[Leroy68]

Hi Everyone! I live in Los Angeles, CA and I would like to move back to Toronto, where my parents live. I have a Corgi and I have a love-bug named Leroy. Leroy is a 98 pound rescue who I found on the streets. My vet thinks he is mostly Mastiff with some Pit and maybe other things mixed in. I know that Ontario has a ban on Pit-Bulls, (so ridiculous and reflects badly on Canada I feel), would Leroy be considered a Pit by them? I am very worried about this. Any advice/feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you and Happy Easter & Passover!

 

[StvC]

Yes, Ontario has a pit bull ban, and yes, as a resident I find it embarrassing. There are also many smaller municipalities in North America that have a ban as well.

The strange thing is that it seems to be up to each border guard's discretion as to whether or not a dog coming over the border is a pit bull or not. I've heard people being turned away with purebred non-pit bulls (like a golden Labrador, for example) because the over-cautious guard didn't know any better.

If you're driving you'll just have the one guard to deal with, unless he/she pulls you over. At the airport it'll likely be decided by committee. In Toronto, not LA. Canada Customs happens at arrival, not at departure as you may be used to as an American. So you could fly here and be forced to fly back. Or you could drive here & then be forced to drive back. It's a real craps-shoot, and I don't envy the position you're in. Best of luck.

 

[StvC]

Some links: http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about/pubs/dola-pubsfty/dola-pubsfty.asp#TOC_03
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/animals...-imports/dogs/eng/1331876172009/1331876307796
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2005/08/29/pit_bull_ban_2005_08_29.html

No other provinces have pit bull bans. I'm not suggesting anything here, or advising anyone to do anything illegal., but as in America where you can travel freely from state to state, there are no checkpoints between provinces. So someone entering the country through Quebec could easily "smuggle" a dog into Ontario. But one would also have to lie to a border guard to do so. Just pointing out that the law has a gaping loophole in it.