First meeting debates the pros and cons of banning a specific breed of dog to help prevent canine aggression
BY KAREN GALLANT, OVC
With Ontario proposing a province-wide ban on pit bulls because of several recent attacks on humans, animal behaviour has been in the media spotlight in recent months. But second-year Ontario Veterinary College student Sophie Farrell says animal behaviour has been on her mind since long before she enrolled in the DVM program.
With support from her classmates, Farrell has started the OVC Animal Behaviour Club, which held its first meeting in a packed auditorium Oct. 8. At the meeting, five speakers from across Canada debated the pros and cons of banning a specific breed of dog to help prevent canine aggression. Among the five were Ward McAlister, general manager of the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society, and Keiley Abbat, a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Pet Dog Trainers. The other speakers were affiliated with the Dog Legislation Council of Canada.
“You guys have an important job,” said Sandra Alway, president of the Golden Horseshoe American Pit Bull Terrier Club and vice-president of the Dog Legislation Council. “You will have to direct a lot of people about what's best for their dogs, their families, their neighbourhoods.”
With the club off to a good start, Farrell says she's looking forward to delving into other behaviour-related issues at future meetings. She says the club's activities complement her in-class learning about animal behaviour.
“Behaviour is part of the curriculum, but not in the depth I wanted,” she says. “Like anything else, the more experience you have, the better it serves you. I realized from talking to others that there was enough interest for us to pursue some of our own learning opportunities.”
Farrell first became interested in animal behaviour through her volunteer work at veterinary clinics and with animal-related charities. Just last year, she and her roommate fostered a dog from the Ontario Bouvier Rescue for several months.
“I saw so many animals who desperately needed training to make them desirable pets,” she says. “Animal behaviour has more to do with training the owners than training the dogs.”
Farrell believes that the better informed she becomes as a student, the better she'll be able to serve clients after she graduates.
“As veterinarians, we'll be looked at as experts on animals. People will be asking for our opinion, and we need to be sure it's well-informed.”
Prof. Peter Conlon, OVC's assistant dean, student affairs, agrees the new club is a good way to continue learning out of the classroom.
“Club activities enrich the academic environment, particularly discussions about challenging issues such as banning dog breeds,” he says.
The OVC Animal Behaviour Club will hold its executive elections shortly and already boasts 17 members. The group plans to have monthly meetings with invited speakers focusing on topics such as aggression in animals, the role of dog trainers, equine behaviour and behaviour issues related to farm animals. The group also hopes to host a day-long session on animal aggression next semester.
