Some positive change in Delta?

Three HugABull directors along with a representative from No Muzzle attended a public hearing in Delta last night around their Animal Control Bylaws.

Delta City Council is reviewing a proposed bylaw that among other things will increase animal licensing and fines, and expand the rights of Animal Control Officers to intervene in cases of dog aggression, animal mistreatment and abuse.

Unfortunately, what hasn't changed in the proposed bylaw is the definition of a pit bull as an "Aggressive Dog" by virtue of its breed. Pit bulls in Delta are required to be muzzled and are subject to licensing fees that are five times higher than those for other dogs.

Last night we spoke to council, requesting that the pit bull clause be removed from the bylaw, while retaining penalties for irresponsible ownership and aggressive dog behaviours. Three Delta citizens were in attendance and also spoke out against categorizing all pit bulls as aggressive.

Interestingly, it was revealed that due to the many restrictions around pit bulls, and because there is no conclusive way to identify one at the time of licensing, many pit bull owners are registering their dogs as other breeds. There are only 39 registered pit bulls in Delta, while any degree of observation would make it clear that the actual number is many, many times that.

We salute the Mayor and Council of Delta for inviting public input into this issue and revisiting a clause that does so much more harm than good. We look forward to hearing about the new bylaw in early 2010!

In the meantime, if you want to weigh in on this issue - especially if you are a Delta resident - contact information for City Council is here.