While negative attention turns to the pit bull breed of dog in light of recent attacks around the Lower Mainland and the country, it appears Burnaby is content with the laws already on the books.
Mayor Derek Corrigan said he’s not interested in making any change to the current bylaws regarding the dog breed, either introducing a complete ban or relaxing the current rules.
He said the question is whether the issue should be left up to the provinces or municipalities, adding he’s not sure if Burnaby has the power to bring in a complete ban on pit bulls anyway.
There have been several high-profile pit bull attacks in recent months around the country, including last week in Surrey where a woman was seriously injured after an altercation.
Under Burnaby’s current bylaws, pit bulls are considered a “vicious dog” and must be muzzled and kept on a leash.The bylaw has been in place for years, and after a request by pit bull advocates in 2013 to rescind the law, it was upheld. The only change was the cost of licensing and a further increase of the impound fees.
“I think these incidents continue to prove we were right to be very, very cautious in regard to pit bulls in our community,” Corrigan told the NOW.
The mayor argued that while everyone recognizes bad owners are the source of problems with pit bulls, the devastating nature of an attack from the dog and potential injuries are much worse than with other breeds.
At least a couple other city councillors would support a local ban, even if it’s not on the table.
Coun. Nick Volkow echoed Corrigan’s sentiment that a pit bull attack can cause much more damage than other breeds.
“I’m not sympathetic to the argument of pit bull advocacy groups, I personally think that breed should be banned,” he said.
Coun. Pietro Calendino called the breed “vicious and unpredictable” and also said he would support a ban.
However, both councillors said the ban would be best from the province.
Meanwhile, it’s difficult to pin down just how big an issue pit bull attacks are in Burnaby.
In an email to the NOW, Burnaby SPCA manager Ryan Voutilainen noted the number of attacks by pit bulls might be higher than other animals, but added their ownership may also be higher and he didn’t have those statistics.
“Anecdotally, however, I have not noticed any real increase or reduction in dog bites, just more awareness with additional calls coming from the public about unlicensed and/or un-muzzled pit bulls,” he said.
