Updated: Sun Apr. 12 2009 19:16:33

ctvbc.ca

Pit bull owners rallied in defense of their beloved dogs on Sunday to show support for the breed after calls came to ban it following an attack on a toddler.

Three-year-old Justice Paradis was rushed to hospital on Friday after his family's pit bull suddenly turned on him, biting the boy several times in the face.

The youngster was mauled after his father inadvertantly let the family pit bull -- called Haze -- inside their Surrey home.

The boy's grandfather, Bill Paradis, told CTV News on Saturday that the dog is usually kept on a chain outside the family's house.

Justice is home from hospital now and the family says he is expected to fully recover, but Haze is likely to be destroyed.

The owner of three pit bulls, Shelagh Begg organized the rally out of frustration with media coverage of Friday's attack.

Begg said any dog could be set off if it was constantly chained up outside and not used to small children.

She said that as is often the case, as soon as the words "pit bull" is mentioned people blame the breed.

"The people that either own this breed or have experience with this breed, they get it," she said. "We need to look at the cause and the effect. Let's start looking at accountability of the owner rather than looking at the breed because any dog is capable of the things we're hearing about."

Others at the rally on Sunday agreed.

"The people who own these dogs and are allowing their dogs to be in these sorts of situations, those are the people that need to be held accountable," said Kristin, another pit bull owner.

Kristin says there's a huge difference between the public perception of her own pit bull and reality.

"[My pit bull] is a lovely dog, she loves people and people want to get to know her. I have people come up to me and say 'you know I heard all these terrible things about them' but after meeting her, their perception's totally changed," she said.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Stephen Smart.

Please Add Comments(38)

Wendy
I remember the time when Shepherds were on the hit list, then Dobermans and then Rottweilers. I have no doubt that Pit Bulls fall under the aggressive category and need to be properly looked after and managed but banned..no. Unfortunately human nature says if we don't understand it...then lets get rid of it.

Carter
Dogs in cities often cause problems for neighbours by barking and disturbing those living near them. The owners are often oblivious, or simply don't care that other people don't want to hear dogs barking. The owners are the problem. There should be a fine for owners allowing dogs to bark and disturb neighbours. I am sure some people will reply to this message and defend their selfish behavior and not care about if they hurt others or not.

Non Bully Owner
You just refuse to learn CTV!

[quote]his family's pit bull suddenly turned on him,....
...The boy's grandfather, Bill Paradis, told CTV News on Saturday that the dog is usually kept on a chain outside the family's house.[/quote]

A dog chained outside is NOT a family dog.

Resident dog vs Family dog

Pathetic just pathetic CTV

You might ask yourselves why you even reported this story?

'pit bull' sells
That`s why.

If the grandfather had let a normally chained Golden Retriever in the house that bit the child you wouldn`t have touched this story.

What you`re doing is EXACTLY what Ontario did.
Dupe the Public to push the Ban agenda.
Do some simple Research.

And CTV report ALL dog bites or report NONE!
This is getting tiresome and sickening to say the least.

Bob Lucas Dawson Creek BC
I myself do not own a pit bull. I live within City limits. I onced lived with a family that had a pit bull. She was one of most incredable creatures I have ever seen. She played with the cat that they had. The dog was fully grown. She always slept at the foot of my bed every night. I have also have other friends who have pit bulls. I have nothing but good to say about them.

American Citizen
[quote]I have no doubt that Pit Bulls fall under the aggressive category [/quote]

Well Wendy you`d be wrong.
There are no aggressive Breeds.
That`s a learned behavior and an individual thing.


Most common biters requiring medical treatment in Canada due to serious attacks

From the OVMA testimony into the Ontario Ban

[quote]An argument is sometimes made that, while all dogs bite, only a few breeds cause serious injury when they attack. Again, this hypothesis does not withstand scrutiny. A study by the Canadian hospitals injury reporting and prevention program examined the dog breeds involved in attacks that were serious enough that the victim sought medical attention at one of eight reporting hospitals. The study revealed that 50 different types of purebreds and 33 types of crossbreeds had been involved in the attacks, the most common breeds being German shepherds, cocker spaniels, Rottweilers and golden retrievers.[/quote]

Do some Research CTV
Real Facts are easy to find.

Anna, Montreal
Wendy you are so right. Every decade its one breed or another. People can argue all they want, but the fact is YOU ARE WRONG. I don't assume to always be right, but as the owner of a gentle big pitbull baby, I have to say that she is proof that Pitbulls are not all dangerous. I think my docile lab is probably more "hostile". If you only depend on what the media says then you need to get out more and educate yourself. I can't believe people support the ban - what is this 1930s Germany?

Julie, New Westminster
Our dogs are going to be as good as we let them be - dogs look to their leader for direction, in exchange for loyalty. As dog owners, it is our responsibilty to train and socialize our pets - not one to take lightly with any breed!

John
I have had experience raising pit bulls, and yes, it is most commonly the fault of the owner in training and in permitting situations in which an attack is more likely. Unfortunately, many people get pit bulls because they think it makes them seem like tough or dangerous people, something that is far less common with other breeds. Pit bulls are a breed which demand a great deal of attention and knowledge (they are also tend to have a very low intellect); coupled with their abillity to attack more severely than other breeds, anyone who has a pit bull and a child is really asking for a tragedy.

Lynne Fedorick (www.dogbus.ca)
A real fact:
A study done on done bites in Ontario found that 77 percent of all dog bites in that province could be attributed to dogs that spent a significant amount of time tied up or pen outdoors. The authors of this study could find no data that pointed toward any particular breed or breed mix being responsible for more or less agnostic behaviour. Dogs of any type can bite, or not. Differences in behaviour are between individual animals rather than breed or type. This makes sense, since dogs have to learn acceptable behaviour whether around other animals or around humans. It is not built in. Dogs that are isolated from humans do not get the opportunity to learn acceptable behaviour around humans. It is time to ban chaining and penning and the resulting social isolation of dogs. People who would keep dogs in this manner won't keep them anymore under such regulation. This will have a very real impact on dog attacks/fatalities.

dave
pit-bull owners are the type of people who get the dogs because they symbolize agression. Thedr jerks would be walking around with a loaded pistol on their hip if they could. Owning pit bulls is act of intimimadation. Ban the breed.

Pat
I noticed that the pit bull that bit the little boy was shown chained up in the back yard. I'd say the finger points directly at the owners, and not the dog. Pit bulls can be gentle and well behaved or frustrated and aggressive - and both behaviours come from the owner. Because they're an extremely strong breed, they can do more damage than another breed when not controlled by an owner that knows what they're doing.

Sher
I'm very familiar with dogs - love them all, but I nearly had my hand taken off by a friend's pitbull a few years back. And this dog was always around people and always in the house. It seemed docile and gentle enough and I had just let him sniff my hand, gave him a dog treat and went to pat his head when he suddenly snapped at my hand. Had I not pulled it away in time, I'm sure i'd be dealing with some pretty awful wounds.

All this to say, sure pitbulls can make nice, friendly pets in some cases, but I believe in general that this breed is unpredictable and prone to attacks due to its inherent nature. These animals were created for a specific cause and there is no way to breed instincts out of an animal that for all purposes was made for fighting...

people lover
NO FOOLIN THERE GETING A BAD RAP !! JUST THINK OF IT THEY KILL OR MANGLE ANY TIME AND IT'S ALWAYS SOME HELPLESS HUMAN BEING ON THE OTHER END MOST OF THESE DOG OWNERS DON'T GET IT

Gertie's Mom
Yay!...thank you CTV for providing a bit of balance to this story…unfortunately, the damage is already done.

I own a sweet, LOVING Pit Bull who would win over even the staunchest critic of the breed. She’s been socialized to people and other dogs since her first couple of months and I have also had her in obedience training with Shelagh Begg; both of which has paid off, as it would with ANY breed.

There is nothing different with a Pit Bull except for its strength which is why owners need to pay particular attention to socialization and training. Not because they are a supposed “bred to kill” breed but because a Pit Bull attack can be a lot more damaging than a Cocker Spaniel attack, as we all know.

The power of a Pit Bull bears the owner the added responsibility to properly train and socialize their dog. Sadly, these news stories always stem from owners who have simply ignored this responsibility.

Those of us who own up to this responsibility end up with the true nature of a Pitty, which is a very loving companion.

Up until recently, the Pit Bull was a much loved and popular breed. Some fellow owners of Pitties you might recognize: Cesar Milan (the Dog Whisperer), Helen Keller, Thomas Edison, Mark Twain, Mary Tyler Moore, Drew Barrymore, Jon Stewart – and of course, who could forget Petey in The Little Rascals.

Kathy
They are beautiful majestic and peaceful dogs - also playful and loyal. I would have one again in a minute.

Arlene, Coquitlam, BC
As a pit bull owner and a mauling survivor I couldn't agree more. To expect dogs to be accountable for their actions at the same level of as their human owners is ridiculous. Breed bans are in-effective - laws such as the current Calgary by-laws for responsible pet ownership is what is needed!

Responsible Dog Owner
I agree with the writer, ANY dog that is chained up outside is a danger to any person. Dogs are pack animals and need attention, discipline, exercise, and training. Don't get a dog if you're just going to leave it chained up outside most of the time. Besides, dogs are predators...small moving creatures are prey. If you don't expose your dog to children, of course it's not going to understand how to behave around them.

Kristen
I just wish that the news stations would report ALL dog attacks and not just ones that involve Pit Bulls.

This type of reporting makes the public feel that all other breeds are safe, when infact MANY other breeds are involved in attacks daily yet are never reported.

As a proud, responsible owner i was happy to see this story. I really hope people start to understand that the dogs are NOT the problem, its the owners.

don morrison
Ban pitbulls. 1700 pounds per square inch biting force.
Ban pitbulls and euthanize the breed.

Bites are worse than barks
Until the pitbull owners take responsibility for their peers and prove to us that it's really a question of poor handling as opposed to poor genes, I say ban the buggers -- an incredibly high percentage of pitbull owners apparently don't know how to handle their dogs, probably because they got the dogs in the first place to feel more gangsta, more powerful, etc. -- a selection based more on image-consciousness than on companionship. Most pitbull owners are just one shade worse than the Paris Hilton followers who went out and started accessorizing with purse-sized mutts. I hate stereotypes, but considering the vast legion of numb-nuts out there holding the leashes of one or two certain breeds, I am compelled to paint in broad strokes. It's up to pitbull owners to prove to us it's them and not the dogs and then find a way of more effectively policing themselves. Pitbulls are a privilege to own, not a right.

Don Richmond
Pit Bulls are capable of doing so much damage it is beyond me why anyone, let alone a parent, would put their child at risk. Owning one shows a complete disregard for the safety of other people. If our legislators were doing their jobs this child would not have been put at risk by unfit parents.

Mike
Sure pitbulls are nice, until they tear apart a child. These dogs are unpredictable, even more so than other breeds. If banning these animals saves one child from having to live their life with scars then it's worth it.

Kage
They at least need to put more regulation and restrictions on these dogs. Perhaps they have at times been getting a bad rap but that does not change the fact that pit bull type dogs have caused a large number of injuries, whether through bad training, or just the nature of the breed.

Todd
I see two main problems with pit bulls. They are bred to be aggressive toward other dogs and that isn't safe for the rest of our pets. The other (main) problem is that most pit bull owners want to be on a power trip by having the toughest dog and don't know how to handle a high strung dog. This person kept a naturally aggressive dog on a chain, it's not going to be happy and it will lash out. They probably should be banned because the people who tend to want them want them for the wrong reason.

Kim Clarkson
I live in Doha, Qatar ( formerly Calgary ) and manage a veterinary clinic here. I have a rescue pit bull from the dog fights over here.
It is all in the ownership of the dog not the breed.
Any animal chained up for a long period of time, then let loose is a recipe for disaster.
Pit bulls may need a firmer hand than a poodle but people do not consider this before taking on a larger breed.
Some children need more discepline than others, animals are the same.
To ban the breed is an absolute loss, they are an amazingly smart and loving breed.

Zoe
As a responsible pit bull owner, there is one thing that is bothering me about what is being said in the media in reference to "tethering". Tethering in itself isn't an issue. I use a tether to safely confine my dogs when needed, and they have zero human aggression issues and are amazing with my children. The difference is, my dogs are socialized, trained, excercised and properly stimulated. Just like blaming the breed is wrong, blaming the tool of a tether is wrong as well. Tethering can be done safely, humanely and for the benefit and safety of a dog. I had a dog that has now passed on that was abused with a crate. She was locked up for the vast majority of her first three years of her life. Now would we blame the crate, or the owner? Same deal with tethering. For a breed that is often agile and active and can be known excape artists, tethering can be an added measure to responsibley manage your dog, if done correctly.

Calgary Flames Fan In Edmonton
Come on I think we in Canada should start banning pitbull dogs cause they are too dangerous breeds of dogs in the world.Does anyone agree we in Canada should start banning them now?I say yes.

Surrey Socialist
I would ban these dogs. I do not buy the bullshit it is 'not the dogs but bad owners' yes many pitbull owners are bad but these dogs have it in their genes to fight and become killers. That is what they have been bred for and inbred for over the years...


Then the BS other dogs bite more, maybe so but Miniature Dachshunds like one ctv commentator mentioned in the other story do not damage like pitbulls. Pit bulls are very very strong and do not easily let go.

Shelly
This was not a family pet. Family pets are not tethered in the backyard.
The negligence of the family as dog owners and parents should be under attack, not the media frenzy that once again, demonizes a dog based on his appearance.
I am not a dog owner or a parent and I fully understand that this was not the dog or the child's fault.
The parents should be charged for negligent parenting and should never be allowed to own a dog again.

Michael from Kamloops
I can't remember the last time I heard of a Poodle or Sheltie, or Collie attacking a child. It's always a Pit Bull, or Pit Bull cross that seems to be the problem. What is it with people that live in a suburban area that insist on having these large agressive dogs?

And every time something like this happens the first thing we hear from the dog owner is "my dog never showed agression before and he is a great family dog".

Wake up people, this breed was created for fighting and hunting, not for being a family pet. Being a macho dog owner just about cost this family their child.

Mike
the truth is they are aggressive and vicious by nature, you can train it out of them with care and love and intelligent training but they can still turn in a second. ANY dog is capable of being vicious but very few are that way by nature and breeding.
sheps have never been that way.

You cant simply blame bad owners and ignore the issue because it is NOT illegal to keep a dog as a guard, chained up alot, outside. (its actually not even cruel, sheltered and fed and trained theyre perfectly happy guard dogs) its just dumb to have kids around there.

You cant legislate behaviour, but you can legislate weapon control.

In canada we have all but banned handguns entirely. But not other firearms, only the worst of the lot.

Same goes with animals who are bred to be lethal weapons, when not being suckholey lapdogs.

I study genetics, and the science does not lie, you can only hide so much with training and luck.

these "Good" owners also love cross breeding pitbulls with rottweilers, another vicious by genetics breed requiring careful attention and care.

Why listen to people who think that adding 35pounds of muscle to an already vicious weapon is a good idea.

Will they begin selling me 50 round banana clips for a hunting rifle too?

Steve
Sure, blame the owners. They all say what loving dogs they but someone seems to get there face ripped off by these loving dogs. My Huskie is tied up almost all the time but my kids have friends over ,they take the dog in they play and they all go home intact.So don't give me "it's the owners fault" crap

Russ, North Delta
It is the Owners fault. Just read Cesar's Way. If the owner doesn't gives the dog proper exercise and shows the dog he is the pack leader (plus his family)that is when you have issue with the dog. If any person has a problem with a dog they own it is them self's they need to look first and find out what they are doing wrong.

NM
As a parent and a dog person I know that pitbulls are unpredictable. I am all about banning the breed and shame on all parents who own pitbulls and let them around their children. You know their is a greater risk with these dogs why take it?

Stéphanie NS
Ok, so I read most of these comments. In my opinion, this is a case of the owners negligence and not the breed. I was bitten by a dog in the face. I needed to have stiches done. The doctor wanted me to file a complaint. I didnt because it was a pomeranian. If ALL dog bite cases were actually filed then I believe we would see that small breeds are just as likely to bite. People dont file complaints about small dogs, how would a man sound if he was complaining about being bitten by a pom? He'd get laughed at. Ok, so I got a little off of topic... Any breed is capable of being mean if not properlly sociallized. Thank you for reading my opinion.

K in Vancouver
I am a regular viewer of CTV news but shame on you for trying to portray this dog as a "family pet". A dog that is kept outside on a chain 24/7 is not a family pet. It is a prisoner.

All dogs have the opportunity to be either aggressive or docile. We don't hear about other dog attacks because they aren't as sensational as "pit bull" stories - they don't fire up the same kinds of emotions we've been programmed to feel by the media. I was bitten in the face as a child once - by a yellow lab - I still have the scars today. That never made the news.

Let's put things in perspective - statistically, a child is far more likely to be harmed, or even killed, by ITS OWN PARENTS than by any breed of dog. Also, every year, thousands of children die in automobile accidents, yet no one is calling for a ban on cars.

People need to think before automatically calling for bans on things they don't even understand.

Laurie
No one that tethers an animal on a chain away from the family is a good pet owner. He were the cause of the problem, no the dog. Dogs as puppies do not learn to walk and then go and attack someone.

IT'S NOT THE PUPS, IT'S THE PEOPLE

Peter Hamilton
Stop the Pit Bullies

Those who say that pit bulls are not more dangerous than other breeds are putting people and animals at risk of injury and death. It makes me furious to see owners promote these fighting machines as being safe around kids. Pit bulls were bred to fight by being strong, tenacious and psychological killers. They can snap at anytime - their killer instincts are unpredictable. Their personalities have been genetically manipulated making both a well-kept and mistreated pit bull an equal threat. The dog fighters’ attempt to make pit bulls “friendly” towards the handlers failed. The SPCA ludicrous program to “socialize” pit bulls lead to one being sold and then attacking another dog. The little dog died.

In general, it’s not the environment and it’s not the owners. It is the breed that has be perversely manipulated by humans for decades. If breeders bred the fighting and killer instincts out of pit bulls then they have done what must be done – ban the killer pit bullies.

And by the way, this group that protested with their pit bulls were irresponsibly in violation of city regulations - when in public pit bulls must be leashed AND muzzled. They must also be housed within chain link kennel runs and the fencing buried into the ground so they can’t dig under to escape. Even pit bull promoters recommend these safety measures. Lifeforce fought for these restrictions that can help prevent serious injuries to the public and their animal companions. All cities should implement and enforce pit bull regulations.

Peter Hamilton
Lifeforce Founding Director
(604)649-5258
lifeforcesociety@hotmail.com
www.lifeforcefoundation.org