Last week’s pit bull attack on a young girl in Rosedale, has again raised the debate of a ban on the breed.
The attack occurred during spring break when eight year old Jenna was playing in her grandparents’ backyard in Rosedale. Suddenly a neighbour’s pit bull escaped its enclosure and attacked her. The dog had Jenna by the head.
The family’s four-year-old chihuahua, named Honey, came to the girl’s rescue. It began growling and barking at the pit bull. The pit bull released Jenna and turned its attention towards Honey. Fortunately, the pit bull’s owner was soon able to grab and leash her dog before it could do much further damage.
Jenna was rushed to the hospital where she received hundreds of stitches to her head and face.
The pit bull was put down.
The incident raises the question of whether some breeds should be classified as dangerous or even banned outright.
Social media sites have received comments on both sides of the argument.
Most cities in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, including Abbotsford don’t have a ban on specific breeds.
“We don’t regulate according to breed,” said Gordon Ferguson, Abbotsford’s manager of bylaw enforcement.
He explained an argument can be made that many breeds of dogs can be considered dangerous including German shepherds doberman pinschers, rottweilers and more.
However, the city does have regulations for dangerous dogs under the pound bylaw.
The bylaw states any dog deemed dangerous must be contained properly on its own property and must be muzzled when in public.
Ferguson explained that dogs first have to cause serious injury to a person before they are deemed dangerous.
In extreme cases the city can “pursue a destruction order” on the dog.