Delta mulls pit bull rules
Council studies proposal to remove breed-specific dog bylaw
By Corry Anderson-Fennell, Special To The Province July 25, 2010 Brutus the pit bull likes cats, kids and other dogs, long walks on the beach and cuddling with his people after walks and exercise.

In Richmond, Burnaby, Coquitlam, New Westminster and a handful of other B.C. municipalities, Brutus is a dangerous dog.

But Brutus has a fighting chance of becoming just a regular dog in Delta, where council is mulling over a proposal to remove the breed-specific dog bylaw that currently designates pit bulls as automatically dangerous and requires their guardians to pay higher licence fees and to muzzle their dogs in public.

"We're asking how we can justify a breed-specific bylaw when there is no empirical evidence to suggest that any one breed of dog has a higher propensity to bite," says Delta Coun. Robert Campbell.

"It comes back to the fact that guardians are ultimately responsible and our role as a municipality should be as an educator. "

Campbell and his council colleagues have endured harsh criticism from members of the public opposed to amending the municipality's breed-specific animal control bylaw, which was enacted in the early 1990s.

However, Campbell says civic staff who researched the issue could find no connection between breed and a predisposition to fight or kill.

Instead, staff found that animal behaviour, characteristics and traits are determined by both genetics and environment.

"I think that what we should be promoting is responsible pet guardianship," says Campbell.

The BC SPCA and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association oppose breed-specific legislation.

According to BC SPCA animal welfare manager Geoff Urton, neither breed-specific bylaws nor breed bans protect the public from aggressive dogs because they ignore the fact that aggressive behaviour can occur in any breed.

That, he says, includes but isn't limited to pit bulls. The most effective safeguards are those that protect the public from dangerous dogs of any and all breeds, he says.

"Breed-specific bylaws give the public a false sense of security," says Urton, himself the guardian of a pit bull mix named Lucy.

He points to a 2008 study that looked at aggression in various dog breeds and found that the tiny dachshund ranked highest for dog-directed, stranger-directed and guardian-directed aggression.

Chihuahuas, Jack Russell terriers, Akitas, blue heelers and pit bulls ranked second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.

Following pit bulls were beagles, English springer spaniels, border collies and German shepherds.

The study comes as a surprise to Campbell, who owns a friendly blue heeler, but he says it's further proof that breed-specific legislation has no value.

For Urton, Delta's proposal to amend its dangerous dog bylaw is serendipitous, as he's just co-authored a set of model animal-control bylaws available to municipalities across the province to help them deal with everything from dangerous dogs to catteries and pet stores.

Where dangerous dogs are concerned, the template recommends a co-ordinated strategy that includes mandatory spay/neuter and behaviour remediation of dogs that have acted aggressively as well as tougher laws to address animal neglect, which also contributes to canine aggression.

Urton also suggests municipalities develop community resources to promote responsible pet guardianship.

Amendments to Delta's animal-control bylaw are expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

Corry Anderson-Fennell is communications officer for the BC SPCA. Reach her at cfennell@spca.bc.ca

I find it very interesting that the Delta SPCA used to have an "unwritten rule" to kill all pit bulls making employees sneak them into the arms of rescuers who had to pay all the vet bills. I know for a fact that the SPCA is still threatening to kill pit bulls unless rescuers take them.... and... pay all the bills! Plus les choses changent plus elles restent les mêmes! P.B. LOVER