Last year, a horrific and fatal dog attack made international headlines and led to controversial breed-specific legislation in Quebec, Montreal, and several other Canadian municipalities.
Media reports identified the offending dog as a Pit Bull, but DNA results showed it was actually 87.5% American Staffordshire Terrier.
This week, the Quebec coroner’s office released its report on the attack, concluding that the dog’s poor treatment and lack of socialization – not its breed – likely accounted for its aggressive behavior.
Christine Vadnais was brutally attacked and killed when her neighbor’s dog, Lucifer, escaped its home and entered her yard through a hole in the fence. The dog continued to behave aggressively toward police, forcing them to shoot him in order to reach Vadnais’ body.
Lucifer’s owner, Franklin Junior Frontal, cooperated with police and details of the dog’s past began to surface. Frontal stated that he kept Lucifer muzzled even when the dog was home alone due to his aggressive behavior and destructive tendencies. The muzzle was dangling around Lucifer’s neck at the time of the attack.
The dog had previously bitten two of Frontal’s friends and was deceptively registered as a Boxer. In his report, the coroner, Dr. Ethan Lichtblau, noted that Vadnais’s death may have been prevented if Montreal officials had done a proper follow-up after those attacks.
Lichtblau also said that Frontal often left his dog outside in a cage for up to eight hours and rarely gave him exercise, leading him to become a “frustrated, aggressive and violent dog.”
The report concluded:
- The dog who attacked Ms. Vadnais cannot be formally identified as a pit bull type even with DNA test results;
- A lack of socialization and stimulation, as well as basic care, are factors that probably led to his dangerous behavior; and
- Breed-specific legislation is not an effective measure to protect the public.
In the wake of Vadnais’ tragic death, widespread bans on Pit Bull-type dogs caused major backlash from animal welfare groups, rescues, and dog lovers. Quebec has also introduced Bill 128, which aims to prohibit certain breeds of dogs in the entire province.
Research has shown that this type of legislation is not effective in preventing dog attacks. Anti-BSL groups argue that it is not the breed, but the treatment and socialization of the dog that accounts for these incidents.
H/T to Humane Society International & The Montreal Gazette
