Montreal Suspends Pit Bull Ban

Last week Montreal's City Council passed a ban on Pit Bulls that was quickly met with public outcry... and a lawsuit. The Montreal SPCA is arguing that the law is so vaguely worded that it puts any large-headed dog at risk. As a result the ban only lasted a few hours before Justice Louis Gouin of Quebec Superior Court temporarily suspended it while reviewing the Montreal SPCA's lawsuit against the city. Yesterday it was decided that the law should be put on hold for the duration of the legal challenge. The opposition is supported by the Quebec Order of Veterinarians, United States-based Pit Bull advocates, and even celebrities like Pamela Anderson and Cyndi Lauper.

The law bans new Pit Bulls and requires existing Pit Bulls to be licensed by the end of the year. Additionally, the dogs would have to be neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated by March 31, 2017, muzzled in public, and their owners would have to undergo a criminal background check.

The push for this law came after a fatal mauling that happened in a Montreal suburb during the summer. As it turns out, the dog responsible for the killing may not have even been a Pit Bull. Montreal police are still waiting on a DNA test to confirm the breed.

The outcome of the lawsuit could shape the treatment of bully breeds beyond Montreal since Quebec is currently considering a province-wide ban. Unfortunately breed specific bans aren't new to Canada. The city of Winnipeg implemented a similar restriction in 1990 and the whole province of Ontario in 2005.

But breed specific legislation is deeply problematic. It's a band-aid that tries to prevent dog attacks by making a sweeping generalization about a single breed. The statistics seem to back up the misplaced blame. According to Liz White of the Animal Alliance of Canada, dog bites in Toronto increased 24 percent between 2014 and 2015, despite the decade long ban there.

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I hope that the Montreal SPCA is successful in defeating the law and helps the city put better practices in place, like education and training resources. Responsible dog owners can prevent dog bites and attacks, not breed specific legislation.