As I am sure
most of you are aware, Breed Specific Legislation has
been passed into law.
As of August
29, 2005, the Province of Ontario has passed legislation
banning specific breeds of dogs. The law bans Pit Bull
terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American
Staffordshire terriers, American pit bull terriers and
any dog "that has an appearance and physical
characteristics substantially similar to any of those
dogs."
The scariest
part of the legislation is the ambiguity with which it
is written. There is concern that the definition is so
unclear that it will be confusing for owners and animal
control officers to determine which dogs should be
classified as pit bulls.
It is so
important to do everything we can to make the public
understand that this is not about one breed. This
Legislation affects us all no matter what breed you
have. The Law should be as simple as “If you have a dog
that bites or is determined to be dangerous, you will be
penalized.” Period. It makes no difference what the
breed of dog is.
So what is
being done?
A challenge has been launched by an individual in
Toronto who is supported by a group of pro-dog
organizations calling themselves Banned Aid. This
coalition, consisting of The Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Club of Canada, the Dog Legislation Council of Canada (DLCC),
American Staffordshire Terrier Club of Canada, Advocates
for the Underdog & the Golden Horseshoe American Pit
Bull Terrier Club, has employed the services of a well
known Toronto lawyer, Clayton Ruby. He is fighting back
with a constitutional challenge arguing the new law will
unintentionally apply to other dogs. He is stating that
the law is unconstitutionally vague and overly broad and
that it will not improve the safety of the residents of
Ontario or reduce the number of dog bite incidents. It
is suggested that it will take 6 to 8 months before the
first court date.
The Bull Terrier Club of Canada formed a Committee when
this legislation was first put forth to stay on top of
the situation, and support the coalition both with
information, in the form of studies and research that we
may become privy to, as well as financially. Many of
our members are supporting the events and vigils as they
are organized.
The legislation does not specify Bull Terriers as one of
the banned breeds, in fact the person who spear headed
this whole thing has publicly stated that the Bull
Terrier is exempt. Hockey Night in Canada and the fact
that Don Cherry once owned a Bully has made the Bull
Terrier recognizable and this has helped us in some
situations with identification of our breed. However,
no one in the Club is resting easy with this issue.
We are organizing our website so as to supply up to date
information on the legislation, give direction and
support on how to deal individually with specific
challenges to our breed, and provide progress reports
and case works its way through our legal system.
How can you help?
1.
Do not buy into unsubstantiated panic. Consult with
the members of the BSL Committee, Lori Bozian or Ann
Radford to get clarification and updated info.
2.
Financially. This is with the courts now. Please
donate to the BSL fund to support the organizations and
legal council that are fighting on your behalf. You can
do this easily at the Banned Aid Coalition website
www.bannedaid.com
or from the Dog Legislation Council of Canada website
www.doglegislationcouncilcanada.org
3.
Be clear of the restrictions in your individual
Municipalities. Each Municipality can implement their
own restrictions, e.g. Muzzle, increased fines, to name
a few. It is important that you know what these
restrictions, if any, are. Contact your Municipality
and inquire generally what restrictions are in place
under the Dog Owner’s Liability Act. Make sure you
refer to your Bull Terrier as “Bull Terrier” when
registering or licensing as the Municipalities will be
using the CKC list of registered breeds as their
guideline. Putting “English” in front of the name puts
you at risk of having to prove you own a CKC registered
breed.
4.
EDUCATION of the public and your MPP’s is very
important. Write letters, circulate petitions and get
as many voters to voice their opinion as possible. Make
people understand that you don’t have to own a dog to be
upset by this Law.
The BSL committee members are here for you to clarify or
support any way we can. We are concentrating on the
individual incidents as they come up (as with the
problem with the “English” term in the London area) and
will try to notify you about the problems and how they
were resolved
Please feel to contact Lori Bozian nomis@idirect.com
or Ann Radford mayhembts@rogers.com
if you need further clarification or require support of
help with the Municipality.
Together, as a united front, we will get through this
with the health and integrity of our Bullies intact.
Lori Bozian/Ann Radford
BTCC BSL
Committee
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