Editor’s note: We wish nothing but the best of luck for those trying to overturn Winnipeg’s ridiculous “pit bull” ban.   Winnipeg should look at the UK’s Dangerous Dog Act which was instituted in 1991 and has been pitifully ineffective.   Indeed, since 1991 the UK has seen a huge rise in banned fighting dogs which is why there is a growing movement in the UK to overturn the Dangerous Dog Act.   In other words, breed bans only serve to make prohibited dogs that much more appealing to the very unscrupulous individuals you don’t want owning them.

From Winnipeg’s CTV:

…[Winnipeg] has had a ban on [“pit bulls”] since 1990.

Dog trainer Ashley Reid wants the ban lifted. She says the dogs are born the same as other breeds”they’re not born fighters nor born to be aggressive.  

She has started a Facebook campaign and a petition to take to City Hall.

“A lot of people were worried that we were going to lift the ban and have nothing to help the situation,” Reid says. “Our goal is to lift the ban but also enforce better animal control.”

The ban was put in place twenty years ago because a number of children were mauled by pit bulls. Today, one city councillor says overturning the ban is not something the city is considering.

“People with [bad intentions] in our community use the animal for purposes that are bad for our society,” says councillor Gord Steeves.

However, supporters of the breed say responsible owners are suffering from the ban.

“It’s the Michael Vicks out there who did nothing but tarnish the name of the dog,” says [Oakbank “pit bull’ owner Steve Kolesar], referring to the football star who was convicted for organizing dog fights.

Read this article in its entirety here.