Banned pit bulls being brought to East Coast

Animal rescue groups in Atlantic Canada are rallying to find new homes on the East Coast for pit bull-type dogs they say may now face euthanasia in Montreal.

The transport of the canines along the Trans-Canada Highway is coming in response to a Montreal city council vote in favour of a new bylaw that bans new pit bull-type dogs and places restrictions on those currently in the city.

Anthony Carter, director of the Halifax-based Pawsability Rescue Society, said Thursday he’s fearful that in many instances the ban will lead to the dogs being put down by their owners.

“We put a couple of messages out saying we’re looking for additional foster homes for pit breeds from the Montreal area ... basically to save their lives,” he said in an interview on Thursday.

As of next Tuesday the bylaw makes it illegal to own any new pit bull-type dog – a list that includes American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers and American pit bull terriers – or any dogs mixed with those breeds or that bear similar physical characteristics.

Grandfathered dogs must be registered by the end of the year and owners will have to be screened for a criminal record. They must also provide proof the dog has been sterilized, micro-chipped and vaccinated against rabies.

Pit bulls will have to be muzzled outdoors and kept on a short leash with few exceptions.

Carter said he fears that the new rules will lead to many dogs either being abandoned or brought to veterinarians’ offices to be euthanized even though they’re in good health.

After he placed a notice on his organization’s Facebook page seeking homes for the dogs, he and two other volunteers received about 200 messages offering homes to the dogs.

“It’s been very busy,” he said, adding he and the volunteers will now screen the applicants to ensure they’re suitable owners.

The shipping of the dogs to the East Coast is also being organized by Transports without Borders, based in Saint John, N.B.

Shelley Cunningham, who operates the Litters’n Critters rescue society in Halifax, said she is bringing three pit bulls to Nova Scotia on Saturday.

“The three dogs we have coming down were set to be euthanized,” she said. “We’re going to get them fixed and vetted and then adopted by the proper family.”