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City council ought to keep the pit bull bylaw in place

Kudos to former Mayor Mike O’Connor and fellow council members for instituting the $1,000 fee for registering the breed of pit bull dogs in our city.

Kudos to former Mayor Mike O’Connor and fellow council members for instituting the $1,000 fee for registering the breed of pit bull dogs in our city.

I noticed this bylaw a number of years ago and was then very pleased to see that our council had the intestinal fortitude to implement such a bill. And to see that it has finally come to fruition is pleasing, to be assured.

I disagree when Theresa Hodge states that “they are a safe breed of dog” and she feels comfortable with hers. I have yet to read about any attacks that have taken place involving this breed (and there have been quite a number over the years) with owners admitting that they ever suspected that “their dog” would ever become violent and viciously attack innocent people who did not provoke the animal. Yet the media informs us frequently of such vicious attacks on other dogs, adults and, yes, even children.

Rarely does one read of any other breed of dog attacking, maiming and even killing people. It seems only the pit bull is the one that is in the front line in the headlines of newspapers all over our province and not to mention the rest of Canada.

It boggles my mind why one would even contemplate knowingly owning an animal that has a reputation of such viciousness. Is it status? Well I’m glad that this status has come to a screeching halt here within the borders of our city.

Oh, and Mayor Chernoff, please do not “revisit” this bylaw as you commented to this newspaper item. It is well enough to leave as it is it has protected and made this city safe for quite a number of years. It’s bad enough that we have large breeds of dogs running loose in the early morning hours and making unwanted deposits on our yards and lawns without having viciousness to contend with, too.

Mickey Nazarov

Castlegar