A prominent Montreal lawyer is trying to save a pit bull from an order to have it put down after it attacked six people, including four children, last August.
Anne-France Goldwater argued in court today the section of the city bylaw that declares a dog must be euthanized once declared dangerous contravenes provincial animal welfare legislation.
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She’s arguing the dog should instead be sent to a specialized refuge in New York, where it would be kept away from the public and never adopted to a home.
Goldwater says the evidence demonstrates the dog in the current case wasn’t given a proper behavioural evaluation and the owner was shut out of the process.
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But a lawyer for the City of Montreal argued the dog’s actions on the day of the attack clearly showed it was dangerous, and municipal authorities had every right to order its euthanization.
The Crown announced this week that there would be no criminal charges against the woman who was watching the dog when the dog attacks took place.
Among the victims were two children — a brother and sister — were attacked by the dog in separate attacks on the same day, after which the dog was seized by authorities.
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