Appeal court to rule on Montreal request to overturn suspension of pit bull ban

MONTREAL — Quebec’s highest court announced Friday it will deliberate and render a written decision shortly on the City of Montreal’s request to overturn the suspension of its bylaw banning pit bulls and similar breeds.

Montreal passed legislation in late September banning new pit bull-type dogs on its territory but parts of the law were quickly challenged by the local SPCA.

Lawyers for the city asked the appellate court to lift the decision by a lower court to stay the bylaw pending the outcome of the SPCA’s legal challenge.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Louis J. Gouin ruled in October that the law was hastily written and vague, specifically regarding the definition of “pit bull-type dogs,” as described in the legislation.

According to the bylaw, banned breeds include American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers and American pit bull terriers — or any dogs mixed with those breeds or that bear similar physical characteristics.

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Aside from banning all new breeds of dogs considered similar to pit bulls, the bylaw also places strict restrictions on those animals currently owned by citizens.

Lawyers for Montreal argued Friday that Gouin’s initial suspension should not have lasted more than 10 days and the urgency with which the request for a stay was heard prevented the city from adequately defending its position.

Montreal’s SPCA replied that the city never asked for the suspension to be limited to 10 days.

The animal-welfare organization says the breed-specific regulations targeting pit bulls are discriminatory and unreasonable.

The Canadian Press

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