There are new rules for Quebec dog owners of any breed.
Quebec Public Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault announced Wednesday new provincial regulations in order to prevent future dog attacks.
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Citing a 2010 Leger poll, Guilbault said there are around 164,000 dog bites every year in Quebec. Of those, more than a quarter of the victims are children under the age of 12.
The issue of dog attacks has been at the centre of provincial legislation for years. Martin Coiteux, former public security minister, brought in legislation on dangerous dogs in June 2018, but backtracked from implementing any breed-specific bans.
“We adopted a law last year, but this law was useless,” Guilbault said.
Guilbault said since being elected she has been working on introducing rules that will create clear rules around all dog breeds.
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All pets must now be registered with the municipality and must wear a tag provided by that municipality at all times. Doctors and veterinarians are obliged to report any injuries caused by dogs.
Municipalities will have the power to declare some dogs “potentially dangerous” under certain criteria. Those dogs will have to be examined by a veterinarian. In the case of a serious dog attack, the municipality can also order the dog to be euthanized.
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These regulations apply to all Quebec municipalities, but the minister was clear that municipalities can adopt even stricter bylaws if they choose.