Community says bylaw will improve safety; pit bull advocates say measures ineffective

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BY KRIS MCDAVID
Times & Transcript Staff

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NEGUAC - The village of Neguac is hoping to rid itself of a number of dog breeds that fall under the pit bull label and owners are now required to surrender their pets, no questions asked.

The community, located about 30-minutes northeast of Miramichi, passed a bylaw banning the ownership of the breeds that are considered pit bulls.

Pit bull is a blanket term used to describe several breeds within the molosser family that share similar physical characteristics.

Typically lumped into the pit bull-type dog category are breeds like the American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and sometimes the American Bulldog and the Bull Terrier.

Village administrator Denis Bujold told Canadaeast News Service that council's decision to revamp its dog bylaw to include the enforced ban on pit bulls stems from a few incidents involving the dogs showing aggression towards people and other dogs.

Bujold said the new legislation allows the municipal animal control officer to seize any of the breeds covered by the ban.

Under the ban, even pit bulls with a perfect track record of non-aggression and a quality family life are required to be surrendered.

"He will seize it there and there will have to (be) some arrangement with the dog, whatever they want to do with it," said Bujold. "That's up to that owner what they want to do with it, but there's one thing sure; he cannot own his dog in the municipality."

Other facets of the bylaw include crackdowns on animal cruelty, rabies vaccinations and registration fees.

Multiple attempts to reach village councillors for comment on the issue were unsuccessful.

Donna Reynolds, executive director of the Oakland, California-based Bay Area Dog Lovers Responsible About Pit bulls (BADRAP), said the use of breed-specific legislation only reinforces preconceived stereotypes within certain breeds of dog.

BADRAP is a non-profit organization made up of pit bull owners, trainers and rescuers.

The organization is perhaps best known for taking in, rehabilitating and subsequently finding homes for the pit bulls registered to National Football League quarterback Michael Vick and used in a Virginia-based dog fighting ring.

Reynolds said targeting a specific breed creates a 'witch hunt' mentality, adding that the most effective means to curb dog-related public safety issues is to put the onus on irresponsible owners.

"Stereotypes have always had a negative effect on society. They victimize and alienate," she said.

"And in the case of breed specific laws, we are victimizing good families and innocent pets and literally weakening our ability to deal with the core problem of irresponsible and reckless dog owners."

Reynolds said part of the problem is that pit bulls are likely more misunderstood than any other breed and have been painted as naturally aggressive monsters in the public periphery.

She said any suggestion that pit bulls have locking jaws and are wired to be aggressive toward children, strangers and even their owners couldn't be further from the truth.

Reynolds said pit bulls are just like any other breed of dog, in that ones that are well-socialized, trained, and treated like a family pet will behave accordingly while ones that aren't are more likely to cause problems.

According to recent statistics from the American Temperament and Testing Society, an organization that tests a dog's temperament by putting it through a series of confrontational situations, pit bulls are just as laid back and trusting as certain breeds that are labeled as more people friendly.

For example, the American Pit Bull Terrier received a passing grade of 85.3 per cent, placing ahead of the Golden Retriever (83.2 per cent) and the Beagle (78.2 per cent). The most ill-tempered breed of dog, according to the study, was the Bearded Collie, which received a grade of 53.3 per cent.

Even though pit bull attacks seem to dominate the headlines, Reynolds said that's likely due to the breed being an attractive choice among irresponsible owners.

She said all dogs are equally capable of attacking and inflicting severe damage, even the 'nice' breeds.

"Some dog owners get a Labrador because they have the mistaken belief that the breed is so friendly and perfect that they don't have to do a darn thing to train or manage their pet.

"And guess what? Labradors are still dogs and dogs will always need to be socialized and responsibly managed."

Last September, two Labs were captured after mauling and killing a Pomeranian and subsequently attacking a pit bull.

In 2001, a Pomeranian attacked and killed a six-month-old baby in Los Angeles.

As for the dogs formerly owned by Vick, Reynolds said all are living in foster homes with children and, in some cases, other family pets.

"A few of the dogs are doing dog sports now. Some are working as therapy dogs. And all have the fine art of sofa surfing down to a science."

Earlier this month, officials in the Village of Nackawic amended breed-specific legislation that featured restrictions on 'dangerous breeds' such as pit bulls and Rottweilers and a $250 vicious dog fee, after facing public scrutiny.

Nackawic's bylaw now targets only individual dogs that have bitten, attacked, or aggressively chased a person or another animal.

* With files from CanadaEast News Service