PITBULL ban is happening today

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Pit bulls face ban plan today

By ALAN FINDLAY, QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU

ONTARIO'S Attorney General Michael Bryant will announce legislation banning pit bull terriers across the province today. New laws will also include tougher fines and the prospect of jail time for irresponsible dog owners whose pets are involved in attacks, one source strongly hinted.

That provision would include all breeds, beyond just pit bulls, Bryant has said previously.

He has also expressed his support for mandatory restraints such as muzzles on existing pit bulls, which would be spared from the ban under a grandfathering provision in the legislation.

The attorney general's office has been considering a crackdown on pit bulls and bad dog owners since a Toronto man was mauled by two of the dogs in late August.

Bryant has spent the past six weeks examining the issue and consulting experts and victims of attacks about a potential ban.

In that time, several more pit bull attacks have peppered newspaper and broadcast reports across Ontario.

Since announcing the review, Bryant has received thousands of e-mails overwhelmingly in favour of tougher controls on aggressive dogs, including an all-out ban.

The move follows similar local bans brought in by Kitchener, Winnipeg and, last month, Windsor.

Animal control experts from Kitchener and Winnipeg have said the number of dog attacks on people and other dogs have since dropped significantly.

Opponents of a ban, however, say the problem is with bad owners and not certain breeds. Pit bull supporters describe the muscular, iron-jawed pets as extremely friendly with humans unless trained to be otherwise.