Two women in southwestern Ontario whose lives have been deeply affected by pit bull attacks say the provincial government should not allow people to own pets part of the controversial breed.

The province is taking a look at making changes to the Dog Owners Liability Act. Part of the act — which was passed in 2005 after two dogs mauled a Toronto man — includes a ban on the ownership, breeding and importation of pit bulls.

For Windsor resident Pam Robertson, however, whose then four-year-old granddaughter was attacked by a pit bull during a sleepover in January 2018, it's difficult to decide whether or not the province should lift the ban on owning pit bulls.

According to Robertson, the homeowners had two dogs, including one pit bull that was normally left in a cage — but it was not locked away during the sleepover.

Someone else had visited the house and dropped off other dogs which were much smaller in size.

"What I believe happened was my granddaughter got in the way of trying to pet the little dog when the large pit bull attacked her, biting her face and her legs," said Robertson, adding her granddaughter required more than 70 stitches for her facial injuries.

Almost two years later, the dog attack has left the six-year-old girl with scarring on her face.

Still, Robertson said she used to raise mixed-breed dogs, rare-breed dogs and other dogs which are currently banned in other countries — without any attacks on people.

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Ultimately, Robertson said she leans toward keeping pit bulls out of her neighbourhood.

"I just don't think that there are enough people paying attention to dog licenses, shots — again, coming back to irresponsible owners who just don't have either the time or the sense to realize that this is an animal willing to attack," she said. "I think it's just a bad blood line."

Robertson said there are many pit bulls who live in her neighbourhood now and she's concerned about what would happen if one were to escape outside.

"I have, in my apartment building, a lady who sits downstairs in the front of the building with her dog. Her dog has been attacked twice, needing surgery from pit bulls. The threat is so real. It's one of those breeds I find is very scary and, in the wrong hands, can be deadly," she said.

"I think they're just playing with fire, because there will be more accidents guaranteed."

Postal worker's ear bitten off by pit bulls

Darlene Wagner, a postal worker from Dresden, Ont., said she'd be "really fearful if the ban got lifted."

Back in 2004, Wagner — who was 58 at the time — was attacked by two pit bulls as she was delivering mail.

"I approached the house and put the mail in. I heard noises in the house and I thought it sounds like dogs running," she recalled. "So I backed down the stairs and the dogs just busted out through the screen door and came after me."

Wagner suffered two broken wrists and lost her right ear in the attack, she said.

"I still have problems with my wrists. They still bother me because I had surgery on both of them. And my ear, I mean, they could only do so much reconstructive surgery on it. It still looks like an ear that's been chewed off."

Wagner said she feels much safer not having pit bulls in her neighbourhood and her hope is for the province to keep the ban in place.

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