Update 9/14/11: McCluskey appears to be pushing for increased fines rather than BSL at this time. See recent news article: http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/local/article/968601–dog-attack-fine-to-be-reviewed
Gloria McCluskey, one of the councillors for Dartmouth (which is part of the Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia), intends to ask for tougher dog bylaws, and has suggested that the municipality look into a possible ban on “aggressive breeds” (specific breeds not mentioned). Oddly, McCluskey also stated that the owners are responsible for attacks, not the dogs—how she gets from that very correct statement, to a request for a breed ban (which blames the dogs instead of the owners), is unclear. Some gentle education might be all that is needed here.
Please send polite, educational correspondence to the regional council to explain why breed-specific laws are unethical, ineffective, and unsafe—and to encourage breed-neutral solutions instead.
Dog attacks lead to call for tougher animal bylaws
Dartmouth councillor says careless owners to blame, stiffer penalties needed
By BILL POWER Staff Reporter
Tue, Aug 30 – 4:38 PMA string of dog attacks this summer had Dartmouth councillor Gloria McCluskey calling Tuesday for heftier fines for owners. […]
“It’s the owners who are responsible for these incidents and not the dogs,” she said after a woman was attacked by a dog Monday at Martinique Beach. […]
She also wants steeper fines for repeat violators of muzzle orders for aggressive dogs, and wants a review of a possible ban of aggressive breeds.
“There have been bans in other jurisdictions of breeds known to be aggressive. People who train their dogs to attack or who have experienced aggressive behaviour from the dog should not be out walking that dog in public without proper controls,” said McCluskey. […]
Full article retrieved 8/31/11 from http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9021862.html
Next regional council meeting: Sept 13. Halifax Regional Council meets at Halifax City Hall, Council Chambers – 3rd Floor, 1841 Argyle Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Mayor and Council contact info:
Mayor Peter Kelly, kellyp@halifax.ca
Councillors’ Support Office, P.O. Box 1749, Halifax, N.S. B3J 3A5
Phone: (902) 490-4050
Fax: 490-4122
Steve Streatch, streats@halifax.ca
Barry Dalrymple, barry.dalrymple@halifax.ca
David Hendsbee, david.hendsbee@halifax.ca
Lorelei Nicoll, lorelei.nicoll@halifax.ca
Gloria McCluskey, mcclusg@halifax.ca (suggesting BSL)
Darren Fisher, darren.fisher@halifax.ca
Bill Karsten, karsteb@halifax.ca
Jackie Barkhouse, barkhoj@halifax.ca
Jim Smith, smithj@halifax.ca
Mary Wile, wilema@halifax.ca
Jerry Blumenthal, blumenj@halifax.ca
Dawn Marie Sloane, sloaned@halifax.ca
Sue Uteck, utecks@halifax.ca
Jennifer Watts, jennifer.watts@halifax.ca
Russell Walker, walkerr@halifax.ca
Debbie Hum, humd@halifax.ca
Linda Mosher, linda.mosher@halifax.ca
Stephen Adams, adamss@halifax.ca
Brad Johns, brad.johns@halifax.ca
Bob Harvey, harveyb@halifax.ca
Tim Outhit, outhitt@halifax.ca
Reg Rankin, rankinr@halifax.ca
Peter Lund, peter.lund@halifax.ca
Email block for cut and paste
kellyp@halifax.ca; streats@halifax.ca; barry.dalrymple@halifax.ca; david.hendsbee@halifax.ca ; lorelei.nicoll@halifax.ca; mcclusg@halifax.ca; darren.fisher@halifax.ca; karsteb@halifax.ca; barkhoj@halifax.ca; smithj@halifax.ca; wilema@halifax.ca; blumenj@halifax.ca; sloaned@halifax.ca; utecks@halifax.ca; jennifer.watts@halifax.ca; walkerr@halifax.ca; humd@halifax.ca; linda.mosher@halifax.ca; adamss@halifax.ca; brad.johns@halifax.ca; harveyb@halifax.ca; outhitt@halifax.ca; rankinr@halifax.ca; peter.lund@halifax.ca
Fred M. Kray
krisdiaz9
Stop BSL 
I am sorry that the attack happened, its not the dog or the breed its the owner maybe we should be destroying them and not the dogs….I have a boxer and she is friendly and loving and the day i cannot handle her then i will make the chose to destoy my dog
If they adopt BSL ordinances, that will surely throw a wrench in the plans of the Nova Scotia SPCA plans to become a no-kill province, (“No-kill policy is working: SPCA”,
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/11/25/ns-spca-no-kill.html)
The owners should be fined MUCH more and be put in mandatory obedience classes with the pups. There should be a professional dog behaviourist doing an assessment of the dog as well at the owner’s expense. 99.9% of all dog issues stem from teh owners negligence, misunderstanding, or just plain not caring enough to understand the dog’s breed and needs. To be a responsible dog owner you have to trust and respect your dog and know his or her warning signs if he/she is an assertive personality. To ban one breed will not be changing the problem. Just look at Ontario which has a breed ban on! The number of dog attacks has increased since the pit bull ban.
This can happen with any breed, fact is with a powerful breed we hear about it. I definately appreciate and admire when a responsible owner has there dog out for a walk and has it muzzelled, I have two large breeds that some may fear, but are very friendly. Sadly sometimes its the owner and sometimes its the breeding, more education is required for all on this issue. Proper training helps mostly but some dogs have likes and dislikes just like people, u need to know your dogs personality and own up to it. For example, my boy is always handled by leash, my girl its simply a novelty as she is very resonsive and one of the best pups I’ve ever had. The laws I do not agree with. But if the owners don’t take care of their animals and are being irresponsible they need to be penalized.
There’s a major issue with banning breeds – especially since we as a people are responsible for bringing them into this world. To kill off an animal who had no choice to be created in the first place is a little disgusting; they just want to be a dog.
We just recently adopted a dog from the spca that is labeled as an amstaff mix. She could very possibly have no pit or amstaff in her at all – and could be banned because another dog that’s another breed bit someone I don’t know?
Another really good thing to consider is how many breeds count as a “pit bull”. Ontario is famous for shooting “pits” and whoops, it was a boxer.
Pit bulls have the most misleading attack rates in all the dog breeds because if it’s short haired, looks like a terrier and has a big head its a pit.
Last thing – I’ve never been bitten by a dog taller than my knees. Just because they don’t break the skin doesn’t mean they didn’t attempt to attack you… so we ban all dogs that have attacked a living being? We’d be out of dog breeds pretty fast.
STOP BEING SCARED OF DOGS; THEY’RE DOGS! – EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT DOGS, AND ESPECIALLY EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT YOUR OWN DOG.