In 2016, a controversial bylaw was passed in Montreal, Canada that required Pit Bulls to be muzzled when walked, charged existing owners to keep their dogs, and forbade Pit Bull-type dogs from being adopted.
Today, that breed-specific legislation has been struck down by the Project Montreal administration. Existing dangerous dog laws remain in place and a new bylaw is expected to be passed early in 2018 after extensive consultation with animal behavior experts, dog owners, and non-dog owners in order to reduce the amount of dog bites in the city without discriminating against any specific dog breed.
Councillor Craig Sauvé, the executive committee member in charge of animal services, told CTV News:
“The pit bull-style dog will no longer be considered a dangerous breed in Montreal. We’ll have a global approach that includes all dogs, and I believe it’s the right approach for Montreal.”
The province of Quebec has recently put aside a law that would ban dangerous dogs. It’s unknown whether or not this issue will become a big factor in the October 2018 elections. Montreal would of course be bound to follow any stricter laws put in place by Quebec.
