Burnaby City Council has voted unanimously to toughen that city’s vicious dog bylaws.

In a meeting held Monday night, councillors green-lighted a plan for the owners of so-called vicious breeds, to face more restrictions and heavier fines.

Owners will now face a $500 fine for their first incident with animal control officers.

The city will raise dog licensing fees for various “vicious” breeds to $150 each year, and fines for unmuzzled dogs will now be $200. Vicious dogs will also be impounded for a longer time.

Under the bylaws, a vicious dog is "a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, an American Pit Bull Terrier and any dog generally recognized as a pit bull or pit bull terrier and includes a dog of mixed breed with predominant pit bull or pit bull terrier characteristics."

Currently, Burnaby's animal control bylaw requires a vicious dog to be muzzled and leashed at all times.

According to a city staff report, there have been almost 500 recorded dog bites in the city since 2007, and despite the regulations, the number one offenders are still pit bulls.

"I think this breed has earned the reputation to be singled out,” Councillor Nick Volkow told CTV News.

Mayor Derrick Corrigan says he believes there are pit bull owners who “use this dog as a weapon.”

But pit bull advocates, who have fought hard to stop breed specific bylaws, say council is unfairly targeting the breed because of a reputation.

April Fahr of Hugabull said their group was “incredibly stunned and disappointed” by the council’s decision.

“I think it’s the responsibility of lawmakers not to base their decision-making on conceptions and pre-conceptions and stigmas, but on facts,” said Fahr.

Burnaby joins cities like Richmond and West Vancouver in enacting breed-specific designations, but those municipalities aren’t alone in cracking down on the breed.

Ontario has an outright ban on any new pit bulls, and insurance companies in Colorado and Illinois have recently denied house insurance to homeowners who have pit bulls and other aggressive dogs.

Have your say: Where do you stand on breed-specific dog legislation?