The City of Montreal is fighting to have its dangerous dog ban reinstated, after a Superior Court judge ruled in favour of the Montreal SPCA last week.
In his ruling, Justice Louis Gouin said the bylaw was unclear and the city needs to define exactly what a pit bull is.
The city filed papers in court Wednesday, asking for permission to appeal the suspension of the pit bull-related clauses of the animal control bylaw.
READ MORE: Montreal pit bull ban: Quebec judge suspends controversial bylaw
According to the Montreal SPCA, the city is hoping to appeal the decision in order to implement its breed-specific legislation.
Although a court date has yet to be set, several scenarios are possible.
For the Montreal SPCA, which is suing the city, the best-case scenario would be for the judge to reject the request outright.
READ MORE: Denis Coderre pens letter in response to pit bull controversy
Should a judge grant permission for an appeal, the stay could be lifted until the case is heard, meaning the pit bull ban could come back into effect.
Of course, the court could also agree to hear the appeal but maintain the status quo.
Following the ruling last week, Mayor Denis Coderre said he believed that suspending the bylaw put people and risk and vowed to appeal the decision.
“With great respect for the judge’s opinion and the court system, we believe this decision is unfounded in fact and law,” Coderre said.
“Quebec’s Superior Court has already and very clearly recognized the right of cities to ban pit bull type dogs.”
READ MORE: ‘Coderre should wake up and smell the bacon’: Protesters speak out against pit bull bylaw
Projet Montreal city councillor Sterling Downey denounced the Coderre administration’s handling of the file, calling it “inappropriate,” and singled out Coderre for “embarrassing comments aimed at undermining the credibility of Montrealers who oppose the bylaw.”
In a written statement, Downey pointed to two separate incidents last week where the mayor referred to animal rights activists as “wackos,” and then later compared them to National Rifle Association (NRA) lobbyists – a comparison Downey qualified as “odious.”
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