Monday, May 15, 2006

Biting back at Ban

Biting back at ban
Pit bull law challenged

By JACK BOLAND
TORONTO SUN

Katie MacKellar thinks the province is barking up the wrong tree with its controversial pit bull legislation and hopes lawyer Clayton Ruby can overturn the ban on the breed.

"Some people immediately cross the street when we go to the park," MacKellar said of walking her 4-year-old pit bull-mix, Penny. "What needs to be done is for people to be educated how to control their dog and those who cross-breed them."

Your say: Agree with the pit bull ban?

For now, though, Ruby will begin arguing today in Ontario Superior Court that the legislation is over-broad because the definition of which breeds are barred is too vague.


'CHEAP POLITICAL FIX'

Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, American pit bull terriers or any dog having an appearance and physical characteristics of those breeds are included in the ban.

He called the move a "cheap political fix" by Queen's Park. "It will, however, force the owners of friendly, happy dogs, who have never bitten anyone, to leash them and muzzle them without any reason whatsoever," Ruby said.

Sharon Hewitt of Bullies in Need, an Ontario pit bull rescue, said shelters are waiting anxiously for the bill to expire.

An influx of pit bulls have been dropped off at shelters since the ban came into effect last August. About seven out of 10 are euthanized.

The law is being challenged in the name of pit bull owner Catherine Cochrane.
Attorney General Michael Bryant has said he is confident the legislation will meet the court's scrutiny.

2 Comments:

Blogger Amstaffie said...

He hit the nail on the head... it is a "cheap political fix"!

6:23 PM  
Blogger pitbulljungle said...

and he's a jerk

3:30 PM  

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