Canadian province cracks down on pit bulls

A number of vicious attacks by the dogs, otherwise bred as pets, has led to the ban.

Ontario on Monday became the first province in Canada to ban the pit bull breed, a move that enraged pit bull owners but which critics said was necessary after a number of vicious attacks by the dogs.

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The law _ which went into effect Monday _ makes it illegal to breed pit bulls or to bring the dogs into the province. Those already in Ontario will be allowed to stay on a restricted basis, provided they are spayed or neutered, and leashed and muzzled in public.

Owners have been given a 60-day grace period, until Oct. 28, to comply with the law. Any pit bull born after that will have to be shipped out of the province, sent to a research facility or destroyed.

Those who violate the law can face up to six months of jail time. A number of serious attacks across the province prompted Attorney General Michael Bryant to take action.

"I've seen enough, I'm glad the law is finally coming into effect," said Louise Ellis, whose five-year-old daughter needed 300 stitches to close the wounds of a pit bull attack. In another case, two dogs severely mauled a Toronto man, forcing police to shoot the animals repeatedly to stop the attack. Opponents of the ban argue that banning one breed of dog is unfair.

Announcing a constitutional challenge to the ban, lawyer Clayton Ruby said the government chose a "cheap fix" instead of spending money to create a better registry system for dogs that would include a dog bite registry and a system for enforcing registration. Ruby said the definition of a pit bull is too broad and there is no scientific evidence to suggest pit bulls are more dangerous than other dogs. He also said those who want vicious dogs will just train another breed of dog.

"The legislation will not improve the safety of the residents of Ontario and will not reduce the number of dog bite incidents in this province," Ruby said. "It will, however, force the owners of friendly, happy dogs who have never bitten anyone to leash them and muzzle them without any reason."

Catherine Cochrane, 22, who owns an 18-month old pit bull mix female dog named Chess, says her dog is well behaved and shouldn't have to be muzzled.

"I don't think I'm going to muzzle her at all," Cochrane said. Anne Mattews, a breeder of purebred American Staffordshire terriers, said, "It means I'm going to be moving out of Ontario. It means I'll be leaving my three grandchildren, my five children and moving to a province that isn't so arrogant and isn't stupid about laws."

On Sunday, hundreds of supporters of pit bulls, some with their dogs, gathered in front of the provincial legislature to protest the new law.

Pit bulls are already banned in several cities across Canada, including Kitchener, Ontario, Windsor, Ontario and Winnipeg, Manitoba.