Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Group Challenges Ontario Pit bull Ban & London Update


CTV.ca News Staff
Ontario's pit bull ban will begin Monday, but a group of dog owners is launching a legal challenge, saying the ban infringes on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The group, which includes the American Staffordshire Club of Canada, also contends that the ban is too vague and will focus on dogs that should not be targeted.
The ban will affect four breeds of pit bulls:
pit bull terriers
American pit bull terriers
Staffordshire bull terriers
American Staffordshire terriers
dogs that are similar in appearances to those breeds.
Current pit bull owners will have to sterilize their dogs, and keep them muzzled and leashed in public. Owners will have 60 days to comply with the ban.
"We've been ostracized for owning our breed of choice, we've been persecuted for owning our breed of choice, and I think people are tired of it,'' American Staffordshire Club of Canada president Cathy Prothro told The Canadian Press.
"Dog people just aren't going to sit down and take it anymore.''
The group claims the ban violates Section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which protects an individual's personal legal rights from the actions of the government. The group says the ban will deny their liberty.
Advocates of the ban say pit bulls are dangerous animals that are responsible for serious injuries every year.
The dogs are currently banned in several other Ontario cities, including Kitchener-Waterloo and Windsor.


On another note regarding the London Proposed Pit bull bylaw, it is proposing that all pit bulls will be removed from multiple dwelling, if passed. Meaning, you can either send your dog elsewhere, move or have it put down.
To many, such as myself, to rent a house is way beyond my means. I phoned to get some information regarding this, and as if luck were on my side, the woman I was talking to saw us on tv and fell in love with Shasta. She told me there would be another meeting mid September where we can fight against this bylaw.
At the neeting, the reason for the high costs were because one of our council members, Fred Tranquilli (must be related to Michael Bryant in some way *my attempt of a joke but I'm not laughing*) says Pit bull owners should bare the costs because it would be unfair to other tax payers. He also noted that owners should just get rid of their dogs and get a different breed. No compassion to the fact that owners LOVE their dogs and it's NOT just as easy a solution as that.

1 comment:

Conners said...

You and I are getting rather dirty mouthed about this aren't we. ;)
Fred Tranquilli (who will be receiving an email today) is another Michael Bryant. Here's some info on him;
k...I lost it, but he's raising himself from being on council in London to going to Ottawa to become a member of Parliment to my knowledge. He won't even be in London whether the bylaw passes or not.
Naturally, like Bryant, (both young) and seeking publicity, these two in my view are trying to get know through the public eye.
I checked out 'bills' in the government section and couldn't believe how many had Michael Bryant's name on them.
I believe Fred Tranquilli will probably be doing the same as you'd almost think the two were related in some way.
Although, Bryant did state that he himself had 2 German Shepards (so they should be safe from the ban list for awhile). Tranquilli on the other hand, simply said, you can always just get another breed. DUH! Hello! Love doesn't seem to even come into his perspection. But, I totally have to agree with you, he is an A1 Prick!