Pit bull fans want Winnipeg to repeal ban on the breed

Pit bulls havebeen banned in Winnipeg for almost three decades, but a group of dog lovers are calling on the city to change its ways.

Ashley Reid has been training dogs for a decade. It's a labour of love that led her to a dogshe calls Ranger.

He was found on the side of a highway near Norway House with a snare around his neck three years ago.

Reid said Ranger is about sixnow and a happy companion.

She hopes toown a pit bull one day but she would have to move out of the city to make that a reality.

"My dream is to move outside the city so I can have [one] or a bigger dream is to be able to walk one down the street without being looked at or judged," said Reid.

Winnipeg bylaws prevent people like Reid fromowning a pit bull. The dogshave been banned in the city for more than25 years. After several attacks almost 30 years ago city council moved to ban the breed along with Staffordshire Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier breeds.

Reid is one of 500people who have signed a petition askingthe city to remove the ban.

"The ban is just not fair. We're not judging on temperament and behavior we are judging based on looks," said Reid who believes the laws are now outdated.

The Winnipeg Humane Society also said the issue should be revisted.

"Where do you stop? If you ban one particular type of breed than there is always a bigger and nasty breed behind it," said spokespersonAileen White.

White said the lawsput an unfair label on an entire breed.

White said the shelterstill encounters the odd pit bull. Since January of 2016 staff haveadopted several of the dogsincluding four puppies last month.

White said the organizationworks hard to make sure adopting families live in communities that don't have pit bull bans, adding they can betrained like any other dog.

"Educating people and enforcement are really key... if a bad person wants a powerful dog there are many other types of dogs that they'll go to," said White.

Winnipeg Animals Services said there are more than 100,000 dogs living in Winnipeg, and less than 50 percent of owners have a licence with the city.

The chief operating officer with Animal Services, Lelan Gordon, said education and enforcement isn't the answer.

"The idea that people who are not responsible pet owners would get pit bulls and suddenly become very responsible [and] want to follow our laws, and would appear in court, and be held accountable, it's not very believable."

Gordon saidhe is sympathetic to people raising the issue of repealing the pit bull ban butadds the laws are about more than just protecting people.

He said it's about protecting the breed from irresponsible owners who may want the breed for inhumane reasons.

A rally is being planned for early June.