By ROY WOOD

A prohibition against certain breeds of dogs, most notably pit bulls, will not be included in a proposed new animal bylaw being considered by Osoyoos town council and headed for some sort of public consultation.

A draft bylaw presented to council on Monday included an optional section that would make it illegal to keep several breeds, including pit bulls and pit bull terriers of various types and dogs that are offspring of a wolf or a wolf/dog cross.

The section also prohibited keeping of miniature pigs or Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs.

Councillor CJ Rhodes led the charge against breed prohibitions, calling it a slippery slope that “will never work.”

“Every dog has a different personality,” said Rhodes and many pit bulls can be very gentle. “There are dozens of pit bulls in town that are amoung the best dogs in town.”

Rhodes acknowledged that pit bulls have an unfortunate history, citing a survey by the Canadian and US kennel clubs that found of the 454 deaths caused by dogs in the last 32 years, 295 were from pit bull attacks.

However, he said that it is the environment in which a dog exists that determines its behavior, not the breed. The breed cited for the highest number of biting incidents, said Rhodes, is the cocker spaniel.

Councillor Mike Campol said he agrees with Rhodes regarding prohibition of breeds, pointing out that Osoyoos is a “pet-friendly tourist community.”

A report from deputy corporate office Lori Scott pointed out that while there has been public support expressed for a ban on pit bulls, a survey of other municipalities shows a trend toward responsible pet ownership rather than prohibitions.

However, the province of Ontario has had an outright ban on pit bull ownership for 10 years, she said.

In Osoyoos, pit bulls are already required to be muzzled when they are in public.

In the end, the draft was sent back to the administration to be returned to council with an emphasis on responsible pet ownership rather than prohibition of some breeds.

Once council receives a bylaw that it agrees with, it will be given initial approval and then be forwarded to an as-yet undefined “public input session” to receive comments from the public.

In an interview, chief administrative officer Barry Romanko said it is still possible, depending on public reaction, that prohibition could be re-inserted.

Other new provisions contained in the draft were:

•Stringent requirements for pet owners to provide protection from the elements for animals kept outdoors;

•Restrictions on how animals may be tied up outside;

•A requirement for proof of liability insurance for animals deemed dangerous; and

•Provisions for dangerous animals to be euthanized when owners will not comply with dangerous animal provisions