[Purple]

Friday, June 29, 2007 - 00:00

Local News - Janet Bredin got to spend an hour yesterday morning playing with her dog Ziggy.

It was the first time Bredin, 20, has been able to play with her dog in the last year and it's the last time.

Shortly after the frolic in the Peterborough Humane Society's backyard, Ziggy, a pit bull-type dog, was euthanized by a veterinarian.

Ziggy is the first dog destroyed by legal order in the city under the government's pit bull legislation, society general manager Brad Algar told The Examiner.

"This is a day I've been dreading for a very long time," Algar said. With 14 other local cases of pit bull-type dogs making their way slowly through the court system, Ziggy's death probably isn't the last, he said.

Most of the pending cases, like Bredin's case, involve charges under the Dog Owner's Liability Act and if found guilty, the animals fall under the breed-specific legislation's mandatory penalty of destroying the dog.

"Somebody needs to do something about this law," Bredin said while petting Ziggy and feeding her dried liver treats. "How many good innocent dogs are dying from this? It's just wrong."

Pet loss bereavement counsellor Nina Papazian was with Bredin during her final minutes with Ziggy.

"This is the first time I've met this dog and there are no signs of aggression, hostility or wariness," Papazian said. "She's very attached to Janet."

In Bredin's case, Ziggy was registered with the society as a pit bull-type dog, Algar said.

Under the pit bull legislation, any pit bull-type dog must be kept muzzled and on a leash when in public.

Algar said the first time Bredin violated the law, the legislation hadn't come into full effect and Bredin was given a fine.

Six months later, society staff caught the dog free again after it chased a woman in the Canadian Tire parking lot, Algar said.

"We seized the dog to protect society," Algar said.

Bredin pleaded guilty June 21 to one charge under the Dog Owner's Liability Act in exchange for having four other charges suspended, Algar said.

dpeat@peterboroughexaminer.com

http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.c...rough+Examiner

what can you say about this. while i sure as heck don't like/agree with the law, it is a law there now. so in my book it's the owners fault this dog is now dead. damn i mean get your first violation and still be too damn dumb to comply.

[LuvinBullies]

Originally Posted by Boogieman what can you say about this. while i sure as heck don't like/agree with the law, it is a law there now. so in my book it's the owners fault this dog is now dead. damn i mean get your first violation and still be too damn dumb to comply.

It's a tough break, that's for sure, and I don't like that law either but it is time for owners in these places to really step up and understand the animal they own. If given the chance my Dante would love to run amock, but it's up to us to instill every precaution to ensure it doesn't happen.