American Bull dog

[happycats]

sorry for being so

Is it legal to have an American bull dog in Ontario, or is it included in the ban ?

[BenMax]

Originally Posted by happycats

sorry for being so

Is it legal to have an American bull dog in Ontario, or is it included in the ban ?

American Bulldogs are not illegal. They are not on the ban list.

[ownedbycats]

You would need to have and be able to present proog that it is not a pit bull/pitbull mix. If they even suspect that it is a pit bull they can take it and put it to sleep if you don't have proof to protect your dog.

[BenMax]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

You would need to have and be able to present proog that it is not a pit bull/pitbull mix. If they even suspect that it is a pit bull they can take it and put it to sleep if you don't have proof to protect your dog.

Very very true. Thanks for pointing that out. Ontario has destroyed dogs that were mixed and due to being 'brindled' - destroyed.

Best to contact American Bulldog Rescue. There is one in Ontario.

[happycats]

Thank you

[bendyfoot]

curious...is there any reliable way to obtain "proof" when you're dealing with a mutt?

[BenMax]

Originally Posted by bendyfoot

curious...is there any reliable way to obtain "proof" when you're dealing with a mutt?

Oh boy did I get some education on this! There is absolutely NO fool proof way. Even a DNA will not stand up. Did this and still lost for a pit mix in Ontario. If someone knows something to answer Bendyfoot's question - I am alllll ears!

[bendyfoot]

A vet's note?

A letter from a breeder or conformity judge?

[BenMax]

Originally Posted by bendyfoot

A vet's note?

A letter from a breeder or conformity judge?

A vet's note did not work for me. The dog I speak of was in London Ontario. I had proof of age, breed which was registered and DNA testing. If the animal service, pound or anyone given the right to rip animals from loving arms it is up to them to decide whether the dog lives or dies. I was very disappointed and frustrated since I followed all and even more requirement to help this dog and family. It just was not enough.

A letter from a breeder for a mix - not sure. It all depends on who is asking I think. Working this from Quebec, trying to help those in Ontario has been difficult. Maybe someone who actually lives in Ontario fighting for Ontario dogs may get different results. I really don't know.

[bendyfoot]

Bah. I'm glad I live in the boonies where no one bats an eye.

[bendyfoot]

See this? THIS is what scares me. Thank dog it has a happy ending.

Proving Sasha's no pitbull was a battle

BY RITA POLIAKOV, THE WINDSOR STARJUNE 25, 2009 11:01 PM

WINDSOR, Ont. -- Sasha isn’t much of a guard dog. She won’t bark or growl or lunge at any necks.

When strangers visit, the American bulldog is likely to roll over onto her back, waiting for a belly rub. Then she’ll probably fall asleep.

That’s what she did last year, when a city compliance officer knocked on Kimberly Wilson’s door. That day in July of 2008, all Sasha wanted was someone to pet her stomach. Instead Wilson began her battle to prove Sasha wasn’t a pitbull.

A compliance officer first visited Wilson in 2006 and said Sasha had similar characteristics to a pitbull, which put the dog in danger of being euthanized. Wilson gave the dog back to its original owner, but took her back again around two years later.

“He just looked at her and said, ‘She looks like a pitbull,’” Wilson said of the first compliance officer. “The compliance officer wasn’t trained, he didn’t have credentials (to judge breeds).”

A pitbull, under the new legislation in the Dog Owners Liability Act, is described as a Staffordshire bull terrier, an American Staffordshire terrier, an American pit bull terrier or any dog with characteristics that are “substantially similar.” These characteristics include a stocky, muscular build, a broad head, thick nose, powerful jaws and a short coat.

Pitbulls were banned in Ontario in the summer of 2005. Anyone who already owned pitbulls were ordered to have their dogs microchipped, neutered and kept on a short leash and muzzle when outdoors. Pitbull owners must also buy a $1 million-liability insurance and pay a license fee every year, which is what Wilson may have had to do.

According to Nancy McCabe, the manager of field operations with the Windsor-Essex Humane Society, pitbulls who aren’t registered could be euthonized.

“What happens is, if someone reports a pitbull-looking dog and it hasn’t been registered by the city, then the city bylaw officers would go out and it would be up to the owner to prove that this wasn’t a pitbull,” she said.

The City of Windsor also enacted a bylaw in 2004 that bans pitbulls, making it one of only two cities in Ontario to do so, said Diane Bertolin, the licence commissioner for the city.

“At the time city council deemed that the animals were dangerous. There was a public perception out there and council acted in good faith to pass a bylaw,” she said.

To Wilson, her dog is anything but dangerous. In between naps and belly rubs, Sasha schmoozes with friends and neighbours.

“All she does is cuddle you... that’s just Sasha,” Wilson said. “If I were to lose her, I think I would lose me.”

While Wilson had a rabies certificate that said Sasha was an American bulldog, she was told it wasn’t enough. The single mom, who is currently between jobs, also had a hard time finding a vet that would label the dog’s breed.

“The vet said if the dog was a pitbull and bit someone, he could be charged,” Wilson said.

Wilson went to court in December of 2008, and continued to push back the date of the trial until early this month. She started a facebook group and asked local organizations for help. Through Advocates for the Underdogs, a Windsor organization, Wilson found a vet that officially stated Sasha was an American bulldog. She also found someone involved with the Westminster Kennel Club who wrote a letter saying that, according to his experience with pitbulls, Sasha was not one.

Based on this, Wilson’s case was withdrawn in June.

“I’m so excited that she survived,” she said.

Wilson is not the first dog owner to be affected by the province’s description of a pit bull. While American bulldogs are often confused with the illegal breed, so are some Labradors, dalmations and bull terriers. Jo Ann Jenkins, who runs an animal rescue in Columbus, OH, and helped get Wilson’s story out through her blog, said that pitbull bans are often very vague.

“It’s such a shame. I have seen, and I’m not exaggerating, a beagle lab mix deemed a pitbull,” she said.

© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star

[chico2]

Happy-Cats,there is a lady here in my neighbor-hood who has an American Bulldog,he is huge,could never be mistaken for a "Pit-Bull",he is white and brown,a beautiful dog,not that Pit-Bulls are not.
She walks this huge doge and pushes a stroller,I was even allowed to pet him

[shabess]

I find it somewhat amazing that Quebec would go to such lengths in regards so called 'viscious dogs'. When that bylaw was being introduced a study was done of some of the downtown metropolitan areas. In one report it stated that during the course of one year there were 185 reports of dog bites. That's reported. The report also stated that over half of the so called 'attacks' were from German Shepherds. BC has passed a 'viscious dog' bylaw which states that ANY dog, regardless can be put into that catagory if it is found to be a nuisance to the public. (open to interpretation). If it snaps, lunges, attacks another dog, barks aggressively it can be classified as a 'vicious dog' and must where a muzzle when out in public. That's ANY dog, regardless of breed or size.