Next time, look under the bed

from this morning's Herald
Pit bulls being sent east after Ontario ban
By BRETT RUSKIN Wed. Feb 17 - 4:53 AM
The muscular body, pointed ears and macho aggression of pit bulls was just too much for Ontario: they were banned in 2005. But a rescue group has begun shipping the dogs to Atlantic Canada.
Ador-A-Bull seeks out eastbound travellers willing to have a dog crate added to their luggage at the airport. The group pays for the extra baggage and makes all the arrangements. The dog carriers simply have to deliver the dogs to the new owners.
In Ontario, the government has banned the ownership, purchase or breeding of pit bull-type dogs. Dogs that were owned before the ban were neutered, or euthanized if they had ever attacked or bitten someone. Many Ontario dog owners protested the bill but an increasing number of attacks by aggressive dogs pushed the bill into law.
But now, with an eastward influx of pit bulls, people like one Halifax dog walker are asking: "Why do we need to inherit another province’s problem?"
Halifax almost had an Ontario-style ban. In response to a pit bull’s mauling of a small Lhasa Apso in 2000, regional council considered similar restrictions.
"Pit bulls are not bred for harmony or for friendship," Coun. Jerry Blumenthal said at the time.
Ador-A-Bull says it takes steps to ensure its dogs are suitable for adoption.
"All of these dogs are temperament-tested and are fostered in a home environment in Ontario for a minimum of one month to be sure that they are perfect breed ambassadors," said Kristina Crosby, one of the organizers.
"With (pit bulls), you need to know what you’re dealing with," said Christine Greening, owner of Bark & Fitz, a Halifax pet boutique. "If you properly understand the breed, they can be fantastic dogs. Any dog can be great with the right owner."
At Point Pleasant Park in Halifax on Tuesday, walkers and dog enthusiasts alike placed the burden of dog control solely on the owners.
"I’m from Ontario and my neighbours had pit bulls and they were not well-trained," said a walker named Julien. "They would run around the neighbourhood and terrorize kids. Even though, still to this day, I don’t trust pit bulls, I think it’s 100 per cent up to the owner.
"I know they can be very aggressive," said Ellen, who was walking a small dog. "But it’s OK as long as they’re trained well."
The dog rescue group says it has strict rules for owners.
"All new owners are required to register their dog within the city in which they reside and complete at least one set of positive reinforcement obedience classes as per our adoption contract," Crosby said.
At Point Pleasant Park, Greening greeted dogs of various breeds and owners by name.
"I know three pits," she said. "They are all incredibly well-behaved."
Pit bulls from Ontario have been transferred to owners in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland.
( bruskin@herald.ca)
There are so many ways that this story could have been written. The author could have researched the backstory on BSL ... or BDL as it is more commonly referred to now. (The D of course being for discriminatory to more accurately describe the situation.)
Instead, the article leads in with the type of statement that is designed to prey on people's fears. It suggests that the 2005 enactment of Ontario's Bill 132 was strongly supported, when it was strongly opposed by every animal advocate in the province and by the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies ( http://www.cfhs.ca/ )
This is a far cry from the last story the herald did on the NS Branch of Ador-A-Bull Rescue ( which I talked about in a post last year called There but for the grace of God ) That was a sensitive and sympathetic story that demonstrated the real impact of the legislation.
At some time, every parent has drawn the line and insisted that their child clean their room before being able to watch tv / go outside / getting their allowance or whatever else works for motivating. And every parent has learned that when the room is miraculously transformed too quickly that its time to look under the bed. The room might look clean, but the dirty laundry and pizza crusts are still fermenting out of site.
Implementing BDL to address public safety concern is exactly the same. All the underlying issues ... the chaining and the penning .... little to no training or socialization ... are swept under the bed so that everything looks neat and clean.
The topic of how pound seizure legislation followed hot on the heels of Bill 132 being implemented opens a Pandora's Box of Unhappy Tails that is a separate and very sticky subject for a different day.
But I'm wandering slightly afield here. Like every other reputable rescue in this province, Ador A Bull does carefully screen and match potential adopters so that the match will last furever. To imply that their practices are unique and therefore a reflection on pitties is poor journalism , imho
The next time this particular reporter is looking to research a backstory for an article involving pitties, might I suggest that he go to the Best Friends resource page for their "Pit Bulls - Saving America's Dog" campaign http://network.bestfriends.org/campaigns/pitbulls/pages/Resources.aspx , instead of quoting Councillor Jerry Blumenthal, whose expertise lay in teaching and school administration.