[ZTWsquared]

darkpuppet,Apr 28 2010, 11:57 AM Wrote:guess this probably doesn't come as much surprise to people here, but a report now confirms it

Quote:Pit bull ban not reducing dog bites in Ont.: study

28/04/2010 11:28:07 AM

ctvtoronto.ca
Ontario's controversial pit bull ban has not resulted in a decrease in the number of dog bites in the province, according to a new study by the Toronto Humane Society.

The pit bull ban, passed as an amendment to the Ontario Dog Owners Liability Act in 2005, banned the breeding, sale and ownership of pit bulls.

The ban was introduced as a public safety tool after a series of pit bull attacks in the province.

In announcing the plan to ban the breed in 2004, then attorney general Michael Bryant said pit bulls were "inherently dangerous animals" and "ticking time bombs."

But a statistical survey completed by the THS suggests that the ban on the breed has not reduced the number of dog bites in the province, and that the number of dog bites in the province has not significantly decreased since the ban came into effect.

"Countless" pit bulls and Staffordshire terriers have been euthanized because of the ban, the humane society said.

And a spokesperson for the humane society said targeting specific dog breeds is not the way to reduce dog attacks.

"If we want to reduce the number of dog bites, we have to address the root cause of the problem, those irresponsible owners who do not appropriately care for their animals," Ian McConachie said in a press release. "It is clear from these figures that the BSL aspects of the Dog Owners Liability Act has not worked to decrease the incidents of dog bites."

According to the humane society's study, there were 5,428 reported dog bites in 2005, the year the ban came into effect. Since then, the number of dog bites has remained fairly constant, with 5,360 in 2006, 5,492 in 2007, 5,463 in 2008 and 5,345 in 2009.


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Apples and oranges ... the pit bull ban wasn't enacted to reduce the number of dog bites ... it was enacted to reduce the number of human deaths due to pit bull maulings.

It's been statistically proven that a pit bull, when it does bite, has a much greater capacity to kill than virtually any other breed ... and not necessarily because of temperament, but because of its physical abilities and its fighting nature.

According to the Clifton study, of the 345 human deaths attributed to known dog breeds between 1982 and 2009 in North America ... 46% were attributed to pit bull terriers ... the next closest was the rottweiler at 20%.

That's a huge disparity between two breeds some may see as equally capable to kill or maim a human ... and compared to all other breeds it's off the charts.

Dog bites are a controllable public health issue... and if dog owners are incapable of reducing or eliminating them, then it is left to the legislators to do so.

I for one am tired of politely asking dog owners to put their dog on a leash in the park where my kids are playing, only to be cursed, spat at and worse ... usually right next to the "dogs must be on a leash" sign.

And although I know that this is tangential to the topic at hand, it is reason for me to get more aggressive in any way I can to put a muzzle on dog owners - and yes, I am now lumping the good owners in with the bad because I so rarely see a good dog owner.

If the public in general is becoming less and less tolerant of dogs in the neighbourhood, dog owners in general having no one but themselves to blame.

The one thing I can guarantee which pit bull supporters cannot deny ... is that if there are no pit bulls in ontario, there will be no human deaths attributed to pit bulls in ontario. History has proven that pit bull owners cannot make the counter claim.