Pit Bulls Going to Rehab?

Three seized pitbull dogs given a reprieve Ian Mulgrew, Vancouver Sun Published: Thursday, August 28, 2008Three pitbull dogs seized after a series of vicious attacks in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island have been given a reprieve from death after animal lovers managed to intervene in the court proceedings to have them put down.

One of the dogs that had been taken into custody by the Surrey SPCA, however, has already been put down and their owner, Hal Harris, was charged Thursday with 24 bylaw offences in connection with three maulings in Surrey. Harris agreed to with the decision to kill the one dog.

Harris, who was in provincial court to argue against the destruction of his remaining dogs, refused to comment but did say media reports about their viciousness were wrong.

Authorities had been trying to find Harris, who is said to live in his van, because his dogs were alleged to have been involved in several attacks over the last year.

After the dogs were seized, animal lovers retained Kirk Tousaw, of Conroy and Company, to attend the hearing and ask the court to prevent their execution until an assessment could be done and alternatives to killing them considered.

Provincial Court Judge John Lenaghan put the case over until Sept. 17 during which time the SPCA and the dog lovers will try to agree on an independent animal assessor to determine whether the dogs can be rehabilitated.

The three dogs are described as two puppies and an adult dog that has apparently delivered puppies while it has been in the pound.