Ontario PCs split on effort to end pit bull ban
All votes against the private member’s bill from government side
A Progressive Conservative MPP hoping to end Ontario’s “discriminatory” ban on pit bulls says he welcomes concerns from citizens who are worried about the dogs as his proposal goes to a legislative committee for further study.
“It’s a highly emotional topic,” Rick Nicholls (Chatham-Kent-Leamington) acknowledged Thursday before legislators voted 36-12 in favour of the private member’s bill to scrap the 2005 ban imposed by a previous Liberal government after a vicious pit bull attack on a Toronto man.
The12 ballots against the legislation were all from Nicholls’s fellow Progressive Conservatives, including Education Minister Stephen Lecce and Lisa MacLeod, the minister of heritage, sport, tourism and culture.
“For some of them, they have their own personal stories and I respect that,” Nicholls told the Star, noting one caucus colleague recently showed pictures of a young relative who had been attacked and bitten around the eye and cheek by a dog whose breed was not specified.
“For others, it may have been a case of they’re listening to their constituents.” None of the MPPs who voted against ending the ban spoke out during the debate, although interim Liberal Leader John
Fraser said earlier in the day that ending the ban would pose “a risk to public safety.”
Nicholls said he wants to hear arguments on both sides because “we want to make sure we get this bill right.”
Ontario’s prohibition on pit bulls will remain in place until there is a final vote on the bill in the legislature, which is not likely to be held until the spring. No committee dates have yet been scheduled.
Given that it is a private member’s bill from a backbench MPP and not a cabinet minister, it would be easier for Premier Doug Ford’s government to drop if it becomes a political hot potato. Ford was not present for Thursday’s vote.
The legislation is supported by the Toronto Humane Society and the Ontario Veterinary
Medical Association, among other animal groups, which have long argued the ban was not based on data and scientific evidence. The Green Party and the NDP also back the bill, with several New Democrat MPPs speaking in favour of it Thursday.
“There are dogs that are vicious, but it’s unique to that individual animal,” said Doug Raven, chief executive of the veterinary association, who argued against “taking whole breeds and casting them as villains.”
The problem with the pit bull ban is that “it does not target irresponsible dog owners,” added Raven, whose group supports efforts to target dangerous dogs and their owners.
Nicholls and fellow PC MPP David Piccini, who helped him prepare the legislation, said the proposed law emphasizes “responsible pet ownership” by encouraging proper training of all dogs and public education on how to approach dogs.
The pit bull ban “targets the wrong end of the leash,” Piccini (Northumberland—Peterborough South) told the legislature.
Green Leader Mike Schreiner said “dogs can be dangerous regardless of breed. There are better ways to protect safety without discriminating against specific breeds and euthanizing innocent animals.”
Proponents of the ban say it remains a significant setback to the dogfighting industry, and helps keep pit bulls out of the hands of criminals and people who are attracted to dogs that can be trained to use for intimidation.