Shon
09-30-2004, 03:38 PM
Scofflaw pit bull owners could face jail sentences and $10,000 fines when the province enacts legislation later this fall, warns Attorney-General Michael Bryant.
"We would give judges ... the ability to incarcerate people in the event that they were irresponsible dog owners," Bryant told reporters yesterday.
"It would obviously be a particularly extreme case, but that would be for the courts to decide. Right now, outside of Criminal Code offences there would not be that option," he said.
"No final decisions have been made with respect to the ban, but we're obviously looking very closely at it. We're willing to go further than any other province in Canada has gone to protect Ontarians from the dangers of pit bulls."
Bryant, who has been leading a charge to ban the dangerous dogs in the wake of several vicious attacks, said he will discuss the issue with officials from the city of Toronto and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario this week.
"We would give judges ... the ability to incarcerate people in the event that they were irresponsible dog owners," Bryant told reporters yesterday.
"It would obviously be a particularly extreme case, but that would be for the courts to decide. Right now, outside of Criminal Code offences there would not be that option," he said.
"No final decisions have been made with respect to the ban, but we're obviously looking very closely at it. We're willing to go further than any other province in Canada has gone to protect Ontarians from the dangers of pit bulls."
Bryant, who has been leading a charge to ban the dangerous dogs in the wake of several vicious attacks, said he will discuss the issue with officials from the city of Toronto and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario this week.