January 23, 2008

MISSISSAGUA, Ontario – A Canadian woman's pit-bull-mix could be euthanized because of a 2005 law that bans pit bulls and “substantially similar” dogs from the Canadian province of Ontario.

Gabriela Nowakowska says she bought 10-month-old Rambo a few months ago at a flea market.

So on Christmas when the dog got out of Nowakowska's back yard and was picked up by animal control, it came to light that the she was violating that law – although she didn't know it.

Now the City of Mississagua says that either the dog be turned over to them for euthanasia or Nowakowska will need to pursue legal action. But she says she can't afford a lawsuit.

Twenty-year-old Nowakowska says she has been able to raise about $500, which should be enough to get the dog out of “jail” pending trial

The law that's gotten Rambo into this mess was passed by Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty in 2005. The charge for that law was lead by another man, MP Michael Bryant. Interestingly, one Canadian source said that when Bryant was given 24 pictures of different dogs and asked to locate a pit bull, he chose a photo of a Preso Canario.

As for Rambo, it's been reported that employees at the animal control center where he's being held play with the dog regularly. Nowakowska backed that point, noting that the dog, which is a mixed-breed, is very gentle. We were unable to find any evidence that the dog has even been involved in any attacks.

Rambo's vet says it's hard to pinpoint exactly which breeds belong to the dog's heritage. The vet also said it's unclear exactly how old the dog is, but it seems to be around the 10-month mark.

All that aside, animal welfare groups and local Ward counsellors Pat Saito and Carolyn Parrish have stepped in to defend Rambo, citing the unclear wording of the law and the unfair nature of a breed ban.

Saito said dogs should be judged on their behavior, not their lineage.

Nowakowska says she's pushing to get Rambo back, and will only consider having him turned over to a rescue outside Ontario once she has exhausted the alternatives. Meantime, counsellors Saito and Parrish are working to get the dog a 24-hour reprieve for travel out of the province should he need to be relocated. That's because there's a travel ban on all pit bulls in the province, except those that are grandfathered in.

It seems unlikely that Nowakowska will get Rambo back considering overturning the law is no small undertaking. However, this is not the first time a pit bull has been booted from the province. Another dog named Bandit was relocated to Washington State not long ago. He now serves as a K-9 officer there.

For details on the law and the particulars of the breed ban, follow the LINK below. To contact the City of Mississagua, see the ADDRESS below. And to contact Ward Counsellors, see the EMAIL section at the bottom of this page.

LINK attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about/pubs/dola-pubsfty/dola-pubsfty.asp#TOC_03

ADDRESS

Attn: Mayor Hazel McCallion

Office of the Mayor

City of Mississagua, 300 City Centre Drive, Mississagua, Ontario, L5B 3C1

EMAIL

Pat Saito: pat.saito@mississagua.ca

Carolyn Parrish: carolyn.parrish@mississagua.ca

Tell us what you think under this story. Post your favorite pet videos at the zootooTV tab. E-mail us your story ideas at news@zootoo.com or call us at 877-777-4204.