City had promised new rules about pit bulls, other dangerous dogs by the fall
The City of Montreal is going ahead with its plan to ban all new pit bulls from its 19 boroughs by the fall.
The proposed bylaw, which was presented this morning to the executive committee, will also see the city forbid people convicted of violent crimes from owning pit bulls.
It is expected to come into effect Sept. 26.
“A woman died on our territory, and we can’t forget about that. We all love animals, but it’s up to us as humans, as owners, to better control them in order to ensure other humans’ safety isn’t jeopardized,” said Anie Samson, vice-chair of the city’s executive committee and the councillor responsible for animal welfare.
What does the bylaw say?
The city will define pit bulls as:
Staffordshire bull terriers.
American pit bull terriers.
American Staffordshire terriers.
Any mix with these breeds.
Those who already own one of those kinds of dogs and already live in Montreal will have to acquire a special permit in order to keep their pet.
The bylaw also creates two categories of dogs, which would not apply only to pit bulls: at-risk and dangerous. At-risk dogs are those that exhibit aggressive behaviour, such as biting someone. Dangerous dogs are those that have killed someone or are deemed dangerous by an expert.
Under the new rules, once a dog is deemed to be dangerous, a euthanasia order will be issued for it.
During the meeting, Mayor Denis Coderre said the city is aiming for a balanced approach that rewards good owners and good pets. He said it isn’t going after a specific breed of dog, but rather a type of dog.
“If you conform to the conditions, if you do what you have to and respect the procedure, you can keep your dog,” he said.
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