in the name of public safety.
The issue has been a topic of debate ever since.
Critics call the law "canine racism" and say breed-specific legislation (BSL) is vague to the point that it's uncertain as to what constitutes a "pit bull."
Legislation identifies Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, American pit bull terriers, and "a dog that has the appearance . . . substantially similar to any of those dogs" warrants being banned or killed.
Holy Mackinaw!
To put the above in human terms, that's akin to deciding guilt on the basis of appearance, not behaviour. To be brutally frank, Bill 132 is a Ku Klux Klan law.
Right now three MPPs -- a Liberal, Conservative and NDP -- have a private member's bill, Bill 16, to rescind the pit bull ban. Conservative Randy Hiller, co-sponsored by the NDP's Cheri DiNovo and Liberal Kim Craitor, want the "racist" aspects of the legislation repealed.
And they are right.
As in people, violent behaviour is an individual characteristic. Gone are the days (one hopes) when people are automatically assumed guilty because of their looks. Politicians apparently haven't reached that stage with dogs.
While I tend to identify with dogs (and most animals), I think people are nuts to have dogs that frighten other people as pets. Those who choose as companions dogs that are intimidating and make people uneasy, are themselves strange and probably not likely to encourage their dog to be non-threatening.
If a dog seems vicious by nature, it probably means the owner is at fault.
The trouble with pit bull types (any square-faced dog with big jaws) is that when they react, it's not a cocker spaniel nip, but a real bite. Adding to the problem is that these breeds have been bred for excessive courage and loyalty, which can make them dangerous.
And no one should want a dangerous dog as a pet.
Ontario went overboard a few years ago when passions blocked common sense and legislation was passed against pit bulls in hopes of protecting the public.
One doesn't dispute the motives, but one can deplore the results.
Prejudice against a specific breed doesn't enhance public safety.
It used to be Doberman Pinschers that had the reputation of being dangerous.
That's since faded. Until Rin Tin Tin became a movie star in the 1920s and 30s, German Shepherds were considered erratic and dangerous -- but have since been called the "Swiss Army knife" of police dogs because of their intelligence, versatility, and judgment.
Judged by its actions, Ontario's McGuinty government is curiously hostile to animals. It seems under the sway of The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA), which took aim at the Toronto Humane Society (THS) at a time when the THS had reduced its kill rate to around seven per cent.
The OSPCA's euthanasia rate hovers in the 50 per cent range, and if Toronto Animal Services (TAS) statistics were known, their kill rate far exceeds its adoption rate.
The McGuinty government tends to ignore pleas that it investigate. Which is why one hopes when they get the chance, members of the Ontario legislature will close ranks and repeal the pit bull ban -- not because they particularly like pit bulls, but because they dislike discrimination and canine racism, and feel owners are largely responsible for the behaviour of their "pets."
I do also believe that its is all in the way you treat your pet weather its a dog ,cat , rabbit , bird ... if you treat them with love and respect , they inreturn will do the same if ya dont they wont and why should they , would you like be treated badly of course not , thenwhy should they animals have feelings too , they may not be able to express them like we do , but they do in many other ways .maybe we should start by banning the owners that treat the badly and make the poor thing react badly, instead of killing a innocent animal that really cant defend itself, that why the look to us.
The way forward is to Vote Mcguinty and is Gang out of Power,otherwise BSL will never be removed from Ontario.
BSL is neo-Nazism and all those that create this Hitler-style law should be Criminally prosecuted.
A better way would be for early education to both familiarize and safety kids to dogs.
Most people are idiots when it comes to their kids and dogs.
All dogs are capable of inflicting serious and deadly injuries. Let's not kid ourselves. And let's stop ignoring the research, the bite rate increases after breed bans, and that irresponsible owners are getting a free pass here.
- Pug owners must take special care to clean inside the Pugs creases (that cute wrinkly face they're known for), otherwise the Pug will have irritations and infections. Do you thoroughly clean your dogs face every day ?
- 63.8% of Pugs are affected by hip dysplasia.
- Pugs are also more susceptible to Demodectic mange than most breeds, resulting in a weakened immune system.
"An investigative documentary carried out by the BBC found significant inbreeding between pedigree dogs, with a study by Imperial College, London, showing that the 10,000 pugs in the UK are so inbred that their gene pool is the equivalent of only 50 individuals."
But whatever, get a Pug because they're cute. It doesn't matter than we bred them into a breed that suffers from a medley of physical conditions, they're cute, so it's okay to have a dog suffer for its entire life so it can be cuter than other dogs.
People get them because they're "soooo cute", but nobody for one second bothers researching that it's one of the most difficult dogs to care for, mainly because we bred them into debaucheries.
Because we bred them into "cute machines", they now suffer from:
- eye injuries such as proptosis and scratched corneas and painful entropion.
- most are unable to breathe properly or efficiently regulate their temperature.
- for that reason, their normal body temperature is between 101 °F (38 °C) and 102 °F (39 °C). Give them a run around the yard during the summer and they can easily hit 108 °F (42 °C), which leads to internal organs begin to break down at a cellular level, leading to severe long term health issues or death.
- Pugs live mostly sedentary life and are easily prone to obesity. You can solve that with regular exercise, but see the point above this one...
- Pugs are prone to NME, also known as pug dog encephalitis (PDE), an inflammation of the brain and meninges, for which there is no cure.
- Pugs are also prone to hemivertebrae. The screwtail is an example, but when it occurs in other areas of the spine it's devastating, causing severe paralysis.
but wait, there's more (check the next post above)...
http://dogbitelaw.com/dog-bite-statistics/the-breeds-most-likely-to-kill.html
It seems common sense, in a way. For centuries, dogs have been bred with certain purposes in mind: shepherding, hunting, guarding, and so on. "Terriers in general have a higher tendency towards dog aggression[11] and American Pit Bull Terriers constitute the majority of dogs used for illegal dog fighting in the United States."(wiki)
So, a very athletic terrier with extremely powerful jaws that, while probably not bred specifically for the purpose, has aggressive characteristics that make it the choice of dog fighting aficionados... I'm sure many of them are lovely, friendly creatures, but perhaps a dangerous weapon like this should require the owner to have special training and a special license.
But you made the point, it's not the animal, it's the owner, who shapes the mind of the animal. Just because you're a very responsible dog owners, does not mean others are. Problem is, I don't know, and others clearly don't know, how to tackle the problem associated with idiot doorknob dog owners.
Consider that many of those "idiot doorknob dog owners" get dogs for a similar reason; security, and for that reason abuse them until they get vicious, thinking that abuse and aggression are what make a good guard dog. Of course they're wrong, but you didn't expect idiots to come to intelligent conclusions on their own do you ? Otherwise, they wouldn't be stupid and wouldn't be abusing their dogs.
Please support Bill 16. We need better laws.
I thank you in your recognition of how the ban does not work, how it's unfair and how it needs to be repealed since it is a form of discrimination, and equivalent to racism. It's appreciated by those of us who love this breed. However, please do keep in mind that ALL breeds of dog can bite, can harm, can hurt, and can kill, as well as the fact that fear is also subjective, and many people do not recognize a pit bull type dog when they truly see one. The majority of people react negatively after they're told what breed it is, and this is after telling you how cute your breed of choice is.