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Ask Yvette

The clock is ticking down to DOLA. Confusion seems to be the order of the day. Many people have a stake in this. At the core of the problem is safety. Pet owners have these concerns, but many are also afraid for the animals that share their homes. Denver is currently in an uproar as officials obtain warrants and confiscate dogs from inside people's homes. By the same token, people are literally terrified when they pass a dog on the street.

Personally, I see both sides. As the mother of a 4-year-old boy safety is a priority. I will support any law that I feel will keep him away from harm. It is because I value long-term safety that I do not support breed specific legislation.

Regular readers know that I have always maintained that BSL in one city means people move elsewhere with their dogs. Banning over a large area means that people who want muscle breeds drop their Pit Bulls in a shelter. Then they shop for a new and more powerful animals.

Sadly, this seems to have already happened. Recently I attended a festival downtown. Formerly, it was common to see a large number of Pit Bulls. This year they were absent. The Pit Bull has been replaced. The breeds vary, but all are large, powerful and under one year old. Some of the dogs we see today will be bred and inbred. If one felt unsafe because of Pit Bulls, you have far bigger concerns in three to five years.

Of course the government could go on to ban those breeds too. On and on it goes until like Italy we have 92 banned breeds including the Corgi. Who knew the Corgi was a vicious genetically flawed monster? Some people will always want a muscle dog, some people fight dogs, and frankly dogs are often used in association with other criminal offences such as drugs, weapons and gangs. In the meantime, how many children are attacked and carry the scars for life?

That is where the mother in me comes out screaming. No matter how much I love animals, I cannot tolerate the thought of my son being scarred, mauled or killed. There is nothing the McGuinty Liberals could possibly say to make it better. To me it makes no difference if the attacking dog is a Pit Bull, Lab or Papillion. Toy breeds and “family friendly” breeds have been known to maul and kill children.

In my experience working with aggressive dogs, I can tell you that most people are shocked when their dog bites. It seemingly comes out of nowhere. My express concern with BSL is that it creates and postpones a long-term hazard to the safety of my child and the people in the community. We know a significant amount about dog attacks. Simple things make a huge impact. Many times a family will say, “If I only knew.”

In the meantime, some dogs will have to wear muzzles. If you haven't already done so, instructions on choosing and preparing your dog for this is at www.awesomedogs.ca. But prevention is probably the most effective course of action any family can take. If you are bringing a dog into your home, www.meetingmilo.com offers a, “Dog Owner's Manual,” teaches how to spot aggression early, and provides community outreach programs.

Yvette is an award winning pet writer and pet behavior columnist. She also is the author of Meeting Milo, a North American dog bite prevention program to reduce the approximately 2 million children bit by dogs annually. She is the owner of AwesomeDogs.ca and works as a behavior consultant in London, Ontario.

This column was originally featured in The Londoner
See more of Yvette... www.awesomedogs.ca
www.meetingmilo.com

Yvette has 2 dogs of her own, KIKI and KAYA. Take a look...

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