**Non breed specific** Dog Law passed (Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada)

[Rene Allegrini]

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Portage RM passes dog bylaw
Dangerous dogs will not be permitted in Oakville; no specific breeds identified

By Shannon VanRaes
The Daily Graphic
Wednesday November 15, 2006

Pitbull owners will be able to stay out of the doghouse in Oakville.

At yesterday’s meeting, Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie council passed a bylaw which bans dangerous dogs from Local Urban District of Oakville and limits owners to two canines. However, the new law doesn’t label particular breeds of dog as a threat.

“The bylaw doesn’t include specific dog breeds …, so it would be up to the bylaw enforcement person to determine if the dog is dangerous,” said Reeve Toby Trimble, after yesterday’s meeting.

He added the bylaw will help address concerns raised by the LUD, but won’t result in legal challenges like bylaws banning specific types of dogs have done in Ontario.

“If a dog bites or caused harm to anybody, it really doesn’t matter what kind of dog it is,” said Daryl Hrehirchuk, the RM’s chief administrative officer.

A dangerous dog is defined in the new regulations as an animal that has bitten a person or another domestic animal or pet, chased or harried livestock without the permission of the owner, or chased, pursued or menaced a person on public property.

Dangerous dogs licensed to citizens of Oakville prior to May 9 in accordance with previous laws will be allowed to remain in the village.

The issue evoked a strong reaction after council gave first reading to the bylaw on May 9, after Oakville’s LUD committee asked RM council to consider implementing the bylaw.

In its first reading the bylaw prohibited pitbull terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, American pitbull terriers, rottweilers, or “any dog which has the appearance and physical characteristics predominantly conforming to the standards for any of the above breeds.”

However, the law as passed yesterday had been amended to eliminate specific breeds.

That is disappointing for Steve Ford, a member of the LUD committee.

“Not that much has changed really, we were trying to get some specific breeds named in the bylaw,” he said, explaining the new regulations aren’t that different from the old ones.

“There are some animals that are predisposed to violent behaviour,” Ford said, noting his concern is especially strong for those who may have trouble defending themselves against an attack, like children or the elderly.

But he did acknowledge the RM should wait until Ontario court cases are resolved before making a decision to ban certain breeds.

“There is no sense in everyone going and fighting the same battle,” he said.

Mel Blair, a Portage pitbull owner, approached council after the first reading of the bylaw in May with concerns it was unfairly targeting certain breeds without examining all the facts.

She feared the bylaw would spread from Oakville to the RM where she hopes to reside in the future, but those fears have now been quelled, although she still finds the two-dog limit disappointing.

“I’m glad they have decided against banning any specific breed, and I’m glad that they’ve banned dangerous dogs because it’s so often the owner,” Blair said yesterday. “It sounds like this is going to help keep the owner in check and make them responsible for their animals.”

Portage Daily Graphic, Portage la Prairie, MB