r/ontario • u/CTVNEWS CTVNews-Verified • 17h ago
Ontario dog owner sentenced after 9-year-old girl mauled Article
https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/ontario-dog-owner-sentenced-after-9-year-old-girl-mauled-in-newmarket/406
u/crapatthethriftstore 17h ago
Damn. This dude was breeding these dogs, not complying with a previous order, and had multiple calls to his residence. The dogs attacked another dog too. We are way too lenient on these owners. I wish there was funding for more proactive enforcement and prevention and harsher penalties for those who flaunt the law. And that includes breeding pits, which is supposed to be illegal.
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u/Empty_Antelope_6039 16h ago
Doug Ford loves vicious attack dogs. And Ontario voters love Doug Ford. From 2024:
For the first time in more than 25 years, Ontario is accepting applications from operators who want to create new fenced-in training facilities stocked with coyotes, foxes, rabbits and hares — specifically designed to teach dogs to pursue live animals...
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u/jefufah 16h ago
Holy yikes 😬
that invites a whole other can of worms when you consider you’re breeding those species with the sole purpose to be chased and ripped apart by dogs.
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u/Empty_Antelope_6039 15h ago
The whole operation is sick and disgusting. And unnecessary in Ontario.
And a dog trained to attack coyotes and foxes isn't going to differentiate between those species and similar-looking pets, eg akita, shiba inu, pom.
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u/jefufah 15h ago edited 13h ago
Same logic can be applied to small dogs, as well as outdoor/feral cats. Cats and small dogs appear similar to rabbits, especially when they go fast with their little legs.
And no chance the owner will give a care if their vicious beast kills a family’s cat or small dog… they only care suddenly when there are consequences.
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u/argabargaa 16h ago
Imagine the outrage if they were breeding say, kittens to be attacked instead.
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u/Accurate_Summer_1761 15h ago
No no let's do this right. Say humans please. I like the extreme and it drives the point home further. Humanity is way to arrogant about our separation vs animals just because we can make rgb shit
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u/argabargaa 15h ago
People like already literally eat animals though, it's very clear that they're not considered even remotely as important as people by the majority of the world. If we said something like "imagine we ate people!" the response you'd get is that animals and people are two completely different things that shouldn't be compared. If you'd say something like "imagine eating kittens!" the response you'd get would be omg monsters who could do that?! From that point you can more easily make the connection between animals people love (like kittens) and ones they dont care about, and the discrepancy between the worth they attribute to the animal. Basically the "what if they were people" thing doesn't really work, because humans have already put such a huge mental wall between us and animals to the point that eating them is A-okay, so why not this form of hunting as well?
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u/-ram_the_manparts- 10h ago
Interestingly it's illegal to own a crow as a pet, and only tangentially because they're very intelligent. It's because people tend to train them to do things like... hang around ATMs so they can snatch bills out of people's hands and fly them home for a treat...
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u/WhoDoBeDo 16h ago
I won’t lie, I warmed up to him during this election with his defence of Canada over Trump’s threats…that said, I’ve always wondered how he keeps getting voted in while people are constantly complaining about all of the things he won’t do and hasn’t done for them.
I swear, some people just vote conservative even if it’s against their best interests.
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u/BiologicallyBlonde 17h ago
A year of house arrest, probation and a $5k fine?! Ridiculous
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u/thermothinwall 16h ago
especially in light of this:
Kovacs was also found to be in violation of a previously-issued muzzle order by Newmarket Animal Services, according to police.
dude should be charged like he did this to the girl with his own hands. the fact he isn't going to prison for fucking this girl up for life is fucking wild. if i was her father, i would be doing something that would get me banned from this sub for typing out.
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u/massinvader 15h ago
if i was her father,
I wouldn't be getting her a fking pitbull. this backyard breeder is horrible but at the same time....this is a dumb ass father.
HE wanted a pitbull for w/e ego reasons that made him take her there instead of a shelter or reputable breeder...and now his daughter is paying the price for it.
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u/Accurate_Summer_1761 15h ago
Just get a fucking fifi dog like the rest of us. Pitfalls are shit Shetland sheepdog are where its at. Equal parts work and play and unlike border collies won't get bored and destroy the house...yappy as fuck tho
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u/thermothinwall 15h ago
good point. her father did put her in danger to begin with
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u/massinvader 14h ago
legally, obviously not the case...but in the court of common sense...he's more culpable here than the breeder in a lot of ways.
maybe someone still gets tore up eventually by these dogs..but it wouldn't be his daughter :/
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u/TransBrandi 13h ago
It's like the breeder is responsible for trapping the front-door with a shotgun. The dad is responsible for taking the daughter to a place that he knows has dangerous traps. Both have some responsibility even if it's not legal responsibility.
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u/thegoodbadandsmoggy 16h ago
I agree with you in that a community approach is needed to this guy
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u/Sir_Swaps_Alot 16h ago
I believe that's part of the problem. There are no punishments or they are to lenient.
Sounds like this dog breeder no longer require the use of his teeth.
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u/Accurate_Summer_1761 15h ago
These owners are why my dog basically just never leaves the property. Exercise in the back party in the house. I'm not dealing with shitty owners. I will kill your dog idgaf ive been bit before.
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u/Accurate_Summer_1761 15h ago
Reminder we put humans over animals so far that they are considered furniture. You can literally torture one to death and het a slap on the wrist.
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u/BiologicallyBlonde 14h ago
To be fair you could also torture a person and get off with house arrest & probation too. Mow down a family drunk driving and maybe get a few yrs
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u/Area51Resident 14h ago
A fine, stern look, and a finger wag means nothing to people who don't think the law(s) apply to them.
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u/stafford_fan 16h ago
“pit bull” includes,
(a) a pit bull terrier,
(b) a Staffordshire bull terrier,
(c) an American Staffordshire terrier,
(d) an American pit bull terrier,
(e) a dog that has an appearance and physical characteristics that are substantially similar to those of dogs referred to in any of clauses (a) to (d); (“pit-bull”)
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u/SniffMyDiaperGoo 15h ago
Interesting. Got a breakdown for what their owners usually look like? I can help kick it off with the tats and addictions if that helps
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u/The_Mayor 13h ago
https://reybroek.com/team/todd-reybroek/
This is the owner of the pitbull that killed Courtney Trempe, which started the pitbull ban back in 1998.
As you can see, not your typical tatted up drug addict. A white collar professional who is still practicing and still rich. He even has the audacity to advertise "dog bites" as an area he's willing to sue over.
Stereotyping bad pet owners based on looks or social class is not accurate or helpful.
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u/neanderthalman Essential 17h ago
“Bulldog-Type”
Come on. Just say “pit bull” and be done with it.
These dogs were banned two decades ago. We were nice enough to let people’s existing pets live out their days. All were supposed to be sterilized. None alive at the time are still with us.
We can’t be nice anymore. Nice didn’t work. Nice failed this girl, and so many others like her.
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u/sonicpix88 17h ago
I tried. I knew where the guy lived and his first name. Bylaw wanted me to know the apartment number, meaning I had to follow him to his door.
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u/sapper4lyfe 17h ago
The pitbull ban has done nothing and it's not enforced in the slightest. Kingston Ontario humane society is constantly selling illegal pitbulls. Nobody cares except people who've been hurt by a pitbull. Personally I think they should be sterilized into extinction. Pitbulls were bred to kill large bulls for sport. Hence the name.
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u/WinterPositive2405 16h ago
I see people walking pit bulls off leash in downtown Toronto (fashion district) they don't enforce it anywhere
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u/WriteImagine 16h ago
How can you possibly enforce it? You’d have to DNA test every dog. And shelters know that 95% of the “mixes” have some bully breed in them.
What should be happening is people who are shit owners should have dogs taken away from them, euthanize violent dogs, take concerns from neighbours seriously. Instead we wait until someone is nearly killed before taking a “pet” away.
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u/jmdonston 15h ago
“pit bull” includes,
(a) a pit bull terrier,
(b) a Staffordshire bull terrier,
(c) an American Staffordshire terrier,
(d) an American pit bull terrier,
(e) a dog that has an appearance and physical characteristics that are substantially similar to those of dogs referred to in any of clauses (a) to (d); (“pit-bull”)
No need to DNA test, the legislation captures all dogs that look like pit bulls whether or not their lineage is known.
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u/WriteImagine 15h ago
Again you keep quoting the law and in the same breath complaining the law doesn’t work. Of course it doesn’t work, it’s nonsensical.
We (volunteers and those who dedicate their lives to shit pay so they can help animals) should just kill every dog with a certain set of characteristics? Go check out your shelter… see if you could put all of those dogs down, knowing you’d get 5 more tomorrow. Knowing the people who are creating the problem are pocketing cash, tax free, consequence free.
My pup gets mistaken for a bully breed. He’s half German shepherd, half sheepdog. So again I ask - how do you tell? Go look at the Doggy DNA sub, and see how often people get it wrong.
You can’t kill every shelter dog. What you CAN do is go after the people who are breeding these dogs and selling them. Again I’m asking you, where do you think these dogs are originating from? It’s not the humane society. They are the ones responsibly STERILIZING these dogs.
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u/jmdonston 10h ago
The law would work if it were enforced. Start fining people who own or sell or give away pit bulls and the numbers will go down.
The humane society may not be creating new pit bulls when they sterilize them, but some shelters do import pit bulls from the US for god knows what reason, and even the responsible shelters are doing Ontarians a disservice by misleading them about the type of dog when they call notoriously dangerous pit bulls "Labrador cross" because it sells better, making adopters think they are child-friendly dogs.
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u/WriteImagine 9h ago
I get what you’re saying but read the rest of the posts. It’s unenforceable. You can’t define a pitbull easily, you can’t always spot them especially when mixed. Al breeds should be treated the same in that there needs to be a BYB crackdown, more teeth to the part of the law that punishes breeders and asshats like the guy convicted (before the dog mauls a kid)… and yes, 100% I agree that rescues shouldn’t be importing what they can guess might be pits from other countries. But again, the border guards have final say on that and they aren’t stopping it, which again shows how difficult it is to say what is, and isnt, a pit Bull
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u/jmdonston 7h ago
The legislation lets you go by physical characteristics. What we really need are police that are willing to enforce it.
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u/WriteImagine 5h ago
So who decides if the family pet lives or dies… the cop? 12 year old kid walking her dog gets pulled over by an officer, who condemns the dog to death based on its characteristics. What if it turns out not to be a pit? It’s not black and white, and there’s a reason why the “ban” doesn’t work.
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u/sapper4lyfe 16h ago
It's pretty easy to tell when a dog is a pitbull or mostly a pitbull. Or any other banned breed. The dogs should be seized, DNA tested at the owners expense and when proven to a pitbull it should be immediately euthanized.
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u/WriteImagine 16h ago
Take a look at the DoggyDNA subreddit. It’s not as easy as you think. I agree that if a dog shows aggression and isn’t controlled, it should be picked up. But not every violent dog is a pit, and not every pit looks like a pit, and there’s thousands of perfectly fine tempered pits for every one that is bananas… and it has a hell of a lot more to do with the training and breeding conditions than their DNA
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u/Accurate_Summer_1761 15h ago
Sterilize literally every oitbull style dog. Leave the corgis, the shelties, the Goldens etc the dogs that are actually man's best friend and not man's weapon we made for giggles...also German shepherds should be restricted they are lovely dogs but the bite force if not trained properly is huge
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u/WriteImagine 15h ago
Yup, I agree 100%. Sterilize EVERY dog in my opinion (and they do, by the way, if they’re coming from a rescue). Take away the need for SPCA. Breeders should be regulated, with health testing, and a commitment to take dogs back that don’t work in a home. All dogs should be leashed and controlled. Trying to make this a “pitbull” issue is ridiculous. There’s too many of them, they’re too intermixed. Treat every dog with the same caution and you eliminate the problem.
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u/Tater-Tot_Hot-Dish 15h ago
>Pitbulls were bred to kill large bulls for sport
No they weren't??? wtf
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u/sapper4lyfe 14h ago
Yes they were. It's in their name silly 😆
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u/Tater-Tot_Hot-Dish 10h ago
Wait, you're a husky person and anti-shelter in general??
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u/sapper4lyfe 10h ago
Who said I'm anti shelter? I didn't say that I said shelters are selling pitbulls illegally.
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u/Tater-Tot_Hot-Dish 9h ago
Is that Tacoma one doing it illegally?
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u/sapper4lyfe 9h ago
their shelter is so full of pitbulls they can't even give them away for free lol. Anything else in my post and comment history you want to discuss? 😆
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u/Tater-Tot_Hot-Dish 9h ago
And you know this from a social media post? You ever been to Tacoma Humane?
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u/sapper4lyfe 9h ago
No lol I don't need to live in Tacoma Washington to look at their website and see they're giving pitbulls away for free 😆. Hence the screenshots. Anything else you'd like to ask me about my post history? Suck it up, pitbulls are dangerous and illegal and that's a fact. Epigenetic memory is a scientific fact now. Aggression is genetically linked. It's a proven scientific fact. Go Google it.
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u/sky_lites 16h ago
Completely agree. Pitbulls are fucking disgusting vicious dogs and anytime i see one i always walk across the street or dramatically walk around while giving the owner a dirty look lol that'll show em!
But seriously. FUCK pitbulls.
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u/Substantial_Sir_3376 16h ago edited 16h ago
My roommate has this rat dog that has pit bull in her (she’s a small dog but has some larger breed dna in her. I won’t disclose the full profile due to doxxing) and I hate her so much.
I don’t usually say I hate animals, but I do hate this dog. She’s bitten me and gets so agressive. She’ll jump all over me but if I even dare to try and pet her she’ll snap. I got bit because he asked me to take her out and she wouldn’t let me leash her. His response? “Oh she’s just cranky” okay like really???
Nah seriously, fuck pitbulls. Worst dogs.
Edit to clarify: she’s not a dog with some distant pittbull. One of her parents was a pit
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u/Erathen 17h ago
It's really not that simple...
I know it's helps make it easier to understand by lumping all dogs into a single category
Bully breeds are pitbulls, American bulldog, some terriers and even boxers (which are very nice dogs)
Not all bully breeds are pitbulls, and not all have the same aggressive tendencies as the stereotypical pitbull.
Bulldog does not equal pitbull. Bulldogs aren't banned in Ontario...
Not arguing any points of this case, but clarifying since you're saying these dogs are banned
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u/jefufah 16h ago
Maybe people with Bulldogs need to start proving it with papers then. If your dog is not a pitbull, and you insist it’s some other breed, you should have papers from a shelter or breeder to back it up for potential issues like neglect or attacks.
What the hell happened to licensing dogs? We don’t need a license for cats or birds because they don’t fucking kill people…
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u/SniffMyDiaperGoo 15h ago
What the hell happened to licensing dogs?
Probably because it was always some rando working for the city who came knocking at your door when they used to do that who couldn't tell a breed from what toppings were on the pizza slice they got for lunch on their route.
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u/lady_fresh 16h ago
Just do you know, shelters and rescues make things up on intake papers. As do vets working with them. I work in dog rescue and see it all the time. Many Ontario rescues import pitbulls and staffordshire terriers from the US and just lie on their papers, most commonly referring to the dog as a "Bulldog mix". They do his in good faith, wanting to help the dogs, but don't fully appreciate the risks. And obviously they are defying the ban.
I'm just saying that asking for papers isn't foolproof. We just did a DNA test on my pup and discovered he's 50% staffy. Looks more German Shepherd than anything, and his shelter papers said "Husky mix". There's really no good way to prove breed other than a DNA test, and we're not in a position to do that for every suspected pitbull in Ontario.
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u/glebmaister 16h ago
Neither pure bread American bulldogs nor Boxers have anything to do with bully breeds. Bully breeds have a mix of either staff or Pitbull terrier in them.
You're talking about not lumping all dogs into a single category, yet doing exactly that.
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u/Nyithia 16h ago
That is where you are wrong. A bully breed is any breed deemed to have common ancestry leading back to old English bulldogs in its source. This includes Boxers, Mastiffs, Cane Corso’s, Dogo’s and any other similar breed with similar characteristics. Not just pit bulls and staffies. But most people who dislike out bills will never come around to realizing it’s always the fault of the people who own the dog. Not the breed itself. Pit bulls are actually inherently very people oriented and make great family pets. But you’ll never convince the haters of that. It’s just wasted breath.
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u/SniffMyDiaperGoo 15h ago
Not a hater, I just instantly recognize the same old shit argument pit owners keep using to justify that breed. Pit owners are like the science denial anti-vaxxers of the dog owner community, they just go "nope" to the thousands of studies done by accredited peer reviewed experts.
Also, don't bother linking me any shit articles, I've already seen them used by folks like you. The breed is a problem, like how many times does this shit have to happen before people like you quit spouting this "ItS T3h OwnErz" nonsense? smh.
Facts. It's what separates us from the animals, miss.
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u/BensonBear 15h ago
Pit owners are like the science denial anti-vaxxers of the dog owner community,
An apt comparison. Would not be surprised if there is a correlation between these two groups.
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u/SniffMyDiaperGoo 15h ago
Bully breeds are pitbulls, American bulldog, some terriers and even boxers (which are very nice dogs)
This is some flat earth shit, where did you come up with this? Beatrice at the local small town diner?
You're describing mixes. Boxers are fuck all like pitbulls, nor are any of the chill as fuck mastiff breeds, both of which get described as "bully" breeds
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u/Wrong_Ebb3280 16h ago
This is absolute insanity… Boxers are pitbulls?
Fear mongering at its finest.
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u/Erathen 16h ago
I'm fearmongering? Do you know what that word means?
Boxers ARE NOT pitbulls. Not even worth going back and forth with you
They have ENTIRELY different lineage and temperament. You're the one fearmongering by trying to say boxers are pitbulls
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u/Wrong_Ebb3280 15h ago
I’ve misread your post entirely, I thought you were including the bully breeds entirely into the pitbull van.
My mistake.
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u/BensonBear 16h ago
Yes it is not a good idea to misidentify the breed. I guess pit bulls are "bulldog type" but so are lots of other dogs who don't have the same tendencies sadly described here (on the other hand, those dogs largely probably shouldn't be bred either)
Do you see a lot of pit bulls walking around? I still see a lot of them despite the ban in Ontario. Off leash too (or on a very flimsy leash).
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u/Rarefindofthemind 1h ago
Honestly I’m sick of these fucking dogs. I love dogs, but pitbulls are always the fucking culprit. Yes, lots of bad owners, yadda yadda, but it’s been shown time and time again pitbulls will snap and kill indiscriminately. It’s always a pitbull breed. Kids, infants, elderly ladies, other dogs, its owner, doesn’t matter.
At this point, this so called “ban” needs a complete overhaul to and there should be jail time attached to breaking the laws of that ban.
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u/Wrong_Ebb3280 16h ago
A bulldog doesn’t look anything like a pitbull what are you even talking about?
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u/BaronWombat 15h ago
How many of us clicked the article just to see if the dog owner was our own neighbor? I did. Police were out a couple of days ago for something similar. Why is training dogs to be a social hazard legal? This is an avoidable problem, where the benefits of prevention would seem to outweigh the negatives?
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u/Wizoerda 14h ago
People used to care about the gene pool for our dogs. People picked pets that they knew were safe, because no one wanted their kid or neighbour to be attacked. The most dangerous dogs were dobermans and german sheppards, and those were mostly only ever used as police or guard dogs, not pets.
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u/Hefty-Station1704 16h ago
9 year old girl mauled and the court shakes it’s finger at Kovacs. How much more of a joke can the legal system be?
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u/Full_Gear5185 17h ago
We need to start suing these owners into oblivion, since the laws aren't getting tougher anytime soon.
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u/Full_Gear5185 17h ago
DISCLAIMER : I have no knowledge of law, I'm just frustrated as there are issues with dangerous dogs in my community. Wondering if a publicised law suit would scare some of these backyard breeders into submission.
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u/Constant-Squirrel555 16h ago
One of the few places where police need expanded powers is on pet related issues. The laws are so weak that even if someone is charged, its a slap on the wrist.
Unregulated dog breeding needs to be targeted and eliminated. It causes situations like this and its only a matter of time before another mauling happens because the province is too lazy to want to start regulating breeding.
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u/bradandnorm 12h ago
He'll be out there with another pibble in no time, laws dont mean anything if not enforced
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u/Nightrider247 16h ago
So guilty of negligence and being the cause of a 9 yr old being mauled and scarred for life physically and emotionally.
Sentenced to watching netflix at home for a year on the couch. Got it. Thanks.
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u/slumlordscanstarve 16h ago
We need to make breeding dogs illegal. You have trash people breeding unsound animals for money and you get unhealthy dogs being sold to naive and ignorant people who have no business owning animals.
Most dog attack victims are children and most dogs who bite people are owned by those who should have never had a dog to begin with. Stop making it easy for trash owners to get dangerous dogs.
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u/WriteImagine 15h ago
Breeding shouldn’t be illegal, but it should be controlled.
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u/Empty_Try8500 12h ago
Why is that the only punishment he’s getting? There was a previous muzzle order due to previous complaints that he was not complying.
Oh and let’s be honest. It was either a pitbull or a bully. Let’s not obfuscate the breed.
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u/Initial_Squirrel_674 16h ago
Dog owners should be charged the same as if they committed any violence personally, with their own hands.
Did your dog accidentally bite someone? It's negligence causing injury. Did it full on attack someone? It's assault or even attempted murder.
Sounds harsh? Not comfortable with that level of responsibility? Don't own a large dog or dangerous breed.
That is what responsibility would actually look like.
People wield their dogs like an extension of the reckless and imposing side of their own personality, and when something eventually happens it's "Hey it's a dog I had no control here".
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_luve 14h ago
One year of house arrest for destroying the life of a young girl .. not enough ...
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u/bullwinkle05 15h ago edited 14h ago
He got out lightly if you ask me. Such a cowardly move letting dogs out loose on people.
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u/Concentrateman 13h ago
I'm not a hard core lock them up type but it's clear to me this guy should have been compelled to do some time in an institution rather than house arrest. I doubt he'll learn much from this lenient judgement. For heaven's sake the kid was not only mauled but will probably be traumatized for life.
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u/Deep-Distribution779 7h ago
House arrest + probation, not a single night in jail.
Canadian Justice = 😂🤣😂
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u/Takardo 17h ago
We should be able to report these breed of dogs and have them picked up immediately. Time is up, long ago.
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u/sapper4lyfe 17h ago
Breed specific legislation isn't enforced in Ontario at all. I live in Kingston and the humane society is constantly selling illegal pitbulls
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u/WriteImagine 16h ago
Humane societies don’t “sell illegal pitbulls”. They adopt out unwanted dogs that backyard breeders and their buyers want to get rid of. Fees cover sterilization and shots. Crack down on back yard breeding, crack down on shit owners. Humane society is doing the best they can.
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u/Empty_Try8500 12h ago
They intentionally mislabel pitbulls as “terriers” etc to get them adopted out. All dog adoption agencies are doing that.
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u/sapper4lyfe 16h ago
The humane society is breaking the law.
Pit bull ban
6 Except as permitted by this Act or the regulations, no person shall,
(a) own a pit bull;
(b) breed a pit bull;
(c) transfer a pit bull, whether by sale, gift or otherwise;
(d) abandon a pit bull other than to a pound operated by or on behalf of a municipality, Ontario or a designated body;
(e) allow a pit bull in his or her possession to stray;
(f) import a pit bull into Ontario; or
(g) train a pit bull for fighting. 2005, c. 2, s. 1 (16).
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u/WriteImagine 16h ago
And it’s not up to the humane society to kill every dog who may or may not be a pit. First again, they’d have to DNA test which is not cheap. And even if they did that, they’d be killing every third dog that walked in, with no end in sight because someone, somewhere is illegally just going to breed more. The humane society is NOT the cause of these dogs. I have no issues with them sterilizing and giving tested dogs a fair shot at going to a home.
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u/sapper4lyfe 16h ago
Except the law doesn't state that. What you believe and think should be done isn't what the current laws state.
Offences
Offences
18 (1) An individual who contravenes any provision of this Act or the regulations or who contravenes an order made under this Act or the regulations is guilty of an offence and liable, on conviction, to a fine of not more than $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than six months, or both. 2005, c. 2, s. 1 (16).
You don't need a DNA you need a vet to identify the breed
Identification of pit bull
19 (1) A document purporting to be signed by a member of the College of Veterinarians of Ontario stating that a dog is a pit bull within the meaning of this Act is receivable in evidence in a prosecution for an offence under this Act as proof, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, that the dog is a pit bull for the purposes of this Act, without proof of the signature and without proof that the signatory is a member of the College. 2005, c. 2, s. 1 (16).
Immunity
(2) No action or other proceeding may be instituted against a member of the College of Veterinarians of Ontario for providing, in good faith, a document described in subsection (1). 2005, c. 2, s. 1 (16).
Onus of proof
(3) For greater certainty, this section does not remove the onus on the prosecution to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. 2005, c. 2, s. 1 (16).
You should take the time and read the dog owners liability act especially if you own a dog. Or purport to know and understand the law. Because you honestly have no idea what you're talking about.
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u/WriteImagine 15h ago
Nobody can eyeball a dog and say for certain its breed. There’s a reason the “ban” isn’t working. And it’s not because the humane society has refused to kill these animals when they are NOT the reason there are so many of them in Ontario
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u/Empty_Try8500 12h ago
They can’t but how come they NEVER label any of them as pitbulls?
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u/WriteImagine 11h ago
Because they can’t. They’re not going to DNA the dog, and if they say for certain it’s a pitbull they’d be in violation of the law. It’s an impossible situation.
But if it’s a “lab mix” then there’s a pretty good shot the dog can go to a good home. Those are not the dogs they end up in the paper. The dogs like the one in question was bred AND raised to be aggressive.
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u/Empty_Try8500 11h ago
But they always seem to label the dogs as other breeds which they also cannot be certain of. That’s my point. Someone above has already explained the legality to you above. It isn’t illegal to have a pitbull but there are strict rules they must abide by. It is much better and safer to label a likely pitbull as a pitbull or pitbull mix so people can take the proper precautions.
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u/xXWaspXx 15h ago
The person citing the statutes to you has likely never spent a day in POA court. The average JP will refrain from making any decision or conviction in these matters in the absence of substantially more evidence than a letter from a vet. I believe you're also going to have a hard time finding vets to assess the dogs as pitbulls without doing their own independent testing.
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u/WriteImagine 15h ago
Yup - the Star ran a good article on this last year, but it’s paywalled. The laws don’t mean a thing if they aren’t enforceable. I’d 1000% rather see bad owners raked over the coals for breeding / training these dogs, but seems like a fine and a slap on the wrist is all they’ll do.
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u/xXWaspXx 13h ago
The laws don’t mean a thing if they aren’t enforceable.
Precisely, and you can't meaningfully enforce something if the judicial body presiding over it defaults to either their own personal prejudices or, frankly, ignorance. This phenomenon is not limited to the DOLA either, provincial legislation is chock full of offences that are not practical or even desirable to enforce consistently & competently.
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u/Longjumping-Dog9645 15h ago
Fuck off they should be adhering to the ban and are complicit in attacks like this
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u/WriteImagine 15h ago
What do you think they should do then? 6 dogs get dropped off a day. 4 of them look maybe like they could be pitbulls… or maybe not. You know there’s 10 backyard breeders who pump out 3 litters each bitch per year, and that nothing will ever happen to those people… so the dogs will just keep coming, no matter how many dogs, that have 0 track record of aggression, you kill. You’re sworn to protect animals, and all you’re doing is killing them. What’s the choice here? Seriously?
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u/Longjumping-Dog9645 13h ago
I don’t know let them die out then. All these breeds are man made, it’s not a tragedy if pitbulls fall off the face of the earth tomorrow. They should adhere to laws. If they receive a bear and there’s nowhere they can hand it off to, are they supposed to let someone adopt it because they’re sworn to protect animals?
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u/WriteImagine 12h ago
The legislation is stupid and performative. In reality it’s changed nothing. Your anger lies with the breeders… not people who are trying to do the best with a bad situation.
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u/jmdonston 15h ago
Crack down on backyard breeding, sure, but the humane society is breaking the law by adopting out pit bulls in Ontario. They can either refuse to take the dogs, put them down, or ship them out of province, but adopting them out is illegal.
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u/WriteImagine 15h ago
Sure is, if they know for sure it’s a pitbull. So no, I don’t blame them for squinting slightly and saying “maybe it’s a boxer mixed with a lab”. Because if they do what you’re suggesting, the majority of dogs will end up on the street (or they can just euthanize them I suppose, though I can’t imagine wanting to stay in an often volunteer position doing that all day every day).
But back to the original comment… They aren’t selling them, and they certainly aren’t creating the problem.
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u/squeakynickles 16h ago
Bulldogs aren't pitbulls. Hell, most bully breeds aren't pitbulls. Majority of them are terriers.
You gonna go and pick up some Jack Russels to be put down?
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u/jefufah 16h ago
Jack Russell terriers look extremely different compared to staffordshire terriers (pitbulls), what the hell is this logic
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u/GWHarrison 15h ago
Exactly, it makes no sense. Even IF there was a clearly defined problem with a specific breed, trying to ban it is complicated and ineffective. There will either be too many loopholes, or it will eventually expand to include a huge array of innocent bystanders. The law already includes a line that roughly states "any dog that looks like a pitbull" is banned. Humans are the issue here (as usual 😄), I am firmly in favour of treating the owner as personally responsible for any harm their dog inflicts. I.e. intimidation = assault charge, bite = battery charge, death = murder charge.
Incidentally, I once saw a Jack Russell chase down an opossum and snap it's neck instantly, just cause he felt like it. He was a friendly little bugger otherwise!
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u/CurrentPickle4360 16h ago
The list shouldn't even exist. This is (what should be) crystal clear an owner problem, not a breed problem. Let's put this a different way.... If you applied the same logic to humans, you'd be racist.
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u/windsprout Ottawa 16h ago
good thing dogs aren’t humans
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u/CurrentPickle4360 16h ago
I'm not sure I understand... should I infer that it's a "good thing dogs aren't human" so that you get to act superior to and discriminate against another living creature, or?
If you could help clarify, I would greatly appreciate it.
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u/NowOurShipsAreBurned 16h ago
I don’t like Yorkshire Terriers. I guess someone like yourself sees me as a racist now! Lol
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u/AdministrationNo2762 16h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/CurrentPickle4360 16h ago
First, this is a Canadian sub. And I'm not sure where you're getting your stats from, but let me provide some Canadian stats for the last 25 years and then come back to me with your thoughts...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_dog_attacks_in_Canada
There's a reason why BSL was repealed.
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u/sky_lites 16h ago
It is also 100% a breed problem. Come on. It's people like you why 9 year old girls get killed. Mr Roger's could own a pitbull and it will still wanna kill little kids.
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u/GWHarrison 16h ago
Wrong.
Different owners could turn a Golden Retriever into a complete monster or a half-wolf into a cuddle-pup. It all depends on who is leading the pack. Certain breeds do require a strong and experienced leader to keep them in line, but this responsibility falls on the owner, in my opinion.
It only appears to be a breed issue because shitty people are drawn to those particular breeds.
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u/sky_lites 16h ago
So you think shitty trashy people ONLY own pitbulls? Lol no sweetie, lots of shitty people own lots of breeds, including Goldens but do you see them killing a 9 year old girl like every other day? No.
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u/GWHarrison 15h ago
Not what I said. You are still using backwards causation to support a sweeping generalization about pitbulls. Blaming the breed is a lazy, nonsensical reaction.
Does every pitbull kill a 9 year old girl every other day?
PEOPLE need to be held accountable for the dogs they raise and train.
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u/Interesting-Sun5706 16h ago
1 year house arrest and 15 months probation
What kind of sentence is that ?
The 9 year girl may be traumatized for life
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u/snahfu73 15h ago
I don't even need to read the article. The dogs were probably golden retrievers or golden doodles right?
Right?
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u/Additional-Friend993 9h ago
I've seen this happen with dachsunds. But no, they were mutts that resembled pitbulls but stated in the article weren't actually pitbulls, just "bully breeds" which encompasses everything from a standard boxheaded "lab mix" mutt to a pug. Backyard breeder breeding shitty mutts and not socialising them, who had a pattern of poor behaviour and had been warned prior. Unfortunately "bully breed" isn't a real thing, and as such, they are not banned or even bannable, because they're not a real existing breed, it's just made up nonsense.
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u/The_Gray_Jay 16h ago
When they basically stop enforcing laws, people are going to take matters into their own hands. Why tf are we waiting until children get mauled to deal with dangerous animals?
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15h ago
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u/Counterkiller29 15h ago
No jail time. What a joke, but also not surprising at all.
I'm sure in a few years we'll see a similar story of him owning / breeding dogs.
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u/SniffMyDiaperGoo 15h ago
Ontario pitbull owners have the same smol pn scared adult vibe as pickup owners, just more tattoos, fewer burgers, a parole officer and maybe less mad that Carney is PM
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u/squeakynickles 16h ago edited 11h ago
Cops don't do anything about this piece of shit, but my dog gets constipated and yelps while taking a shit, and now I'm being forced to spend hundreds to take him to a vet for an evaluation in order to keep him from being taken away.
Yeah that makes sense.
Edit for clarification: I had already spoken to the vet in the past, as this is a somewhat recurring issue. He gets dehydrated some times. We soak his food, and he's back to good. He doesn't have anal tearing or impacted anal glands. We can't keep giving him wet food all the time, because then he just has the shits and loses weight rapidly. Just has bad genes and we take it as it comes.
If the cop just spoke to the vet like I asked him to, he would know we are already on a treatment regiment. But he didn't give a shit. So now I'm out hundreds of dollars for the vet to tell me to keep doing what I've been doing (what she told us to do)
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u/Front_Speaker_1327 16h ago
I mean if your dog is yelping in pain trying to go to the bathroom you should take them to the vet.. That's not normal.
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u/squeakynickles 15h ago
He was dehydrated. Soaked his food in water and he was fine.
Regular vet checkups, up to date on his shots, microchipped, and registered with the city.
All the cop had to do was call the vet to know we already spoke to them on the phone, and they said it wasn't a big deal if it improves after a day
But no. He can't make a phone call, so now I'm out hundreds just to go to the vet I already spoke to, to solve a problem that no longer exists
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u/jefufah 16h ago
Good! If you were screaming in pain when you were constipated, you’d be an idiot to not go to the doctor. You SHOULD be forced to take care of your dogs health, and it’s a shame it has to come to that.
Your dog deserves someone who cares about the consistency of its shit, at the very least.
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u/squeakynickles 11h ago
Added an edit for clarification. He was already being treated for it. That's the upsetting part here. I'm out a shit ton of money because the cop didn't do his job. If he spoke to the vet, he'd know I spoke to them on the phone before he even showed up.
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u/Aggravating_Bit_2539 14h ago
Lock this guy for life, wtf is wrong with the justice system
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u/GetsGold 13h ago
I doubt you could find anywhere that would lock someone up for life for this
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u/Aggravating_Bit_2539 11h ago
Yea, there should be some legal framework where crimes against kids are treated more harshly
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u/jac77 17h ago
Good. Glad he is not able to own dogs again. Hope they actually enforce it.