Three pit bulls remain in animal control custody in Surrey after injuring four women who intervened while their dogs were fighting Friday afternoon.
Ryan Mitchell, who lives in the neighbourhood, said he saw “police pulling up and a few people coming out with blood all over their arms and blood on their chest.”
The dog owners returned home Friday night after being treated for their injuries, and one woman told CTV she received 28 stitches.
An animal behavior and welfare scientist said despite calls for a breed ban, pit bulls are no more likely to bite than other breeds. According to Dr. Rebecca Ledger, any big dogs will cause more damage when they bite.
“Pit bulls are quite large strong dogs, so when they do bite their injuries can be more severe. But statistically they are no more likely to bite than smaller breeds. In fact small breeds like Chihuahuas and dachshunds statistically are more aggressive than pit bulls,” Ledger said.
Ledger said pit bulls account for only about five per cent of injuries from dog bites, and other underlying issues need to be taken into consideration.
“Often it’s a lack of training, it’s poor breeding, it is people not knowing the warning signs and how to react to dogs that have a predisposition for biting,” Ledger said.
Ledger said it is always a risk to get in the middle of a dog fight and people should prepare safe ways to intervene by distracting the animals.
“Things that make loud noises, air horns, having towels or blankets at hand to throw over the dogs, those kind of things can help startle dogs so that they let go of each other and then they can be safely separated” she said.
Dog owners that suspect their dogs have aggression issues can get muzzles and seek help from their veterinarian and good trainers.
Surrey RCMP and bylaw officers are investigating the incident. Surrey bylaws manager Jas Rehal said it is unlikely that the owners will face fines, since the incident involved the dogs’ owners.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Michele Brunoro
