Does ban lack teeth?

The Toronto Star has this article posted this morning. It's pretty callus of them to say all the pit bulls will die off ridding the Province of the problem and cost the government nothing to do so. Well SURPRISE to the government when we WIN this!!! Seems the manicipalities didn't read the part where it said the burdon of costs will lay on them. But then again, this law is so vey vague that nobody can make sence of it. Thank you Michael Bryant for being such a twit and writing up a bill you knew nothing about! It's to OUR advantage!!!

Does ban lack teeth?
City says province must pitch in funding for pit-bull rulingSporadic enforcement `best we can do,' councillor says

Mar. 23, 2006. 01:00 AM
PAUL MOLONEY
CITY HALL BUREAU

Toronto will not fully enforce Ontario's pit-bull ban unless the province helps to pay the costs.

The city's budget committee did not support an animal services department request for funds to hire 10 additional animal control officers. The money — $529,600 for the rest of 2006 — would have been used to police the new law.

"This will be a law that is basically enforced sporadically," said Councillor Joe Mihevc, budget committee vice-chair. "That's the best we can do, even as many of us at city council support the law.

" If the province wants a higher standard of enforcement, then we're going to need money to do that."

Under the Dog Owners' Liability Act, passed last August, anyone who owned pit bulls can keep them but the animals have to be neutered and must be leashed and muzzled in public. In addition the dogs can no longer be bred, purchased or imported.

Responding to complaints, animal services has opened investigations into more than 20 cases and in some instances, laid charges, said spokesperson Gil Hardy.

Mihevc (Ward 21, St. Paul's) added that the provincial government is well aware the city doesn't have the money for a more systemic approach to enforcement.

"We haven't had any pushback from them," he said.

A spokesman for the attorney general's ministry said the province expects enforcement costs will be low because people are law-abiding.

"It's our hope that costs will not increase significantly because we expect citizens will comply with the law," said Brendan Crawley.

"They will keep their pit bulls muzzled and leashed, they will get their pit bulls spayed or neutered, and therefore we don't anticipate costs will increase significantly."

He added that the city has dog licence fees and fine revenues to fall back on if needed, but noted that enforcement requirements should decline as pit bulls die of old age.

"Over time, there will be no pit bulls in the province of Ontario," he said. "All existing pit bulls can live out their days but new pit bulls are banned."

The lack of funding for enforcement comes as no surprise to Toronto lawyer Clayton Ruby, who is challenging Ontario's law on behalf of dog owners.

"The pit-bull breed ban is not designed to really make Ontario citizens safer," Ruby said.

"It's designed to make the government look good without actually doing anything."