CRIMINALS ARE DRAWN TO PIT BULLS, CHIEF SAYS

Fantino Backs Proposed Ban By Province

Attorney-General Sticks To His Guns Despite Opposition

Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino says "pit bulls are the dogs of choice
for criminals" and the breed should be banned in Ontario.

Testifying at a legislative committee on the Liberal government's proposed
bill to outlaw the dogs, Fantino said yesterday he strongly endorses
Attorney-General Michael Bryant's move.

"I'm here to support this legislation for two reasons. It will improve
community safety and also it will improve officer safety," the chief said.

Fantino said outlaw motorcycle gangs, drug dealers, street gangsters and
other criminals favour pit bulls to guard everything from marijuana grow
houses to hideouts.

"For instance in May of 4 our service participated in a very large and
complex takedown of very violent individuals known as the Malvern Crew, a
very prominent street gang," he said, noting 65 people were arrested and
more than 5 charges were laid.

At one location, police were attacked by a pit bull belonging to the gang
and were forced to shoot the dog dead. In other instances, officers have
had to shoot pit bulls more than once to stop them or to use Taser stun
guns because pepper spray does not work.

"From our experience, these dogs are used as weapons," Fantino said. "Our
officers are becoming equally as cognizant of dangerous dogs as they are of
guns when they arrive on scenes of their calls," said the chief, who is
leaving his post at month's end to become Ontario's emergency services
commissioner.

Bryant said despite opposition to Bill 13 from some dog enthusiasts and
animal-rights groups, he has no qualms about the ban.

"Pit bulls are inherently dangerous," he said. "They pose too great a risk
to public safety -- too many victims, too great a risk -- and therefore
over time we need less pit bulls and that will mean less pit bull attacks."

The attorney-general was flanked by heavy security from the Ontario
Provincial Police. He said he had received threats since introducing the
pit bull bill, but he did not elaborate.

Bryant told the committee that the province wants the dogs phased out of
existence.

"You over time eliminate the dog that is causing the bite, over time you
will eliminate the bite," he said, noting that's what happened in Winnipeg
since the city banned pit bulls in 199.

Bryant reminded the committee that his legislation would allow pit bull
owners to keep their pets if the dogs are neutered and wear muzzles in
public. The attorney-general said it would be inhumane not to ban the
animals because dog pounds are filled with pit bulls no one wants to adopt.
Liz White, director of the Animal Alliance of Canada, urged MPPs to vote
against the bill. White said the law, as proposed, "is punitive to a poorly
defined class of dogs, regardless of temperament and even when there is no
history of biting."

Instead, she said laws should be enacted to clamp down on illegal breeding
and "aggressive and cruel training."

Conservative MPP Joe Tascona (Barrie-Simcoe-Bradford) called the proposed
law "flawed" and "unworkable."

"Chief Fantino has his view with respect to the criminal element. But will
banning pit bulls reduce the criminal element's use of them?" he told
reporters.

New Democrat MPP Peter Kormos (Niagara-Centre) accused the Liberals of
using the ban for the purposes of publicity, not public safety. "Pit bulls
happen to be the vicious dog of the month. A couple of years ago it was
German shepherds and Dobermans," said Kormos. "Let's eliminate the
breed-specific portion of this (law)."

Meanwhile, veterinarian Mary Yett apologized for her comments at a
committee hearing in Brantford on Monday. The Beaver Creek Animal hospital
doctor had compared breed-specific dog bans to the "final solution" by the
Nazis to exterminate Jews.

"I made an analogy that I now realize was entirely inappropriate. My
partner is Jewish and I would never want to offend anyone. What I was
comparing was a political technique and I admit I used harsh language," she
said.