B.C., Canada Six dog attacks in five weeks

Pits in the news and info on Breed Specific Legislation.

Postby cheekymunkee » June 5th, 2008, 11:08 pm

Six dog attacks in five weeks
By Kevin Diakiw - Surrey North Delta Leader - June 03, 2008





Another week, another vicious dog attack and another call for change in how this city controls dangerous canines.

Ingrid Noel was walking her smooth collie in west Newton last week, when two pit bulls approached. While one circled Noel, her dog and two children, the other came straight in for an attack.

The attacking dog seized hold of the collie, puncturing the skin below its left ear.
Noel attempted to end the fight by pulling her dog away, but in that effort received bite wounds to her finger.

She grabbed her son’s hockey stick and hit the dog over the head, but it still remained clamped onto her collie.

“I dropped the stick and began to repeatedly kick its belly,” Noel said. “The dog did not release its hold on my dog.”

Several other attempts to get the animal to release its grip failed, until a neighbour ran out and beat the dog with a steel pipe.

Noel is still coming to grips with what she calls a “truly horrific experience” and says she should be able walk down the street without worrying about such things.

“If not for the heroic actions of a neighbour, the outcome of this attack would be different,” Noel said. “ My children, dog and I were no match against these two pit bulls.”

And on Saturday, a pregnant woman and her standard poodle were attacked by a pit bull inside the common area of a North Surrey apartment building.

It was the sixth violent dog attack in recent weeks, a fact animal control officials say is likely because more people are out enjoying good weather, and roaming dogs have more opportunity for violent confrontations.

Lorie Chortyk, general manager of community relations for the BC SPCA also said the problem is not so much pit bulls, but the owners of the dogs and the people who breed them.

Golden retrievers are statistically more likely to attack, she said, but pit bulls tend to do more damage because of their strong jaws.

“The largest percentage of pit bulls are the most lovely gentle animals, they’re just never in the news,” she said.

Chortyk would welcome changes to Surrey’s dog bylaw, and would like to participate in helping craft amendments, but she’d be reluctant to support a breed-specific ban.

The problem with that approach is that dogs are bred to be violent, and pit bulls just happen to be the favoured breed. Previously, it was Rottweilers and Doberman pinschers.

“People who are looking for a status aggressive dog are just going to move to another breed,” Chortyk said. “There are some jurisdictions that have breed bans and they have to keep adding, so they’ve got 30 different breeds in their breed ban.”

She aims her criticism squarely at irresponsible breeders who raise dangerous animals and sell them to unwitting buyers.

“There’s all sorts of breeders out there that are either deliberately breeding for aggression or just aren’t managing it at all,” Chortyk said.

She says there’s a lot the public can do to protect themselves from inadvertently doing business with irresponsible breeders.

“You want to have as much family history, and you want to see where the animals are kept, and you want to make sure those animals are not leaving their mother, because that’s when the personality is formed,” Chortyk said, adding a pup should be with its mother for eight weeks. “Those early weeks is the time when the mother teaches the puppies about boundaries... reputable breeders will not separate puppies earlier.”

People buying dogs should also insist to see where the parents spend their time. And if it’s a purebred, it must have paperwork.

The SPCA is now launching its education campaign in schools to let kids know how to reduce the risks.

Mayor Dianne Watts said she is reconvening a committee to consider amendments to the city’s current aggressive dog bylaw.

“There are a couple of issues here,” she says. “There’s the care and control of a dog at-large, there’s the issue of making sure there’s a dog bylaw in place that addresses all breeds of dogs, and then there’s the issue around breeders. And the fourth piece of course is education.”

More information about purchasing, owning, or confronting a pet can be found at the BC SPCA website at http://www.spca.bc.ca
Timeline of attacks:
- April 26 – Chris Bublitz and her seeing-eye dog are attacked by a pit bull as they are crossing King George Highway near 94 Avenue.

- May 4 – Sean Bajwa, 11, is mauled by pit bulls in a North Surrey school yard.

- May 16 – Eight-year-old Kumuljeet Singh Hans and his four-year-old sister Harmon are walking with their grandmother on 88 Avenue near 130 Street when they are attacked by a Rottweiller.

- May 24 – A 64-year-old grandmother suffers injuries after being bitten by her neighbour’s pit bull.

- May 26 – Ingrid Noel and her collie are bitten by pit bulls in west Newton.

- May 31 – A pregnant woman and her standard poodle are attacked inside the lobby of a North Surrey apartment complex by a pit bull.

Helping prevent the bite

Just as humans do, dogs protect the things they care about, whether it be their food, puppies, or favourite toys.

They also protect spaces – their own and their guardians'.

Eating and sleeping areas, yards, porches and parked cars are all commonly defended by dogs. A child reaching through a fence or arriving unannounced at the door can turn a neighbour's warm, loyal pet into a growling, aggressive protector.

Other reasons dogs may bite:
* Cornering, crowding or standing over a dog, particularly a small one, may make it feel defensive. Children should stand back and never put their faces close to a dog's mouth. The face is the most common site of serious dog bite injuries.
* Stray dogs are in danger and may be dangerous. Any dog that is loose may be lost, frightened or injured - and more likely to bite.
* Sick or injured dogs may be afraid or irritable and should be avoided by children.
* Elderly dogs may have impaired vision or hearing, or more sensitive to touch which can cause them to be more easily startled.
* Some dogs are inadequately socialized. Dogs living with or around children need to be able to tolerate a degree of rough treatment without resorting to biting. Choose your dog carefully and discourage even play-biting by puppies, to avoid problems later.
* Most children’s dog bite injuries occur during play with a dog they know. A dog that is excited or nervous can bite by mistake. Children should be taught not to play fight, tease, yell at, or chase dogs or other animals.
* Dogs can feel left out, especially when a new baby or pet joins the household. Give a dog extra love and attention at these times.

Things to remember with dogs (and all animals)
* Ask permission before petting someone else's dog.
* Leave mother animals and their young alone.
* Do not try to pet dogs that are tied up, sleeping, eating, behind fences, or in vehicles.
* Do not chase or tease dogs, or pull their ears or tails.
* Do not grab their food, bones or toys.
* Do not try to stop a fight. Call an adult for help.
* Always act kindly and gently. Animals have feelings too.
* Remember that cats can bite and scratch unexpectedly.
* Leave wild animals alone.
* Report the details of injured, stray and threatening animals to an adult who will call the SPCA/humane society or animal control authorities.

Owner responsibilities
Under the law, guardians can be held liable for their dogs' actions - including bites. You can reduce the likelihood of your dog biting someone by observing these points:
* Socialize and train your dog. It is best to start while your dog is a puppy, however, most dogs can be socialized to not be aggressive;
* Do not let your dog run loose. Provide a fenced run and leash your dog when you go for a walk. Avoid having young children walk dogs they cannot control;
* When you meet children while out for a walk, be sure they approach your dog properly. This ensures their safety as well as protecting your dog;
* Teach children to observe the simple rules of safe and considerate behaviour around dogs. In particular, teasing, chasing and yelling should be discouraged. Your dog may tolerate it, but another may not;
* Choose your dog carefully. Pups should be evaluated in light of the parent dogs' behaviour. Select dogs that have been bred to be non-aggressive family dogs;
* The importance of sterilizing your animal cannot be overemphasized. Spaying and neutering your dog tends to reduce aggressive tendencies significantly. A U.S. survey of over 200 fatal dog attacks showed that in all but two cases the attacks were carried out by unneutered or unspayed dogs;
* Do not leave babies or very young children alone with a dog;
* Children should be taught to never hug a dog. Many dogs tolerate such behaviour but others don't.
~ Source: BC SPCA

http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/ ... 97584.html


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Postby Malli » June 6th, 2008, 4:52 am

Oh god, I think we may have lost the battle on this one. :(
I'm going to email the spca lady and thank her....
I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day, tomorrow doesn't look good either.
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