Condolences to the Bajwa Family

Nobody wants to hear that a child, or anyone for that matter, has been mauled by a dog. As Pit Bull lovers we feel even worse when the dog is related to the breed that we love. This was a terrible, and totally preventable incident.

Sean Bajwa and his father have shown themselves to be level-head, compassionate, and commendable in the face of such a terrible incident. We thank them for recognizing the importance of responsible ownership and realizing that any dog has the potential to bite and do harm. As a Pit Bull lover I am so thankfull that they understand that this is not an issue of breed. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the Bajwa family as they cope and recover.

As someone who has worked in Animal Control, I am used to hearing firsthand accounts of dogs mauling people. Most of these stories never make it to press because the dogs involved are not one of the breeds sensationalized by the media. Even when victims have wanted their story told, it never made media headlines. When a mail carrier was savagely attacked by a Standard Poodle, she fought hard to have her story told. She wanted people to see that any dog can cause severe injuries, and that responsible ownership is the key- dogs should not be running loose regardless of breed.

Looking at bite stats in local communities, in Delta the number one breed of dog responsible for bites to humans or other animals was Labrador Retrievers, with Golden Retrievers following in second place for number of bite cases. These two breeds made up over 60% of the bite incidents in Delta, in one year. In the same year German Shepherds were the number one bite-incident dog in North Vancouver. Does this mean that these are the most dangerous dogs in this municipality? No, it suggests that there are large numbers of these breeds in these Cities, and that not all of their owners feel the need to be responsible. What these bite cases typically have in common is that their owner's were not acting in a responsible fashion- they were under-socialized or running loose or allowed to act protective. As the Bajwa family understands, any dog can bite. Laws need to take into account owner culpability.