The province’s pit bull ban has been relaxed by Doug Ford’s government, allowing seized dogs that resemble the banned breed to be released. However, several dog owners claim the premier has hinted that he’ll go even further.
In 2005, Ontario outlawed pit bulls after two of them attacked a man in Toronto. Many dog lovers were incensed by the law because they felt that it punished dogs instead of their owners.
Several owners claimed they directly complained to the premier over the course of the previous month about their dogs being taken away by animal control services on the grounds that they might be pit bulls.
The premier’s office declined to comment, but a spokesman for the minister of agriculture and rural affairs stated that recent legal modifications allow animals that have been taken solely because of their purported breed to be returned to owners while a breed designation is being done.
According to Jack Sullivan, “Ontarians expect the laws protecting people and animals to be grounded in facts.” Our government is returning impounded pets that have not harmed their owners under specific terms and conditions by implementing this change right away. “.
Several dog owners claim that over the past month, the premier became personally involved in a number of cases and made promises to rescind the pit bull ban, also known as breed-specific legislation, found in the Dog Owners Liability Act.
All four breeds of pit bull terriers—pit bull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, and American pit bull terriers—are currently listed as prohibited dogs in the act.
A clause in the law that many owners and advocates find troubling states that any dog “that has an appearance and physical characteristics that are substantially similar to those” four types of dogs is prohibited.
Vaughan, Ont. After his dog, Dwaeji, ran away from home in early October and was captured by a municipal animal control team, resident Tommy Chang claimed he received a call from the premier.
A neighbor in Dawejis’ case contacted Vaughan Animal Services about a stray dog, and a team went and picked him up.
According to Chang, Dwaeji was a pit bull and would either be put to death or relocated to a province where the breed is not prohibited. The dog was a certified American Bully, he claimed to have told them.
Chang later discovered a number of people who also lost their dogs due to similar circumstances. He also turned to animal rights organizations that have been urging the government to change the law.
One of them was Lynn Perrier, who heads Reform Advocates for Animal Welfare and has long talked with the province about changes to the pit bull rules and other animal welfare laws.
Perrier asserted, “Family pets should not be judged on their appearance any more than people should be.” “Judgment should be made based on actions. “.
Chang called a fellow Conservative Michael Tibollo, while Perrier called her local provincial legislator, Conservative Michael Parsa. Both politicians told them theyd escalate Dwaejis case, they said.
Many more people who had lost dogs joined the campaign, which included calling and texting Ford.
She revealed to the premier that Nove and Dexter, her two American Bullies, were lost after they escaped in mid-March. In West Grey, Ontario, an animal control officer picked them up.
Wheeler claimed that because the pit bull law was never invoked, she was without legal recourse. Finally, she consented to ship the dogs to a foster home in Quebec.
“So what is giving these canine control officers the right to hold the dog under a certain law and not (have me be charged under that law),” she asked Doug Ford.
Wheeler claimed Ford was sympathetic and revealed to her that he once owned two American Staffordshire pit bulls, which the premier’s office has corroborated. She remarked, “He claimed they were the best dogs he had ever owned.”
In Vaughan, where once more no charges were brought under the pit bull law, Chang and his attorney Leo Kinahan encountered a comparable conflict.
Kinahan asserted, “I have never encouraged anyone to bill a client of mine.” “But I kept telling them to charge us and let the law handle this,” “.
“Mr. Chang recalled that Ford had called her and said, “Hey, listen, something’s gonna come down the pipeline — it’s gonna happen sometime next week, but well get him out of there.”
On Monday, the regulatory changes came through. Chang reported that Vaughan Animal Services released Dwaeji and announced that their investigation was complete on the same day.
Dwaeji emerged, his entire body changing into a snake, wiggly and waggly, and jumping on us. Chang described it as an amazing moment. “I have to thank all the supporters, including Mr. Ford, for helping get our family back together. “.
Wheeler received word quickly and texted Ford to ask if she could pick up her dogs safely.
Wheeler claimed the premier said, “You should be able to pick them up at any time.”
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How did it start?
Two pit bulls attacked a Toronto man in 2005. In response to this and other alleged attacks involving pit bulls, the province of Ontario introduced breed-specific legislation to outlaw pit bulls.
“Hopefully we’ve found her that perfect home,” he said. “I believe that this also simply informs people of the BSL situation, the issues it raises, and the efforts made by the Humane Society London & Middlesex to place animals in loving homes.” ”.
“The cost to ownership is expensive,” he continued. “We don’t turn a blind eye to animals, so we’re doing what we can to help wherever we can with the shelter animals, our foster program, and in unique circumstances like this with Aurora. ”.
However, Ryall claimed that due to an increase in “pandemic pets,” many of these facilities are full and have “lengthy wait times.” ”.
In order to find her a home, Ryall said, “This project had a really good response with communities, and we hope that this message obviously spread as far as it could.”
“The neighborhood really backed it, so I think we found another way,” he said. “We’re going to keep trying those positive things if we can keep adding more and more of those options to find homes for animals. ”.
Population numbers are another concern. Unlike many regions, we don’t have an overpopulation crisis with dogs. The Lincoln County Humane Society rescues dogs from Ontario First Nations reserves, northern Ontario, Louisiana, the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas. We help dogs where we can, particularly those from areas with high euthanasia rates, such as the southern U.S. We also cooperate with agencies in these regions, including Boudreaux’s Animal Rescue Krewe (B.A.R.K.) in Louisiana. B.A.R.K. works tirelessly, rescuing dogs and driving them more than a thousand miles to be rehomed by us in Canada. Over the past several years, many, many wonderful pets have been saved by these efforts.
Every region of Canada has unique problems when it comes to animals. This is also true of the Lincoln County Humane Society in the vicinity of Niagara Falls, Ontario. We deal with Pit Bull prohibitions, a lack of dogs and an excess of cats at our shelter. More than 5,000 animals enter our shelter annually, and despite some obstacles, we work hard to be proactive in our approach to these crucial animal issues.
Other breeds will probably be outlawed and put to death as a result of this ineffective policy. How much is a dog’s life worth, though, when you’re a politician trying to win votes?
Over the course of my more than 20 years at the Lincoln County Humane Society, I’ve encountered some wonderful Pit Bulls. Over the past five years, we have flown a number of these dogs across Canada to provinces that have not outlawed them in order to save their lives and secure their futures. However, evidence suggests that despite the breed’s ban, bites have not decreased in Ontario. The Netherlands is yet another prominent example of how breed-specific legislation fails. There, the ban was lifted after it became clear that the number of dog bites had not decreased. That’s because Pit Bulls are not the problem. Instead, careless dog owners are to blame because they made an entire breed pay for the misdeeds of a few animals.
I only wish our cat overpopulation crisis was equally nonexistent. The rate of cat euthanasia is high, and we are taking several measures to address this issue. We are completing construction of a new, $1. Spay/neuter clinic worth $3 million, funded by federal and provincial grants We are also working hard to raise $1. 6 million to equip our clinic and hire more staff.
FAQ
Can I own a pitbull in Ontario?
In 2005, Ontario amended the Dog Owners’ Liability Act and enacted Breed Specific Legislation (BSL). The Act contains specific clauses that make it illegal for residents of Ontario to own “pit bulls.”
Why can’t you own a pitbull in Ontario?
In 2005, Ontario outlawed pit bulls after two of them attacked a man in Toronto. Many dog lovers were incensed by the law because they felt that it punished dogs instead of their owners.
Are pitbulls allowed in Ontario 2022?
Pit bulls and other similar-looking breeds are prohibited in the Canadian province of Ontario. This breed-specific law became operative in 2005 and has been in effect ever since.
Are bull dogs legal in Ontario?
The following breeds are not allowed to enter or transit the province of Ontario: Pit Bull Terrier American Pit Bull Terrier. American Staffordshire Terrier.