Last week’s horrific incident whereby three Rottweilers attacked and killed young cattle in Little Pond may not have been prevented by the new act, but it would have given the authorities much clearer direction on how to respond to it.

Many Islanders were shocked when they heard that the three dogs had entered a pen and attacked the cattle. Two were mutilated and fatally injured, despite efforts of the owners to beat off the dogs with shovels.

Immediately following the incident, there was confusion about the fate of the dogs because neither the police nor the Humane Society had the authority to put the dogs down. Little Pond has no bylaws relating to dog control, and apparently under the current Dog Act, the Humane Society can’t euthanize dangerous dogs without the owner’s permission. Two of the dogs were put down because the owners gave this permission.

That this whole incident happened is unfortunate enough. But that the current legislation is so vague and ineffective that even the officials seemed powerless to act is simply unacceptable.

Dangerous dogs have become a growing concern across Canada as a result of Rottweiler and pitbull attacks on people and animals. Ontario’s ban on certain breeds, such as Rottweilers and pitbulls, goes into effect in late August. While few disagree on the need to control dangerous dogs, there’s plenty of disagreement on how to do it. Many support a ban on certain breeds — 76 per cent of respondents to a Guardian web poll endorse such a prohibition — but there have been no reported incidents in P.E.I. of dog bites by either of the above breeds. According to the Department of Agriculture, 50 per cent of all bites reported over a two-year period were from collies. The dog that bit a young New Haven girl last month was a husky.

It may be premature to endorse a ban on dog breeds. But it’s long past time to bring in a tougher act that stipulates the responsibilities of owners and empowers the authorities to take appropriate action if a dog threatens, injures or kills. The act that has recently been passed is far superior to what we have now. It applies provincewide and includes communities without dog bylaws, and it imposes fairly hefty fines. It also empowers a judge to take whatever action deemed necessary, including destroying a dog and prohibiting an owner from owning another dog.

The sooner the new law can be proclaimed, the better off we’ll all be.