LorraineO
10-15-2004, 12:53 PM
Ontario moves to ban pit bulls
TORONTO - Calling the dogs "ticking time bombs," Ontario's attorney general announced Friday that the province will become the first in Canada to ban pit bulls.
INDEPTH: Dogs
Attorney General Michael Bryant
Michael Bryant said legislation to ban the dogs will be introduced within a month.
Canada's most populous province will allow current owners of pit bulls to keep their pets, but will place an absolute ban on new ownership of the dogs throughout the province.
Following a transition period, pit bulls will have to be muzzled and leashed, along with being neutered or spayed, said Bryant.
"I am confident pit bulls are ticking time bombs," said Bryant. "They are inherently dangerous animals.
"We cannot have these animals walking the streets, the fields, or the family rooms of Ontario."
The province will also implement new restrictions and penalties on irresponsible dog owners of all breeds, he said. Under the proposed legislation, dog owners could face jail sentences or fines of up to $10,000.
FROM AUG. 31, 2004: Ontario mulls province-wide ban on pit bulls
The government legislation comes in response to numerous pit-bull attacks on Ontario residents, including a number of children. In a recent incident in Toronto, two of the animals continued to attack a man even after police shot them repeatedly.
The man was "practically eaten alive from the ankles up," said Bryant.
Pit bulls have come under criticism after recent attacks.
Animal activists were quick to applaud the proposed legislation, but questioned whether it would be enforceable.
Liz White of the Animal Alliance of Canada said it's too hard to determine which dogs are pit bulls, since it's a cross-breed that can display many different looks.
In the end, innocent dogs will end up being destroyed, White said.
Municipalities in the province already had the option of banning pit bulls under the Ontario Municipal Act. The cities of Kitchener, Waterloo, and Windsor have effectively banned pit bulls and placed restrictions on owners.
Winnipeg has had a ban on the dogs since 1990, and other cities across the country such as Vancouver have vicious dog bylaws requiring the dogs to be muzzled and leashed.
TORONTO - Calling the dogs "ticking time bombs," Ontario's attorney general announced Friday that the province will become the first in Canada to ban pit bulls.
INDEPTH: Dogs
Attorney General Michael Bryant
Michael Bryant said legislation to ban the dogs will be introduced within a month.
Canada's most populous province will allow current owners of pit bulls to keep their pets, but will place an absolute ban on new ownership of the dogs throughout the province.
Following a transition period, pit bulls will have to be muzzled and leashed, along with being neutered or spayed, said Bryant.
"I am confident pit bulls are ticking time bombs," said Bryant. "They are inherently dangerous animals.
"We cannot have these animals walking the streets, the fields, or the family rooms of Ontario."
The province will also implement new restrictions and penalties on irresponsible dog owners of all breeds, he said. Under the proposed legislation, dog owners could face jail sentences or fines of up to $10,000.
FROM AUG. 31, 2004: Ontario mulls province-wide ban on pit bulls
The government legislation comes in response to numerous pit-bull attacks on Ontario residents, including a number of children. In a recent incident in Toronto, two of the animals continued to attack a man even after police shot them repeatedly.
The man was "practically eaten alive from the ankles up," said Bryant.
Pit bulls have come under criticism after recent attacks.
Animal activists were quick to applaud the proposed legislation, but questioned whether it would be enforceable.
Liz White of the Animal Alliance of Canada said it's too hard to determine which dogs are pit bulls, since it's a cross-breed that can display many different looks.
In the end, innocent dogs will end up being destroyed, White said.
Municipalities in the province already had the option of banning pit bulls under the Ontario Municipal Act. The cities of Kitchener, Waterloo, and Windsor have effectively banned pit bulls and placed restrictions on owners.
Winnipeg has had a ban on the dogs since 1990, and other cities across the country such as Vancouver have vicious dog bylaws requiring the dogs to be muzzled and leashed.