Beyond the Breed Wpg

Beyond the Breed Wpg 🐾 Advocating for evidence-based change in Winnipeg.

Promoting breed neutral, behaviour-based laws that promote public safety.
✔️Evidence
✔️Education
✔️Responsible pet ownership
⏰Time to end breed bans

*longer post but quite important!* I recently had the opportunity to speak with Sarah Bull, Supervisor of Bylaw Enforcem...
07/24/2026

*longer post but quite important!*
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Sarah Bull, Supervisor of Bylaw Enforcement & Animal Services for the City of Coquitlam, BC.

Coquitlam has more than a decade of experience enforcing breed-neutral legislation. Rather than focusing on breed, their approach focuses on behaviour, prevention, education, animal welfare, and proportionate enforcement.

One comment really stood out:

“Breed bans are lazy legislation.”

Sarah explained that if our goal is truly community safety, legislation should be progressive, consistent, fair, and defensible. Every dog involved in an incident (whether it causes a minor or severe injury) is investigated using the same behaviour-based framework.

One aspect I found especially interesting is that nine BC municipalities are contributing standardized dog bite data, which has been analyzed by researchers at UBC since 2022. The goal is to better understand the factors associated with dog bite incidents using consistent data from multiple communities.

Sarah also kindly offered to see if she can arrange for me to attend the upcoming 2025 provincial data review virtually. If I’m able to participate, I’ll share what I learn with all of you.

Thank you to Sarah, for being so open to sharing your knowledge and experience. Conversations like this help move the discussion toward evidence, collaboration, and practical solutions for safer communities.

What lessons do you think Winnipeg could learn from Coquitlam’s approach?

Winnipeg is becoming the outlier.Most major Canadian cities have chosen breed-neutral dangerous dog legislation that foc...
07/17/2026

Winnipeg is becoming the outlier.
Most major Canadian cities have chosen breed-neutral dangerous dog legislation that focuses on responsible ownership and dangerous behaviour. It’s time for Winnipeg to have that conversation too. If you believe public policy should be guided by evidence, please share this post and help spread the word. 🐾

Winnipeg is becoming the outlier.Most major Canadian cities have chosen breed-neutral dangerous dog legislation that foc...
07/17/2026

Winnipeg is becoming the outlier.
Most major Canadian cities have chosen breed-neutral dangerous dog legislation that focuses on responsible ownership and dangerous behaviour. It’s time for Winnipeg to have that conversation too. I appreciate any share or repost! It all helps to inform people and spread the word 🐾 # EndBSL

Councillor Jeff Browaty recently shared that while he voted to maintain Winnipeg’s breed ban in 2022, he is willing to l...
07/16/2026

Councillor Jeff Browaty recently shared that while he voted to maintain Winnipeg’s breed ban in 2022, he is willing to listen, keep an open mind, and consider supporting a new dangerous dog framework if public safety concerns are addressed.

Being willing to listen to evidence and remain open to change is an important starting point.

At the same time, his comments raise some important questions.

If Winnipeg already has a Dangerous Dog designation within the Responsible Pet Ownership By-law, does it need amendments or strengthening? Are there gaps that could be improved regardless of breed?

The other question is whether he is still starting from the assumption that certain breeds are inherently more dangerous than others. The best available evidence from veterinary organizations and animal behaviour experts does not support that conclusion. Focusing on breed can reinforce stigma and fear-based biases rather than directing attention toward the factors that actually predict risk.

Since public safety is the goal, we should be asking what measures are most effective at preventing bites, regardless of breed.

While I do appreciate Councillor Browaty’s response, I do wish that he would elaborate further and clarify what conditions and “strict circumstances” he has in mind, but he has not been open to sharing that as of yet.

What amendments, if any, do you think the current Responsible Pet Ownership By-law needs to better protect the public?

DogsOfWinnipeg

Councillor Jeff Browaty recently responded to me in a post that he is open to changing his mind on Winnipeg’s breed-spec...
07/11/2026

Councillor Jeff Browaty recently responded to me in a post that he is open to changing his mind on Winnipeg’s breed-specific legislation if “additional, proper controls are put in place.”

More recently, following a serious dog attack, he also outlined how Winnipeg’s Responsible Pet Ownership By-law responds to serious incidents through immediate quarantine, investigation, hearings, and Dangerous Dog or Exceptionally Dangerous Dog designations.

I want to be clear..I’m not commenting on that specific incident or minimizing what happened. It was a tragic event for everyone involved. My focus is on the policy Councillor Browaty described.

Research from cities that have lifted breed-specific legislation has not shown a significant increase or change in dog bite incidents following repeal. And if a serious incident does occur, regardless of breed, Winnipeg already has bylaws and processes to investigate what happened, assess the dog’s behaviour, and take appropriate action to protect public safety.

That leaves me with two questions:

If Winnipeg already has behaviour-based tools to respond to incidents of varying severity, what additional controls would need to be in place before replacing breed-specific legislation with a breed-neutral approach?

And if serious incidents can occur with many different breeds, why do you believe breed-specific legislation is still the best approach to protecting public safety?

I’d welcome Councillor Browaty’s perspective, particularly since he has already participated in public discussion on this issue. I think Winnipeg residents deserve to understand what those additional controls might be, what evidence supports maintaining breed-specific legislation, and what “ready” looks like for Winnipeg.

If you also think these are important questions, feel free to tag Councillor Jeff Browaty in the comments so he has an opportunity to respond. I also welcome respectful discussion from everyone.

07/05/2026

🌊 Meet Claire and Rico from Prince Edward Island! 🐾

Claire is joining us all the way from PEI, where the majority of communities take a breed-neutral approach to responsible dog ownership.

In this video, she introduces us to Rico. He is a lovable bully breed who, like every dog, is so much more than a label. ❤️

Across Canada, North America, and around the world, many communities are moving away from breed bans in favour of breed-neutral approaches that focus on responsible ownership and dog behaviour.

Winnipeg has an opportunity to move forward with the rest of Canada. If we’re not ready now, what measurable changes are we waiting for. And how will we know when we’re “ready”?

Thank you, Claire and Rico, for sharing your story with us. It was so wonderful to meet you! 🐶

Meet Hazel 🐾Hazel is a professional snuggler, part-time sunbather, and full-time couch potato.In this clip, we get to se...
06/30/2026

Meet Hazel 🐾

Hazel is a professional snuggler, part-time sunbather, and full-time couch potato.

In this clip, we get to see more of Hazel and why she is so loved.

It is important to challenge some of the misinformation that still exists. Sometimes the best way to change minds isn’t through statistics or arguments—it’s by meeting the dogs behind the label.

What is your first impression of Hazel?

When discussing public safety and dog policy, it’s important to understand what veterinary and animal welfare organizati...
06/30/2026

When discussing public safety and dog policy, it’s important to understand what veterinary and animal welfare organizations actually recommend.

Many Canadian organizations have expressed concerns about breed-specific legislation and support approaches focused on responsible ownership, education, behaviour, and enforcement.

What question would you ask a Canadian expert about BSL or dog behaviour?

And for our elected officials:

Several Winnipeg councillors have expressed a willingness to review expert recommendations and current evidence surrounding breed-specific legislation.

As these conversations continue, an important question remains:

How should cities evaluate long-standing policies when expert organizations, animal welfare groups, and community members raise concerns about their effectiveness?
🐾

Dog bite statistics are often used in conversations around breed-specific legislation — but many people don’t realize th...
06/29/2026

Dog bite statistics are often used in conversations around breed-specific legislation — but many people don’t realize these numbers can be more complicated than they first appear.

Breed identification is frequently based on visual guesses, media reporting can be inconsistent, and the term “pit bull” is often used broadly to describe multiple breeds and mixes.

This doesn’t mean dog bites shouldn’t be taken seriously. Public safety matters. But effective policy should be based on accurate data, responsible ownership, behavior, training, and evidence-based approaches — not fear or assumptions alone.

Nuance matters in these conversations 🐾

When I shared my petition advocating to end Winnipeg’s breed-specific legislation, I received many thoughtful and suppor...
06/29/2026

When I shared my petition advocating to end Winnipeg’s breed-specific legislation, I received many thoughtful and supportive comments.
I also received comments like the ones featured in this reel.
These stereotypes are important to address because they continue to shape how people view both bully breeds and the people who own them.
Many people are surprised to learn that:�• Pit bull-type dogs are owned by families, professionals, seniors, and people from all walks of life.�• Many common claims about bite force and breed characteristics are often repeated online without reliable evidence.�• A dog’s behaviour is influenced by many factors, including genetics, socialization, training, environment, and owner responsibility.
Whether you support or oppose breed-specific legislation, I believe it’s important that conversations are based on facts rather than assumptions.
This reel simply highlights some of the misconceptions that still exist and why education matters.
What stereotypes or assumptions have you heard about bully breeds or their owners?

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