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Montreal Bans Pit Bulls? Canadian City Passes Controversial Law Against All Dogs That Belong To Or Resemble The Canine Breed

By Patrick Frye
Published on: 07:14 PST, Sep 28, 2016

Montreal has made owning a pit bull very expensive and an offense without proper permits. It has essentially signed the death warrant of hundreds of dogs. The city passed the controversial legislature this week, and the law will come into effect on October 3.

Montreal city councilors on Tuesday voted to effectively banish the canine breed from city limits and made owning one virtually a crime. Legislatures voted in 37 to 23 favor of the breed-specific legislation. According to the law, any dog that remotely resembles a pit bull must have special and expensive permits to own. Furthermore, the owner has to meet a very strict set of conditions if he or she wants to own the breed.

Why is Montreal against pit bulls? The city of Montreal has been trying to formulate a law and update its legislation about dangerous breeds of dogs. The original timeline for the amendment was 2018. However, plans were significantly accelerated after a dog that resembled a pit bull, mauled a senior citizen.

The body of Christiane Vadnais, 58, was found in her home’s backyard in June. While the narration of the events remains sketchy, a dog that belonged to an apartment owner who lived nearby attacked Vadnais. The injuries sustained in the attack were fatal, and the old woman was declared dead. The incident caused immense outrage in the city, forcing legislators to expedite the law about dangerous dogs. The deceased’s brother, Serge Vadnais, was instrumental in pushing for the signing of the bill. Incidentally, pit bulls have been banned in Ontario since 2005.

Surprisingly, the police are now uncertain whether the dog that attacked the old lady was a pit bull. Police officials say they are still waiting for DNA test results to confirm the breed.

While signing the bill into law, Mayor Denis Coderre said it was its primary responsibility to protect the citizens of his city.

“My duty as mayor of Montreal is making sure I am working for all Montrealers. And I am there to make sure they feel safe and that they are safe. The vast majority of them want me to take concrete measures.”

The law bans new ownership of pit bull or pit bull-type dogs in all 19 Montreal boroughs starting October 3. The law specifically applies to American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, and American pit bull terriers, but covers any dog that resembles the breed including pit-bull mixes or any dog with similar physical characteristics. Owners have until December 31 to seek a special permit with the city. Failing to secure a permit could allow the city to cease and euthanize the pit bull.

All pit bull owners must sterilize their dogs and get them inserted with tracking microchips. Rabies vaccination is mandatory before March 2017 (all other dogs can be vaccinated before December 31, 2019). All pit bulls will have to wear muzzles while their owners take them out for a stroll. Moreover, owners of the dogs have to prove they do not have a criminal record. License to own a dog costs about $25, but pit bull owners will have to shell out $150 a year.

If all the costs are taken into consideration, owning a pit bull in Montreal could cost as much as $650, claim animal advocates. Such high costs would invariably force low-income pit bull owners to give up their beloved pets. When asked about the exorbitant fee structure, Mayor Coderre responded by saying “those who want dogs must assume the responsibilities that come with ownership.”

Many animal advocates have rallied against the controversial legislature. Dog lovers point out that singling out a breed isn’t an effective or even logical solution simply because any dog can be taught to be loving or brutal depending on the owner. It is quite likely the city will have to defend against a barrage of litigation that questions the legality of the ban against pit bulls.

[Featured Image by Yiorgos Doukanaris/Getty Images]

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