This Can't Be Happening. The Pit Bull Ban In Ontario.
Irate dog breeders in Ontario are mounting a legal challenge to Ontario's controversial "Pit Bull" ban on the grounds that the law, which takes effect on Monday, violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Dog breeders, many of whom are money-hungry amateurs with little knowledge and less interest in breed enhancement, are not likely to garner much sympathy from the public or from government officials, but Pitties certainly deserve protection.
The plaintiffs and their supporters argue that the provincial law is so vague and unscientific that it's bound to affect many animals that have no "bully breed" blood in them at all.
The legislation has amped up an already heated debate across Canada about the dangers of Pit Bulls, as passionate and faithful owners square off against uneducated neighbours and critics who consider the breed a dangerous weapon.
As of Monday, it will be illegal for a Pit Bull to be imported into Ontario. Puppies born in Ontario before Nov. 27 will be allowed to stay on a restricted basis (sterilized and leashed and muzzled in public places), but dogs born after that date must be shipped out of the province, sent to "research facilities" or euthanized.
What the hell is going on? This travesty would be laughable if it were not so fucking obscene.
Under the new regulations, four breeds are defined as "Pit Bulls": Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and American Bull terriers. The legislation also bans dogs with physical characteristics that are "substantially similar to those dogs."
Does this mean American Bulldogs, Boxers, some Lab crosses and certain Mastiff breeds will be banned, too?
Damn straight.
There is no scientific way to prove a dog's breeding. DNA cannot distinguish breeds, so the public relies on "professionals" to determine an animal's background. Some people see every muscular 40-60 lb dog as a "Pit Bull", especially when they are frightened or anxious about the dog. There are dozens of variables at play when determining any given dog's breeding, and even Veterinarians and dog experts can make a wrong guess.
None of the debate over "what is a Pit Bull?" touches the other issue in this fiasco. Breed Specific Legislation is fundamentally wrong.
All puppies are born equal. Clean slates, blank canvasses, pick a cliche. Dogs are made into whatever type of animal their guardians choose to create. A Cocker Spaniel can be made into a killer, so can a Labrador Retriever, a Sheepdog or a Dalmation. Temperament and instinct do influence a dog's behaviour, but humans are responsible for most dog aggression. Simply put, bad owners make bad dogs.
Bull breed dogs are bred to be loyal and loving companions to humans. They are smart, playful and loving dogs who have been nanny-like guardians of children for decades. The breed has been corrupted by amoral people who choose to capitalize on the strength and tenacity of Pitties, by perverting positive attributes. Yes, some Pitties have been molded into vicious attack dogs, so have some Doberman Pinchers, some German Shepherd Dogs, some Rottweilers, some Akitas, some Chows and some Great Danes.
Pit Bulls attract certain "types" of people who want a powerful and "scary" dog. They also attract families who want loyal and reliable pets. To ban a breed because some people exploit it is the height of victim blaming. Any and all people who use animals as weapons should be prosecuted for their crimes, no doubt about that, but the dogs have no voice in their exploitation, they simply do what they are trained and conditioned to do.
Blame the deed, not the breed.
Dog breeders, many of whom are money-hungry amateurs with little knowledge and less interest in breed enhancement, are not likely to garner much sympathy from the public or from government officials, but Pitties certainly deserve protection.
The plaintiffs and their supporters argue that the provincial law is so vague and unscientific that it's bound to affect many animals that have no "bully breed" blood in them at all.
The legislation has amped up an already heated debate across Canada about the dangers of Pit Bulls, as passionate and faithful owners square off against uneducated neighbours and critics who consider the breed a dangerous weapon.
As of Monday, it will be illegal for a Pit Bull to be imported into Ontario. Puppies born in Ontario before Nov. 27 will be allowed to stay on a restricted basis (sterilized and leashed and muzzled in public places), but dogs born after that date must be shipped out of the province, sent to "research facilities" or euthanized.
What the hell is going on? This travesty would be laughable if it were not so fucking obscene.
Under the new regulations, four breeds are defined as "Pit Bulls": Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers and American Bull terriers. The legislation also bans dogs with physical characteristics that are "substantially similar to those dogs."
Does this mean American Bulldogs, Boxers, some Lab crosses and certain Mastiff breeds will be banned, too?
Damn straight.
There is no scientific way to prove a dog's breeding. DNA cannot distinguish breeds, so the public relies on "professionals" to determine an animal's background. Some people see every muscular 40-60 lb dog as a "Pit Bull", especially when they are frightened or anxious about the dog. There are dozens of variables at play when determining any given dog's breeding, and even Veterinarians and dog experts can make a wrong guess.
None of the debate over "what is a Pit Bull?" touches the other issue in this fiasco. Breed Specific Legislation is fundamentally wrong.
All puppies are born equal. Clean slates, blank canvasses, pick a cliche. Dogs are made into whatever type of animal their guardians choose to create. A Cocker Spaniel can be made into a killer, so can a Labrador Retriever, a Sheepdog or a Dalmation. Temperament and instinct do influence a dog's behaviour, but humans are responsible for most dog aggression. Simply put, bad owners make bad dogs.
Bull breed dogs are bred to be loyal and loving companions to humans. They are smart, playful and loving dogs who have been nanny-like guardians of children for decades. The breed has been corrupted by amoral people who choose to capitalize on the strength and tenacity of Pitties, by perverting positive attributes. Yes, some Pitties have been molded into vicious attack dogs, so have some Doberman Pinchers, some German Shepherd Dogs, some Rottweilers, some Akitas, some Chows and some Great Danes.
Pit Bulls attract certain "types" of people who want a powerful and "scary" dog. They also attract families who want loyal and reliable pets. To ban a breed because some people exploit it is the height of victim blaming. Any and all people who use animals as weapons should be prosecuted for their crimes, no doubt about that, but the dogs have no voice in their exploitation, they simply do what they are trained and conditioned to do.
Blame the deed, not the breed.
posted by Alphamutt at 11:21 PM
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