Public Security minister Martin Coiteux tabled legislation Thursday that would essentially force the province's cities and towns to ban types and breeds of dogs the government deems "potentially dangerous" — including pit bulls.
Bill 128 lists several breeds of dogs as "dangerous" — pit bulls, American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers, rottweilers, certain cross-breeds and, essentially, all dogs which are bred to be guard dogs or attack dogs.
The bill would also allow the government to prohibit anyone from owning a dog deemed potentially dangerous, though it will contain a grandfather clause for pet owners who are considered responsible. They would be allowed to keep dogs of that type that are already in their possession.
Dogs who attack people and leave them with serious injuries or kill them will, by law, have to be euthanized.
The law would also require veterinarians to report dogs who have caused injury to people. It would also give cities and towns the right to require an animal believed to be a danger to the public be examined by a vet to determine whether it is.
The Couillard government had promised to legislate on dangerous dogs since the death of Christiane Vadnais in north-end Montreal in June 2016. She was mauled by a neighbor's dog which had initially been identified by police as a pit bull — though that characterization has come under question.
The law was supposed to be tabled last fall, right around the time the city of Montreal passed its own dog bylaw, but it was delayed by, among other things, the strike by government lawyers.