Hector the pit bull has his own web page (hectorthepitbull.com) so anyone can check up on how one of the famous therapy dogs in the world is doing.
Hector's infamy before becoming a therapy dog was not his fault. He was one of the 47 pit bulls rescued from NFL quarterback Michael Vick's dogfighting ring in 2008. Today, according to Hector's home page, the only thing he fights is discrimination. More on that in a minute.
His resume is impressive for a breed feared by many people, even by those who call themselves dog lovers. He has passed national good citizen and temperament tests on multiple occasions. He is a certified therapy dog, meaning he is allowed to visit hospitals, libraries, nursing homes and schools. He is the holder of a humane education award and his efforts have been showcased numerous times in American and international media. The only sign of his past life are the scars that still cross his body from his fighting days.
He is the classic underdog whose life has been turned around by his devoted owners, who rightly believe that all dogs, including pit bulls, are born to be kind and loyal companions for humans.
Despite Hector's certification, he would not be able to serve as a therapy dog in Prince George. Since 2005, pit bulls have been classified as a "restricted dog" in Prince George. Under the dangerous dog bylaw, owners must have their pit bulls muzzled when they are out in public and kept in a pen when they are at home.
The Prince George pit bull bylaw was passed after city staff looked at 411 dog bite reports during the previous five years and found that 95 involved German shepherds, 57 involved pit bulls, 52 involved Labrador retrievers and 43 involved Rotweilers.
When those numbers were stacked up against the population, it showed that of the 124 pit bulls in the city, 46 per cent had been involved in biting incidents, compared to 22 per cent of the 199 Rotweilers, 14 per cent of the city's 661 German shepherds and six per cent for the 843 Labs.
The Prince George RCMP's victim services unit now has three therapy dogs working with staff and volunteers to bring comfort to the victims of crime and traumatic events. Pit bulls, of course, are not welcome, even if they had their therapy dog certification, like Hector.
Curiously, all three of the therapy dogs are breeds that showed up in the 2005 report that led to the restriction on pit bulls. Max, the beautiful dog giving his handler Krista Levar a big sloppy kiss on the front page of Wednesday's Citizen, is a Lab. The other two therapy dogs for victims services are a German Shepherd and a German shepherd-Lab cross.
This is not to suggest these three specific dogs are dangerous in any way. All three are fully certified therapy dogs, meaning they have passed all of the tests and they will be working with their handlers at all times when out in the field.
The issue is the discrimination that Hector continues to fight against his breed. The reason criminals gravitate towards pit bulls is not because they are born aggressive but because of their fierce loyalty, how easy they are to train and how willing they are to please their masters.
They are a high-maintenance dog, in that they need constant socialization, lots of attention and plenty of positive feedback or they will exhibit anti-social tendencies, first to other dogs and then to people. They're pretty much like all other dogs, in that bored and neglected dogs are bad dogs. Put another way, they're just like their human masters.
Therapy dogs are a great addition for victim services to offer as help in difficult situations. The three dogs working for victim services have proven themselves qualified for the tasks they are being asked to do. They were judged by their abilities and not judged by the bad actions of other members of their breed.
Hector and other well-trained pit bulls, as well as their owners, should enjoy the same courtesy.
