Some dog owners in the South West borough say they feel terrorized by aggressive dogs allegedly being allowed to run loose by their owner.
Last Sunday, Marie (who requested anonymity for fear of repercussions) was walking her 10-year-old Shih-Tzu mix in St. Henri when an unleashed husky mix approached them.
"He sniffs around my dog and then all of a sudden, he snaps at his neck and then he raises his head and shakes my little dog from the left to the right," said Marie in a phone interview with CJAD 800 News.
Marie said a man then arrived, grabbed the husky and took off. Her dog ended up with an infection and stitches.
"He's ok but I bet you he will recognize this dog for the rest of his life," said Marie.
"If I relate that to BSL(Breed Specific Legislation), it is so not the thing to do. There are pitbulls at the dog park who are little lambs, they're puppies, they're so nice and well-behaved. And here, there's two horrible huskies encouraged by their master to visibly to attack and there's nothing done about it," said Marie.
Similar stories abound on social media about this same man and his two unleashed husky mixes either on the street or near the Lachine Canal in the borough. Marie said other dog owners told her about similar encounters with this dog owner and his dogs. One woman filed a police report and Marie will do the same.
"I would like this man to be stopped. We all know where he lives. Could the police maybe not follow him once in awhile and just catch him, he's always with the dogs off leash," said Marie.
Police tell CJAD 800 News that people should call 911 or the borough which has canine inspectors but who are only on duty between the summer and the winter.
Parks Canada said the Historic Canals Regulations stipulate that dogs must be held on leashes at all times and that its wardens and Montreal police enforce the regulations at the canal. In a statement, a spokesperson said that "to date, Parks Canada has never needed to issue fines to dog owners. " The fines are $75.
In 2015, Montreal police cadets made 312 interventions with dog owners who did not have their dogs on a leash at the Lachine Canal.