Ban the DEED not the Breed!!

We the undersigned believe that Breed Bans and or Breed Specific Legislation are a short term, short-sighted attempt to deal with the issues surrounding canine related injuries.

Statistics on dog bites and dog related injuries simply do not support the assertion that one breed has a predisposition to be more aggressive versus another. In Canada there are no laws making it mandatory to report dog bites. The Canadian Safety Council acknowledges that breed bans and or breed specific legislation do not address the real problem which is irresponsible dog owners. NO form of legislation will not stop dogs from biting ,but enforcing responsible dog ownership will dramatically lower bite incidences.

ALL dogs can and will bite under given circumstances.

If any community wishes to seriously discuss this issue,let us look at the facts gathered from the following organizations:

Center for Disease Control, Canadian Federation of Humane Societies The Federation for Animal Welfare Humane Society of the United States. The Canadian Safety Council, The Canadian Veterinarian Medical Association, American Veterinarian Association, National Companion Animal Coalition

All of these organizations reviewed available data on dog bites and dog related fatalities.The conclusions reached were that the statistics did not support the assertion that any one breed is more dangerous than another. When legislation was introduced, the number of fatalities did not decrease. Measures were costly to municipalities,unenforceable,unconstitutional and simply did nothing to address the real problem which is irresponsible dog ownership.

According to statistics gathered by the above mentioned organizations,12 deaths per year can be attributed to dog bites,that is about 0.000001\% chance of dying from a dog bite regardless of the breed.In the USA there are over 40,000 American Kennel Club registered rottweilers,5th most popular breed>,in Canada there are approximately 20,000 registered with the Canadian Kennel Club.

Statistics do however prove that responsible canine ownership is the key to ensuring the publics (should have an apostrophe) safety. Controlling the people who will abuse the owner-dog relationship is a far better and wiser solution to the problem these owners present to the neighbours (no) matter what breed of dog they own.

Do not punish those of us who are responsible owners. Our dogs are companions and members of our families. We can and do maintain our dogs so they do not pose a threat to anyone, so why should we be denied our companions simply because irresponsible owners of the same breed of dog, have not ethically and legally protected others from injury? Please retract your proposal for a breed ban/breed specific legislation. We the undersigned will never vote for any politician advocating the use of breed bans and or breed specific legislation. And for those undersigned that do not reside within your city limits, we will show our support against this proposal by not visiting your city now or in the future. This is not simply an issue in New Brunswick, Canada, your proposal has reached the ears of EVERY responsible dog owner, in North America, as well as other countries around the world
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