Enforce the ban

In 2005, Ontario banned the breeding and importation of pit bulls and required that existing ones be leashed and muzzled in public. It was a smart step to protect people and their pets from a breed known for its aggressive and dangerous behaviour.

So it’s disturbing to learn that, in the wake of the ban, a thriving black market has emerged. In fact, as the Star’s Jesse Winter reports, finding pit bull breeders is as easy as a quick Internet search. The classified site Hoobly.com brought up 77 postings for pit bulls for sale in the GTA alone.

Further, Winter found that some veterinarians may be supporting the underground market by going along with claims from breeders that their dogs aren’t pit bulls.

The erosion of the law is cause for concern. Although the ban met with a lot of criticism at the time of its passage from breed enthusiasts who argued there are no bad pit bulls, only bad owners, it has proven to be a boon to public safety.

A 2014 Star investigation found that from 2001 to 2004, pit bulls were more likely than any other breed to bite people and pets in Toronto. In 2004, for example, there were 984 licensed pit bulls in the city and 168 reported bites. But by 2013, there were only 501 pit bulls registered in Toronto and just 13 bites.

That’s right — the law appears to have produced a 92-per-cent reduction in pit bull bites.

Police and Toronto Animal Services inspectors should move quickly to ensure that the ban is being enforced. We know all too well what the alternative looks like. Consider three horrifying incidents from the year before the law was passed.

First, in what one witness described as a “bloodbath,” a 25-yearold man was attacked by two pit bulls in a downtown laneway. He was saved by police — but it took a full 16 bullets to bring the aggressive dogs down.

Only a few weeks later, a woman was walking her 8-year-old Labrador-cocker spaniel mix when a pit bull mauled her dog, causing injuries that resulted in 60 stitches and amputation of the pet’s tail.

And shortly after that, another pit bull knocked a pregnant woman over and locked its jaws onto the neck of her 3-year-old Labrador retriever. The pet required 20 stitches.

Ontario isn’t alone in its justified concern about pit bulls. This fall, Montreal moved to adopt a bylaw similar to the Ontario law, while Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard suggested his government might bring in similar measures province-wide. Other cities, including Winnipeg, have also adopted bylaws to control pit bulls.

Ontario moved to make its streets safe from aggressive pit bulls more than 10 years ago. It succeeded. Now it’s time for police and inspectors to target illegal breeders and complicit veterinarians to ensure this sound law is not undermined.