Opponents of breed-specific dog bans are urging city council to refrain from importing such policies to Flin Flon.
Stacy Vankoughnett, who owns a pit bull-boxer, appeared before council Tuesday to present a petition against any such ban.
“We wanted to give it to the city in case it does come about,” she said.
The city agreed to file the petition, which Vankoughnett said featured more than 300 signatures.
The petition was sparked not by city council discussion, but by a controversial Reminder editorial in favour of a municipal ban on pit bulls and Rottweilers.
Mayor Cal Huntley echoed earlier comments he made to The Reminder by saying council has not considered a breed-specific ban.
“I believe the responsibility remains with the pet owners, so we have not travelled down that road,” he told Vankoughnett.
Other than the editorial, Vankoughnett said she launched the petition because her pit bull-boxer will be trained as a service dog for her son.
She shared a personal account of her dog alerting her to one of her son’s seizures, to which Huntley replied, “They’re amazing.”
When the mayor added that “pets have to be managed properly,” he drew agreement from Vankoughnett.
In terms of reducing dog bites, Coun. Colleen McKee said she is intrigued by the concept of teaching young schoolchildren how to approach animals and protect themselves.
“That really interested me and it’s maybe something that if you want to take it a step forward, it’s maybe something to suggest to the school division,” she told Vankoughnett.
A number of communities across Canada ban or restrict pit bulls out of safety concerns, but the effectiveness of such policies in reducing dog bites has been called into question.
Vankoughnett made reference to a news article about dog attacks in Calgary reaching their lowest level in 25 years in 2009 despite the absence of breed-specific bans.
