Leeanna Pendergast, Liberal candidate for Kitchener Conestoga, has answered the Wag the Dog questionnaire. 

Thank you for a clear response, Leeanna and thanks for sending along a picture of your family with your Labrador retriever.

1.  If the amended Dog Owners' Liability Act (2005) came up today for a free rather than a whipped vote as happened in 2005, would you vote in favour of banning breeds as an effective way to protect people from dog bites?  Please explain.

The Public Safety Related to Dogs Statute Law Amendment Act (formerly Bill 132) is now law and the government has implemented the legislation. That legislation bans pit bulls and toughens penalties for the owners of any dog that poses a danger to the public.

We are committed to building safe, strong communities and protecting Ontarians. We passed this legislation to respond to the concerns of Ontarians about their personal safety. We heard loud and clear that Ontarians want to be protected from the menace of pit bulls as well as from irresponsible owners of any dangerous dogs. We believe this law will help protect not only Ontarians, but also many Ontario dogs that might otherwise themselves become the victims of pit bull attacks. We have set high standards for responsible dog ownership in the province of Ontario, and we are proud of our record.

2. Please tell our readers why you think the 'pit bull' ban enacted by the McGuinty government has or has not been successful in protecting the public from dog bites.

There is documented proof of the success of pit bull bans:

In Kitchener, prior to the ban in 1995 and 1996, there were 17 and 18 pit bull incidents, respectively. After the ban, there has been about one per year.

3. Would you be willing, if elected,  to work to rescind Ontario's amended Dog Owners' Liability Act (2005) and replace it with an existing, easily implemented  Canadian system that has been effective in the control of negligent pet owners, that is supported by all responsible pet owners and that once established is fully funded by dog and cat owners rather than through general revenue taxation?  Please briefly explain your response.

We passed the Public Safety Related to Dogs Statute Law Amendment Act to respond to the concerns of Ontarians about their personal safety, and we proudly stand behind this law.

4. How important to you is the issue of amending Ontario's animal cruelty legislation, the Ontario SPCA Act, using a scale of 1 to 10 (where 1 is 'not at all important' and 10 is 'extremely important')?

At a recent news conference, Minister Monte Kwinter recognized the need to modernize the Ontario SPCA Act and committed to continue working with stakeholders with a view to making amendments to the Ontario SPCA Act to further animal protection in the province. Kwinter acknowledged that Ontarians expect better protection for animals against mistreatment and acts of cruelty. “With help from animal experts across Ontario, the McGuinty government has developed some of the toughest animal safety standards in the country and we are committed to moving forward on this important issue,”says Kwinter.