Superior Court Strikes Down Key Elements of Flawed Pitbull Ban

TORONTO, March 23 /CNW/ - Despite headlines proclaiming that Ontario's pitbull ban has been upheld by the Superior Court, the Toronto Humane Societyis thrilled that two key aspects of the law have been struck down. Firstly the vague definition of "pitbull and pitbull-like" has been found faulty. The ban, while it stands, now applies only to purebred pitbulls. This removes death sentences from literally thousands of dogs who have had the misfortune of being pitbull-like. Secondly, bylaw enforcement officers are no longer allowed to go to court armed only with a veterinarian's certificate stating that the dog in question is a pitbull. This is significant because you can't cross-examine a piece of paper. The combination of the clarified definition and the added civic responsibility of demanding witnesses actually attend court will make it far more difficult to prosecute questionable and spurious cases. In fact, it looks like the law has actually applied the traditional standard of fairness, which is to say most of the mixed-breed dogs that have been unfairly caught in the net of the original legislation are now innocent until proven guilty.

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