Ontario, Canada spurs protests with pit bull ban

By Linda Wilson Fuoco – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – Canada’s first pit bull ban went into effect yesterday in the province of Ontario. The controversial law has sparked protests, rallies and letter-writing campaigns by dog lovers who now say they will challenge the ban in court. Though the Ontario ban is a first for Canada, officials there aren’t the first to try to outlaw the breed in the wake of vicious attacks on people by pit bulls.

 Pit bull advocate Peter Foto participates in a vigil for pit bulls with his dog at the legislature in Toronto Sunday. 

The Ontario law prohibits the breeding of pit bulls, and existing pit bulls must be spayed or neutered and must always be muzzled when out in public.

State legislators in California are considering proposals that would designate specific breeds — pit bulls and perhaps others — for mandatory spaying and neutering.

And in Denver, officials have reinstated a pit bull ban that has been an on-again, off-again thing because of challenges in court. In the last three months, since the ban has been reinstated, officials have seized and euthanized more than 290 pit bulls, according to a recent story in the Los Angeles Times.

Ohio is the only state in the United States that declares all pit bulls “dangerous dogs.” Enforcement varies throughout the state, from outright bans on the dogs in some cities to ordinances that require pit bulls to be constantly muzzled. In some cases, owners are required to obtain liability insurance.

In September, the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled part of the statute unconstitutional. Legislators there are considering a proposal that would revoke the pit bull bans and restrictions while considering other ways to rein in dogs that bite and attack, and their owners.

In Pennsylvania, a portion of the state dog law prohibits so-called “breed specific legislation.” Municipalities are not permitted to ban or impose restrictions on any specific breed.

Cities and towns in Pennsylvania occasionally try to enact legislation aimed at pit bulls or other breeds “but most of the time if you tell them it’s illegal they drop it,” said Dotsie Keith, legislative chairman for the Pennsylvania Federation of Dog Clubs Inc.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which collects statistics on dog bites, including those that result in people’s deaths, does identify breeds involved in the bites and attacks. That report, frequently cited by opponents of breed specific legislation, says, however, there is no way to identify which breeds are more likely to bite and kill.

The CDC study cautions that in pursuing ways to prevent dog attacks and bites, “many practical alternatives to breed specific ordinances exist.”

A statement on the Web site of the Humane Society of the United States — called HSUS — cites that study, saying: “Breed specific legislation is a common first approach that many communities take” when dogs attack people, causing serious injury or even death.

The breed of a dog “cannot be used to predict whether a dog may pose a danger to the community,” the HSUS says. “If you ban one breed, individuals will just move on to another one.”

The HSUS advocates that owners train, socialize and control their dogs.

The American Kennel Club does not oppose laws aimed at cracking down on dangerous dogs — as long as no breed is deemed universally dangerous. The AKC supports leash laws and other measures to keep dangerous dogs off the streets, and it encourages enforcement.

A number of breeds have been targeted in recent years. The most frequent targets include pit bulls, American Staffordshire terriers, bull terriers and Staffordshire bull terriers. Other breeds that have been singled out include rottweilers, Akitas, chow chows, Doberman pinschers and German shepherds.

(Linda Wilson Fuoco can be reached at lfuoco@ post-gazette.com or 412-263-3064.)