Pit Bull Owners Rally in Toronto

Despite a spate of vicious attacks that have left some victims horribly disfigured, and a declaration from the Ontario attorney general warning they are "ticking time bombs," the pit bull has the support of animal lovers who refuse to lay blame on the breed of dog.

The pit bull was celebrated by animal advocates in front of the legislature on Saturday, in reaction to a plan by Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant to ban the breed.

What was expected to be a modest gathering of a couple dozen supporters far exceeded expectations, organizers said. The crowd grew so large that even with a megaphone, many had to strain to hear the speeches.

Dozens carried placards and signs with slogans like Punish The Deed Not The Breed and one young girl held a handwritten sign reading, For Pit's Sake, I Sleep With Them!.

On Oct. 15, Bryant announced legislation that would stop the breeding of pit bulls and put severe restrictions on current owners.

But supporters say pit bulls are not born to be killers and the fault should rest
with irresponsible owners

Innocent animals should not be punished, said pit bull owner Barbara Roy from Guelph, Ont., who was collecting signatures for a petition to be presented to Bryant.

"There's no evidence proving all pit bulls are predisposed to aggression," Roy said. "The government needs to reconsider their position and look at it from a more scientific point of view."

Stephanie Ferguson agreed and said if pit bulls are banned it's simply a matter of time until another breed of dog becomes vilified. Instead of blaming the dogs, the government should be blaming the owners that mould the dogs' behaviour, she said.

"There are other breeds that will rise up and become the No. 1 biters if you get rid of the pit bulls, because there are bad people out there," Ferguson said.

"Anyone can train a dog to be vicious and they aren't going to stop just because (Bryant) says so."

While the rally was promoted as one for "humans only," several dog owners brought their pit bulls along, which quickly drew crowds of admirers. No one seemed uncomfortable with the dozen or so dogs - leashed but not muzzled - lingering in the crowd.

The friendly, docile dogs at the protest represent the majority of pit bulls that do not attack and are not dangerous, supporters said.

But the proposed law follows numerous cases of gruesome pit bull attacks against people and other dogs across the country.

On Friday, a Toronto pet owner was crushed after her Chihuahua was attacked and killed by a pit bull. The pit bull was euthanized.

Bryant has said the legislation will be introduced within a month, making it the first such provincial law in Canada to ban pit bulls.

The Dog Legislation Council of Canada was among several groups rallying Saturday and a spokesperson said Bryant should expect a legal challenge if the law is passed.

The organization Boxer Rescue Ontario lent its support to pit bull advocates, saying the ban should be a concern to owners of all breeds.

The group said Bryant's argument is based largely on American statistics that are not relevant here. It also said there's not enough data on Ontario dogs to determine if pit bulls are truly more dangerous than other breeds.

It suggested a one-year moratorium on breed bans until proper research could be conducted.

Pit bulls have already been banned in Windsor, Ont., Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont., and Winnipeg. There are similar bans in France, Britain and Germany.

Instead of an outright ban, New Brunswick is considering bringing in tighter controls on specific breeds such as pit bulls, Rottweilers and Japanese Akitas.

That's an alternative many pit bull owners would much rather see happen in Ontario