Montreal pit bull ban could be in place by September

The death of a Montreal woman who wasmauled by an aggressive doghas promptedthe city to seeka ban on pit bulls and other dangerous breeds.

Montreal MayorDenisCoderreannounced Saturday that he will seekapprovalfrom city council this September to go ahead with a ban on new pit bullsthat would apply across the city's 19 boroughs.

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But unlike Quebec City, where a ban will force owners to get rid of their pit bulls by January, Montreal plans to allow existing owners to keep their dogs under certain conditions.

"I'm not comfortable to say that if we ban a breed, the current owners will have to get rid of their dogs, because you have good owners and you have good dogs, but it demands a balanced approach," Coderresaid.

Under his proposal, pit bulls and certain other breedswill have to be registered,spayed or neuteredand wear a muzzle in public.

Coderre said it remains to be seen whetherdogs that are crossbred with pit bulls will fall under the legislation, but did mention that he believes they should.

Taking a stand

Several municipalities in Quebec are re-examining how they regulate dog ownershipin the wake of the death of 55-year-oldChristianeVadnais,whowasfounddeadin the backyard of her east-endPointe-aux-TrembleshomeJune 8. Police believe she was mauled by a pit bull.

Her family has since been calling for a ban on the dogs. They gathered SaturdaySaint-CyrilledeWendover, nearDrummondville, Que., forVadnais's funeral.

Montreal's planned legislationwill be designed to deal with pit bulls in the short term while being broad enough to cover other types of dangerous dogs,Coderresaid.

"There is a situation regarding pit bulls that demands public authorities to take a stand," Coderre said.

• Neighbour describes dog attack on woman killed in her backyard

Coderredid not clarifyhow the city would define a dangerous dog, other than to say that pit bulls would be among the breeds singled out.

In April, four Montreal suburbs announced plans to deal with dangerous dogs, which they defined as:

• Bites, triesto bite, attacks or triesto attack a person or another animal.
• While off itsowner'sproperty,manifests aggression towardsa person or an animal by snarling, growling, showing its teeth, barking ferociously or acting in any way that suggeststhedog may bite or attack.

Publicity campaign

In the meantime,Coderresaid the city will begin a publicity campaign to ensure dog owners are aware of their responsibilities.

Dog ownersare already supposed to register their animals with the city, but out of an estimated 145,000 dogs living in the city just under14 per cent (20,123)are currently registered.

Dog owners are also supposed to inform the city if their dog bites someone.Between 2014 and 2016, 637 dog bites were reportedto the city.

The city will hiremore inspectors in order to increase patrols of the city this summerto ensure dog owners are respecting current municipal regulations.

SPCAopposition

Montreal's SPCAcriticized Coderre's proposal. They said it opens the door tobanning specific breeds, which they say "supports the false premise that dogs that happen to look a certain way are inherently 'dangerous.'"

The SPCAconsidersbreed-specific legislation a form of discrimination. Itwarned that such policies couldlead to the deaths of otherwise well-behaved dogs.

"We are not going to let that happen here,"Nicholas Gilman, the group's executive director, said in a news release.

The SPCAsaid it is exploring options about how to prevent the ban from coming into effect, including legal challenges.

"We know that the Montreal community understands that using hysteria, fear and prejudice as a means to push legislation forward is wholly unacceptable," saidAlanna Devine, the Montreal SPCA'shead of advocacy.

• Pit bull owner and trainer says breed-specific ban not the answer

Ownersreact

Pit bull owners also expressed alarm at the regulations outlined by Coderre on Saturday.

"I don't know how I feel about my pitbull having to wear a muzzle,"MelissaMirasaid in a comment on CBC Montreal's Facebook page.

"We love to jog and playball at the park... This is definitely going to affect our lifestyle..."

John Truss, who owns a dog-training business in Montreal and owns five pit bulls himself, echoed the concerns expressed by the SPCA

"It's the breed-specific part of it that is the problem," Truss said of the city's proposed pit bull ban.

"You're essentially asking for a cull of all the pit bulls," he added. "That is really unfair because 99 per cent of them are really good dogs."

Provincial legislation

Following her death, the province created a working group to review existing regulations surrounding pit bulls and come up with recommendations.

The group met for the first time Thursday, butPremier PhilippeCouillardhassaid Quebec will likely follow Ontario's lead and ban pit bulls across the province.

The working group is expected to come up with a list of proposals by August. Coderre said Saturday that he didn't want to wait for provincial legislation before taking action against pit bulls.

• What arethe options when it comes to regulating dogs?