Montreal passes controversial pit bull ban

Nearly four months after a brutal dog attack that claimed the life of a Montreal woman, the city has passed its contentious pit bull ban.

City council voted Tuesday in favour of changes to its animal control bylaw that include a ban on new ownership of pit bull and pit bull-type dogs. The final vote was 37-23 in favour of the ban.

"My duty as mayor of Montreal is making sure I am working for all Montrealers," said Denis Coderre. "And I am there to make sure they feel safe and that they are safe."

The bylaw vote was supposed to take place Monday, butwas pushed to Tuesday due to a busyagenda.

The city announced that the new rules, including the ban on new ownership of pitbull or pit bull-type dogs,will go into effect across all 19 Montreal boroughs starting Oct. 3.

Members ofOppositionProjetMontralquestioned whether theCoderreadministration would be able to enforce the new rules.

"This is going to create a bigger problem than a solution," saidCoun. Sterling Downey.

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Attack leads to action

Supporters argue the new regulationsgive priority tohuman safety over dog safety and that pit bull bans in other jurisdictions decreased the number of severe dog bites.

"A Montreal woman died because someone didn't have control of their dog," said Anie Samson, the cityexecutive committee member in charge of the animal file.

The cityhadoriginally intendedto update its legislation concerning dangerous dogsby 2018, but plans were accelerated following themauling death of 55-year-oldChristianeVadnais.

The dog that attacked her was initially identified as a pit bull, but police now say they are still waiting for DNA test results

Court challenge planned

The announcement hasleda Montreal-basedcoalition, composed oflawyers and experts in animal behaviour opposed to theban, to say it will move forwardwith its plan tolauncha court challenge.

"I think it would be a shame if people allowed Montreal toget away with this,"lawyer Julius Grey told CBC Montreal's Homerun.

"This is very serious. It's not an object, it's not the right to seize a carit's a right to take a member of your family and that should not permitted."

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Animal rights advocates were also quick to pan the bylaw,pointing out thatmany cities that have implemented similar legislation have since repealed it.

"We are extremely disappointed with the council's decision to adopt archaic bylaws that are proven to be ineffective," EwaDemianowicz, campaign manager for Humane Society International/Canada, said in a statement.

Demianowicz said the new law would kill "innocent dogs without any improvement inpublic safety."

The Montreal SPCAsaid in a statement it was "disappointed, but not surprised."

"If the city of Montreal truly wanted to ensure public safety, it would not have forced a rushed adoption of controversial legislation which is unfair, unenforceable, and, most importantly, ineffective," the animal protection agency said.

The bylaw comes as the Quebec government prepares to introduce legislation of its own.Public Safety MinisterMartinCoiteuxsaid the province wouldn't interfere with municipalities that choose to impose stricter rules.

"What's important is that we come up with common standards for the area that make sense, that will actually ensure safety for all. If some townswant to go farther, then I don'tsee why the Quebec government should stop them," Coiteux said.

• QUIZ |How much do you know about Montreal's animal control bylaw?

What's a pit bull?

The new bylawwill apply to all 19 boroughs andwill define pit bullsas:

• Staffordshirebull terriers.
• American pit bull terriers.
• AmericanStaffordshireterriers.
• Any mix withthese breeds.
• Any dog that presents characteristics of one of those breeds.

Those who now own a dog of those breedsand already live in Montreal will have to acquire a special permit in order to keep their pet by Dec. 31, 2016.

The bylaw also creates two categories of dogs of all breeds: at-risk and dangerous. At-risk dogs are those that exhibit aggressivebehaviour, such as biting someone. Dangerous dogs are those that have killed someone or are deemed dangerousby an expert.

"No matter what, if your dog is dangerous, we will be able to act accordingly," Coderre said.

An amendment to the bylawmade Tuesday morning aimed to addressconcernsthat a pit bull would be automaticallyeuthanizedwhen its owner dies.The changes allowthe pit bull's licence to be transferred to another person who was living at the same address, a direct family member or a spouse.

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