Breed-Neutral Legislation Now

In other words, a banned dog doesn’t necessarily need to be one of the three listed breeds, it just needs to have the predominant appearance and physical characteristics of them.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are just two of the groups that have publicly stated a dog’s breed “is not a reliable indicator of aggression, bite strength, or the likelihood of biting.”

There is no scientific evidence that one kind of dog is more likely than another to injure a human. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, “controlled studies have not identified this breed group…as disproportionately dangerous.”

The most significant factors that can lead to a dog bite come from their environment and how they have been raised, trained, and socialized.

ALL dogs can unexpectedly bite if they are under enough stress and are triggered in some way.

• MYTH: “Pit bull” breeds have locking jaws.
  • FACT: There is no such thing as a locking jaw. No dogs (of any breed or type) have physical characteristics in their jaw that would cause or allow them to “lock” their jaws. (Source: pitbullinfo.org)
• MYTH: “Pit bull” breeds have the strongest bite, measuring in thousands of pounds of pressure per square inch.
  • FACT: On average, all dogs bite with approximately 320 pounds of pressure per square inch. This includes dogs commonly labeled as “pit bulls” (Source: animalfarmfoundation.org)
• MYTH: “Pit bull” breeds attack without warning.
  • FACT: All dogs, including dogs commonly labelled as “pit bulls” signal their intent (Source: animalfarmfoundation.org)
• MYTH: “Pit bulls” with good temperaments are the exception, not the rule.
  • FACT: The American Temperament Test, which entails putting a dog through “a series of unexpected situations, some involving strangers” resulted in “pit bull” breeds consistently scoring above the average for all dogs tested. (Source: atts.org)
• MYTH: “Pit bull” breeds are more dangerous than other dogs.
  • FACT: There is no scientific evidence that one kind of dogs is more likely than other to injure a human being than any other kind of dog. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, “controlled studies have not identified this breed group…as disproportionately dangerous.”

Watch our bully breed myths & facts video series with Bubba.

BSL unjustly targets dogs based on their appearance rather than their behaviour or actions and punishes responsible pet owners of well-behaved and trained banned breeds.

In some cases, dog owners have been forced to rehome their dog, have had their dog removed, or have had to move themselves because of BSL in the city.

All dogs are individuals. A determination of risk to the community is more appropriately made by examining the actions of each individual dog and their owner.

A dog may be designated as a “dangerous dog” if, after consideration, it is likely to cause significant harm or injury to individuals or animals or is used primarily to guard property. This is regardless of breed.

Dangerous dog licences are mandatory for all dogs designated as dangerous. The owner must comply with the owner responsibilities as outlined in the Responsible Pet Ownership By-law

When a significant incident occurs, this legislation allows the City to investigate and, if a determination is made that the dog is dangerous or exceptionally dangerous, the City can place requirements on the dog owner to ensure the safety of the community (e.g., must be securely confined on the owner’s property, must be muzzled if off the owner’s property, must not attend dog parks or doggy daycares, etc.) or, in extreme circumstances, euthanize the animal.

By targeting individual dogs based on their behaviour, breed-neutral legislation can more effectively address dangerous dogs. This approach focuses on the actions of the dog and the responsibility of the owner rather than assuming that certain breeds are inherently dangerous.