On February 23, 2012 the Ontario Legislature will address the second reading of MPPs Cheri DiNovo and Randy Hillier’s Hershey’s Bill (Bill 16 – named after Hershey, an abused American Pit Bull Terrier who was subsequently rescued and trained to be a St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog).

Let’s talk about Breed Specific Legislation (BSL).

There is no evidence that breed-specific legislation in Ontario has protected Ontarians from vicious dog bites.  In the state of Ohio, the Senate recently passed House Bill 14, repealing the 25-year old breed-specific legislation that labeled pit-bulls and pit-bull type dogs as inherently vicious, since there was no evidence to prove that this was the case. The only thing that the Ohio and Ontario laws have succeeded in accomplishing is the killing of thousands of innocent dogs, their only crimes being born of the wrong ‘breed’ at the wrong place and time.

Biting dogs represent every breed, and some have the potential to cause serious and fatal injuries. Pit-bull type dog bites make the news more often than others, but pit-bull type dogs are not the only ones vilified:  Dobermans, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Akitas and Mastiffs have all had their day.  (I use the description ‘pit-bull type’ only because its what is described in the legislation; it is not a breed but rather a generalized description of a type of dog and as a result confusion reigns:  American Pit Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Terriers, American Bull Terriers, Bulldogs, Boxers and Mastiffs are all similar breeds, but not all are included under the law – you get my drift).

Add to the mix a healthy dose of fear-mongering, sensationalism and sloppy reporting and you’ve got enough misinformation out there to suggest draconian laws like BSL are necessary.  To wit, a recent Ontario news headline read “Pit-bulls maul an 8-year old child.”  The next day’s follow-up in the same publication mentions that the dogs were Boxers.  There was no retraction of the previous day’s headline and even if there had been, that headline is out there forever.  The Canadian Kennel Club recently spoke out against Global News’s report that dog bites have declined since BSL was put in place simply because of the ‘breeds’ listed, pit bull is at the top when it’s not a breed, and of the ‘breeds’ that follow, the CKC argues that their numbers don’t jive with those purebred dogs registered.  This proves what we suspect that breed naming is subject to interpretation both by owners and victims.   In the United States the summarized data on dog deaths per year leans heavily on what is described as ‘pit bull’ in the latter years, yet when the specific data on each dog death is studied, it shows that the vast majority of the pit-bulls are actually described as ‘pit-bull type’.  It’s easy to see that most dog-related deaths are by people killed by their own dogs, and tragically, most are children.  What we all need here is to step back, take a deep breath and use our common sense.

We need to take care of our dogs and the people they live with to ensure that safety is first and foremost.  If our dogs are not well-socialized, or if they have a history of being abused, then we need to ensure they’re not ever put in a position where they can cause harm.  We’re the adults, not them.  Pit-bull type dogs have been used for fighting in the latter half of the 20th century because of their strength and stamina; however, before that time they were considered ‘nanny dogs’ because of their gentle disposition and devotion to children.  Our ‘pit-bull type dog’ loves people, especially children, and cats, birds and chipmunks but she is dog-aggressive.  She also dislikes horses, raccoons and squirrels.  So what do we do?  We keep her away from dogs, horses, raccoons and squirrels.  It’s sad that we can’t let her run off leash, but that’s just the way life is for Mia.  She’s happy, healthy, affectionate and the most obedient dog we’ve ever lived with.

Please let your MPP know that you support Hershey’s Bill 16.  There will be a rally at Queen’s Park on Thursday, February 23rd from 11:30 to 12:30.