Montreal, March 21st, 2018 – Today, Wednesday March 21st, the Montreal SPCA will be testifying at the special consultations on Bill 128, which would ban certain dog breeds throughout the province of Quebec.
The Montreal SPCA supports the adoption of province-wide legislation addressing the issue of dangerous dogs. However, the organization believes that such legislation should address factors that actually increase the risk of aggressive dog behaviour, rather than targeting animals based on their breed or physical appearance, an approach that lacks any scientific basis, goes against expert opinion, and has proven ineffective wherever it has been adopted.
The Montreal SPCA also recommends a number of additional measures, crucial to any effective solution to the problem of dangerous dogs, but which are currently lacking in the bill, namely the creation of a province-wide dog bite registry and prohibitions on dog ownership for certain individuals.
In addition, the Montreal SPCA suggests a number of amendments that lessen the detrimental effects of any provisions targeting certain breed, should these by maintained by the government. For example, the SPCA recommends that shelters and other animal welfare organizations be allowed to continue to put up for adoption dogs of all breeds, provided they are sterilized and have successfully passed a behavioural assessment.
“The Montreal SPCA believes that the government should adopt proven, evidence-based measures that are backed up by expert opinion, particularly when it comes to public safety. By resorting to measures targeting certain dogs based on their breed or physical appearance, Bill 128 goes astray,” states attorney Alanna Devine, Director of Animal Advocacy at the Montreal SPCA.
“The Montreal SPCA is pleased to be testifying alongside veterinary behaviourists, experts in dog bite epidemiology, including the Quebec coroner, who have all come to the conclusion that breed bans do not increase public safety,” says Élise Desaulniers, Executive Director of the Montreal SPCA.
Alanna Devine, Director of Animal Advocacy, and Sophie Gaillard, lawyer for the Animal Advocacy department, will be available for media requests following their testimony on Wednesday, March 21 at noon, at the National Assembly.
- Visit www.saferkindercommunities.com to take action and share their views on Bill 128 with the government, as well as to learn more about the Montreal SPCA’s recommendations;
- Urge your MNA to oppose this discriminatory legislation.
Photo credit: Jo-Anne McArthur | We Animals
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Media contact: Anita Kapuscinska, Communications Manager, Montreal SPCA, 514 656-2760, or anitak@spca.com.
About the Montreal SPCA Founded in Montreal in 1869, we were the first animal welfare society in Canada and our mission is to:
- protect animals against negligence, abuse, and exploitation;
- represent their interests and ensure their well-being;
- raise public awareness and help develop compassion for all living beings.
For more information about the Montreal SPCA, please visit our website at www.spca.com.
