New Definition of Dangerous Dogs in Prince George
CKC applauds BC’s City of Prince George for updating its 12-year-old animal control bylaw, which the city recognized lacked effectiveness regarding problems related to public safety and owner responsibility—notably that dog bites had increased dramatically, despite implementing breed specific legislation.
The proposed bylaw—which has been granted its first three readings so far—does not reference specific dog breeds in favour of “nuisance”, “aggressive” and “dangerous” dogs and focuses on responsible dog ownership. CKC is pleased to note that the City’s report to Council included the CKC policy statement on Breed Specific Legislation.
New Montreal Administration Brings New Hope
With the leader of the opposition of Projet Montréal, Valérie Plante, now serving as Mayor and the recent publication of the Montreal coroner’s report on Christiane Vadnais denouncing breed specific laws, change may be on the horizon and the breed-specific provisions of a
Montreal animal control bylaw introduced a year ago could soon be a thing of the past.
Projet Montréal has always been a strong advocate for animal welfare and reports of plans to repeal the contentious breed-specific bylaw, along with possible public consultations regarding a new animal welfare bylaw are encouraging and could have a tremendous impact on the outcome of Quebec Bill 128.
CKC has never wavered in its stance on breed specific legislation and we have been lobbying Montreal and Quebec policymakers since early 2016 to support well-crafted dangerous dog legislation that is reasonable, enforceable and non-discriminatory. We believe that public awareness and education, stronger enforcement of existing bylaws and stiffer penalties for irresponsible owners is more effective at protecting the public.
Further information is expected in the days ahead. Please watch for more details as they become available.