GUYSBOROUGH, N.S. — The Municipality of Guysborough has passed a bylaw banning residents from owning Rottweilers.

People who already own the controversial breed will be exempt from the ban as long as they register their dogs with the municipality by May 1.

Rottweiler owner Karen Wood was one of three people who appeared at a council meeting Wednesday night to try to convince councillors to reconsider the ban.

It didn't work. The councillors voted unanimously for the ban.

"We believe it's a knee-jerk reaction to some of the things that are occurring," Wood said later.

"There have been some horrendous things that have happened, but we also believe the individual deed needs to be addressed, not the breed as a whole."

There have been a number of attacks involving Rottweilers recently, including a high-profile case outside Saint John, N.B., in which a three-year-old boy was mauled to death.

Warden Lloyd Hines said he witnessed an incident in Glace Bay, N.S., last weekend that convinced him of the need for a ban.

He said a Rottweiler wandered into the backyard of Rick and Yvonne MacKenzie and killed the family's poodle.

"That could have been Mr. MacKenzie's child," Hines said. "I spoke to him and he said he took his kids in five minutes before that happened.

"I don't want to be the warden of the Municipality of Guysborough and have to go to the funeral of some kid who was eaten."

Wood believes the ban will keep dog owners from moving to Guysborough.

"I've been looking all over the province for possible different places to live," she said. "This is a beautiful spot, but not for me anymore.

"That dog is part of my family. I have children as well and I'm not going to choose one over the other."