The debate on breed specific legislation is heating up in B.C. communities after recent dog attacks, but some argue banning the breed doesn’t work.
White Rock resident Elizabeth Cranford is on a campaign to ban pit bulls in B.C. after her four-year-old daughter was mauled by a friend’s dog 10 days ago.
“I want to see these dogs gone and banned... does a child need to die before someone listens?” Cranford said.
Cranford’s daughter suffered a deep gash to her face and the dog was subsequently put down.
But the SPCA and animal advocate groups argue that banning the breed isn’t the answer.
“There’s dangerous dogs in every breed and you're not really addressing the root problem, which is addressing dangerous dog behaviour and the guardians behaviour in allowing this to happen,” SPCA spokeswoman Lorie Chortyk said last week.
April Fahr from pit bull rescue group HugABull said the issue stems from breeders and puppy mills.
“We need to crack down on breeders who are breeding dogs with bad temperaments and pet stores that are selling [dogs from] puppy mills,” Fahr said on Monday. “It's a complex issue but those are the factors we need to look at.”
In B.C. the decision to ban certain breeds rests with each municipality, not the province. While no cities in B.C. have bans, owners of dogs deemed dangerous pay higher fines and fees in Burnaby, Richmond, New Westminster, West Vancouver, Pitt Meadows and Prince George.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Lisa Rossington
