Pit Bull Lovers Bite Back

200 rally to battle plans to ban breed
Attorney-general `will listen to us'


Yesterday morning, Ryan Bird woke before dawn to let Tara, his 42-pound pit bull, out for a pee. Then, he rented a megaphone, wrote out a speech and, by lunch, had become the unlikely leader of a movement.

A part-time waiter and aspiring high school teacher, 24-year-old Bird is leading the effort to unite Ontario's pit bull owners against Attorney-General Michael Bryant's proposal to ban their dogs. Their first salvo came yesterday with a rally at Queen's Park.

"I didn't plan to lead anything," said Bird, who has attended a political rally or two, but has never organized one. "I just decided to take the initiative."

Bird stood before several hundred dog-owners, unshaven and with a black ribbon ("to symbolize our mourning") pinned to his hoodie sweatshirt. He delivered his speech from a piece of loose-leaf with the fire and brimstone of a Baptist pastor. "Mark my words Mr. Bryant," Bird bellowed into the megaphone, "as attorney-general of Ontario, you will listen to us."

A massive cheer went up and members of the crowd congratulated Bird with hugs and handshakes and tears began to stream down his face. Bird then handed the megaphone on to speakers from the Dog Legislation Council of Canada and from groups like the Rottweiler Club of Canada whose members are concerned that the ban may one day extend to their dogs.

"I hit the wall at the end of the speech," Bird later said. "(The dogs) become your babies and when somebody says your baby has to wear a cage on his face, that's tough."

The dog owners at yesterday's rally are enraged that more than a week ago, Bryant proposed to ban pit bulls. He called them "ticking time bombs" and "inherently dangerous animals." He said that, if the legislation passes, current pit bull owners may keep their pets, though they will be governed by stringent restrictions. He added that tougher penalties would be handed to people with dangerous dogs, regardless of breed.

Barb Stopay, who travelled to yesterday's rally from Stoney Creek, was sick when she heard Bryant's proposal. Her life revolves around Higgins, a Staffordshire bull terrier who will be affected by the ban. She has taught him to dance to salsa music and he is also the current world champion in fly ball, a relay sport where dogs clear hurdles and retrieve balls. When she heard Bryant, she said, "I was sick ... It's hard to think that my dog will not be able to go off freely in public again."

Stopay's friend Susan Newby, whose dog Bentley is also a fly ball champion, said recent pit bull attacks were caused by irresponsible owners, echoing a sentiment shared by many at yesterday's rally.

In the week Bird took to organize yesterday's rally, he urged owners not to bring their pit bulls to Queen's Park because, he said, "Girl dogs, when they pee, they sort of burn the grass."

But he also admitted some concern that the dogs would further raise fears by misbehaving before the assembled TV cameras. "We wanted to make sure they weren't caught on camera and misrepresented."
Although 10 or so owners brought pit bulls with names like Marley and Damien and Katie, all were well behaved.

With little opposition from the Conservatives or the NDP, Bird has a "sinking suspicion" the proposed ban will pass in the Legislature. If this happens Bird hopes Bryant will have to face questions about the reasoning behind the ban.
Bryant has cited U.S. statistics, but has said what really made him want to introduce the ban were the horrific stories of pit bull attacks.

And for now, that's about as far as Bird's plan against the ban goes.
"We were very busy just making sure this happened," he said, referring to the rally. "That leaves us with the question of what will happen next."

Bird, who houses seven pets in his High Park apartment didn't set out to own a pit bull, but it seemed to be the dog at the humane society that needed the most help.

Tara has turned out, he said, to be the best dog he's ever had, which explains his commitment to fight the ban.
"You have to pick where you can do the most good and what you're passionate about. For me, it's this."