Nanaimo, BC, Canada: Dog owners wage breed battle (2 articles)

Note: Nanimo already has BSL. Owners of “pit bulls” must follow certain restrictions that other dog owners do not have to follow. Nothing further has been officially proposed, but it should be noted that the media is pushing the idea of a breed ban.

Additionally, Nanaimo Animal Shelter manager Helen Roberts probably needs some education about “pit bulls.” Her comments in the first article: 

“Pit bulls are very different from other breeds,” said Roberts. She claims they have been bred to kill… Roberts argues that any pit bull has the potential for spontaneous aggression, no matter how good a dog it has been.

Nanaimo Animal Shelter: (250) 754-1397

http://www.canada.com/owners+wage+breed+battle/1983261/story.html

Dog owners wage breed battle

Dealing with bad dogs and bad owners is not simple

By Paul Walton, Daily News
September 11, 2009

Like taxes and politics, almost everyone has an opinion about pit bulls, the infamous dogs viewed both as relentless killers and sweet family pets by those who either revile or adore the breed.

The dogs have been linked to many highly publicized attacks on people and other dogs. In three separate incidents in Nanaimo in the past six months, the owners of dogs attacked by pit bulls have called on the city to put in place tougher dog restrictions and penalties for owners of aggressive animals. Among their suggestions is an outright ban on the breed.

It’s a drastic and controversial step that has been taken by the province of Ontario and a handful of municipalities across the country. Dog behaviour experts back up the contention of the breed’s supporters, saying breed bans are not an effective way of protecting the public. And although Nanaimo city officials say they have no immediate plans to change the current dog bylaw, some city politicians have said in the past that they will consider a tougher law if they are convinced it is the only way to protect public safety.

Nanaimo’s courts may soon be asked to decide if a local mixed-breed pit bull will be euthanized after attacking a Labrador retriever on Saturday. Witnesses had to pry the pit bull’s mouth open with a stick to get it to release its hold on the Lab’s hind quarters.

City bylaw officers have fielded complaints about the dog for seven years. The city’s current bylaw requires that all pit bulls and pit bull terriers be leashed and muzzled when off their property. The owners have unpaid fines for violating the city’s existing dog bylaw, said animal control officer Dale Rusch.

The dog will remain at the city pound for up to three weeks while city officials decide if they should ask a judge to order the animal be destroyed.

It was not the first pit-bull attack to hit the news this year. In June, a local couple was saddled with expensive vet bills after their silky terrier was attacked by a pit bull. A month earlier, the owner of a Staffordshire bull terrier had to move from his townhouse complex after his dog attacked a neighbour’s smaller animal.

The expensive attacks prompted some dog owners at the time to speak out in favour of tougher enforcement of the city’s current bylaw, or even banning certain breeds completely. But while a breed ban seems like a simple solution, not everyone believes it is effective.

One of Canada’s recognized dog experts, Dr. Stanley Coren, makes a distinction between dog breeds and breed lines in explaining vicious dogs. Coren, a professor in the department of psychology at the University of British Columbia, has written eight books about dogs.

“The data is clear. There are lines of dogs more aggressive than others,” said Coren.

Breed bans, said Coren, are ineffective. Dog breeds, he said, can have spontaneous aggression bred in or bred out of them, noting that was done with the doberman in North America by breeders who revoked papers on any doberman documented to have bitten a person.

In the case of the dogs named in the Nanaimo bylaw, what Coren said are “game-bred dogs” have created a line or strain within the breed that are dangerous. “Game-bred” is a euphemism for dogs trained to fight.

“This is a very hard form of genetic selection. The dogs become so vicious that a bitch must be separated from her litter at five weeks or she’ll kill them,” said Coren.

While not all dogs in those breeds may descend from vicious game-bred lines, he warns that without proper papers there is no way to know. He said there is a lot of “leakage” between the game-bred lines and others of the same breed.

Helen Roberts, manager of the Nanaimo city pound, is convinced that the dogs named in the current city bylaw are a real threat.

“I think our bylaw works very well. Pit bulls are very different from other breeds,” said Roberts.

She claims they have been bred to kill and does not believe changing the laws will be effective in controlling irresponsible owners.

“The problem is the people who train their dogs to be vicious are not trainable themselves,” said Roberts.

Nevertheless, Roberts argues that any pit bull has the potential for spontaneous aggression, no matter how good a dog it has been.

“When they attack, it’s unexpected,” she said.

Leon Davis, manager of the Nanaimo SPCA shelter, said nothing is achieved by targeting breeds and said he’s never seen a spontaneously aggressive pit bull. He said the problem is with owners who seek out breeds they believe will be more aggressive than others and train them to be vicious.

“You can train any dog to be aggressive,” said Davis. “The only animal we worry about and deter people from having is a wolf-cross.”

While Coren cited a U.S. study in which pit bulls, Staffordshire bull terriers and the American Staffordshire terriers accounted for 46% of all fatal bite incidents, Davis said he has seen far more bites from small dogs than large ones, adding that he has yet to see a pit bull in Nanaimo euthanized for being aggressive.

Davis said the SPCA is focused on education, but agrees with Roberts there is a segment of the population they are not going to reach.

“There’s always going to be that tough-guy mentality,” he said.

Nanaimo Mayor John Ruttan has said he thinks the current bylaw is sufficient but says their priority is preventing attacks against people.

But if attacks like the one that happened last weekend continue or increase, Ruttan said, “We may have to rethink our policy.

“I think it is time to insist that people who chose to have a certain type of dog must be responsible for not allowing that dog to escape from their yards,” Ruttan said.

Coun. Loyd Sherry said it’s an issue council members don’t hear about often.

“I personally receive very few phone calls from people wanting to ban pit bulls but if it were to come before council, we would have to consider it,” he said.

Breed-specific bans are worth discussing if the constituents push the issue, says Coun. Merv Unger, but agrees that the onus needs to remain on the owners.

“Can we really blame the dog though when a lot of the responsibility should be put on the dog’s owner?” he asked.

Coren believes that any municipal-licensing regime should focus on training and require a certificate of training when an owner seeks a dog licence.

“Generally speaking, we find that dogs, when given a basic obedience class, are 89% less likely to be involved in a dog-bite incident,” he said.

And since children make up half of all dog-bite victims, he said they also need to be taught about safe ways to interact with dogs. By training dogs and educating children, he said, the amount of dog bites can be decreased by 95%. That doesn’t mean he opposes appropriate laws to keep people safe from aggressive dogs.

“Any dog above a certain size and age without obedience training should be muzzled when outside,” he said.

He also proposed that when a dog attacks a person that the breeder as well as the owner face consequences. The problem, said Coren, starts with breeding aggression into certain lines of dogs.

“When we breed dogs, we also create their temperament. You can make them edgy or you can make them very soft through selective breeding.”

PWalton@nanaimodailynews.com
250-729-4230

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Kennel club targets dog education

By Toby Gorman – Nanaimo News Bulletin
Published: September 07, 2009 3:00 PM

Upcoming seminar to discuss bylaws, responsible dog ownership.

With the dog days of summer slipping away, the Nanaimo Kennel Club is ramping up efforts to ensure dogs and owners begin the new season safely and responsibly.

Sandi Malcolm, a member of the club, said the organization is planning a forum on responsible dog ownership and will be asking city hall to declare the week of Sept. 20-27 as Responsible Dog Ownership Week.

“We’ve noticed the incidents of dog bites in Nanaimo increasing, as well as incidents of irresponsible dog owners who permit their dogs to be off leash in places they shouldn’t be,” said Malcolm. “Our goal is to educate people so their pets can lead happier and safer lives, and reduce unwanted confrontations.”

On Sept. 26, the Canadian Kennel Club will hold its second annual National Responsible Dog Ownership Day, with dog owners across the country walking with their dogs. It will also be declared Responsible Dog Ownership Day in Nanaimo.

The purpose is to interact with dog lovers, but more importantly, to educate those unfamiliar with dog bylaws and responsibilities dog owners have.

Helen Roberts, manager for the Nanaimo Animal Shelter, said dog bites are a common occurrence in Nanaimo.

“There are an ongoing, steady stream of dog bites,” she said. “And it is a problem because dog bites can be very painful and uncomfortable and in some cases traumatic. And it’s not just dogs biting people, dog-on-dog bites or dog-on-cat bites are also problematic.”

The kennel club will also host guest speaker Bill Bruce, the director of animal services and bylaws for the City of Calgary, for a free seminar from 7-9 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Beban Park Social Centre.

Bruce has instituted one of the most successful bylaw programs in North America and frequently speaks across the continent to encourage other municipalities to employ similar methods of dog control.

Bruce said 90 per cent of Calgary’s dogs are licensed and accounted for. By funneling licensing fees back into animal control programs, Calgary can control rangy Rovers with no cost to the city or the owner.

“Rather than take a lost dog to the pound, where it may stay for days, Calgary bylaw has all of the information it needs to return the dog safely to its owners within hours,” said Malcolm. “At no cost to the owner. It’s a way to keep people’s dogs safer.”

The City of Calgary’s dog blog indicates that in 2008 there were 145 dog bites among 240 aggressive dog cases. Prior to Bruce’s system, in 1985 there were 621 dog bites among 1,938 aggressive dog complaints, despite a much smaller population at the time.

Nanaimo doesn’t keep dog bite or aggressive dog statistics and Roberts said it is impossible to know what percentage of dogs here are properly registered with the city.

“Dogs come and go, some die and others have litters. We have no gauge to know what percentage are licensed,” she said.

With city council considering adding more off-leash parks in Nanaimo and with an increasing number of households owning dogs, Malcolm said responsible ownership is more important than ever.

“Dog interactions are only going to increase and with breeds like pitbulls and American Staffordshire terriers being banned in places like Ontario, so-called dangerous breeds are moving west. Now is the best time to encourage people to be more responsible for their dogs,” she said, noting that some breeds, including the Staffordshire terriers, get a bad rap due to bad owners.

Malcolm added that kennel clubs are excellent resources for people who have questions about dogs and dog etiquette, and that the organization is currently working on a hotline for people to call NKC members with non-medical dog-related questions.

She also said that by participating in kennel club activities like agility and flyball, dogs learn to become socially adjusted.

For more information on Responsible Dog Ownership Day and local events, please visit www.ckc.ca.

reporter2@nanaimobulletin.com