Dear Editor:
I am writing in response to the article titled 'Fighting for dog rights' in the June 15 paper. I wholeheartedly support the amendment of the animal control bylaws to take out the breed-specific portion. I commend April Fahr for the work she does to speak out for a type of dog that is so wrongfully stigmatized. Do people get these dogs for the wrong reasons? Yes. Do many more people get them for the right reasons? A bigger yes.
I have worked with animals, mostly dogs, over the last 12 years. I have worked in animal shelters, owned a dog walking company, and I currently own a dog daycare. Irresponsible owners come in all forms and own all types of dogs. People get dogs of all breeds for the wrong reasons all the time, and many dog owners are irresponsible with their dogs, ignoring bylaws which are in place to keep people and other animals safe. Putting extra restrictions on one type of dog does not work to reduce the number of people who are irresponsible with their dogs. The reason so many people seem to think that there are more bites/attacks by pit bull type dogs is because the media flocks to these stories.
Headlines sell, and "Labradoodle attack" just does not sell newspapers, yet these things happen. The general public just does not hear about them.
I have a friend whose five-year-old daughter was asked by a senior woman, "what is a good breed of dog to get that is good with children?" She answered, "Oh, a pit bull, of course!" The woman was very surprised to hear this, but the girl was speaking the truth and speaking from experience. She is a lover of all dogs and has the joy of being able to be around all types of dogs, and without hesitation, she answered with complete honesty.
Children see things as they are and do not accept stereotypes. It is adults who put judgments on others and teach children to discriminate based on a look.
I invite anyone who believes that these types of dogs are evil to meet one or two.
Megan Ferris, Surrey
