Siblings attacked by dog as Montreal readies bylaw

Montreal’s mayor called on pet owners to take responsibility for their animals on Monday after a weekend dog attack on two young siblings that caused serious injuries.

Police said a four-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy were recovering from serious injuries to their head and arm, respectively, in two separate incidents on Sunday just hours apart involving the same aggressive dog. The dog belonged to an acquaintance of the children’s grandmother, who was watching the animal in Montreal North.

The attack came as Montreal city council is set to vote on a new series of dangerous dog measures focusing on owners as opposed to dog breeds, and imposes strict conditions on dogs that are considered potentially dangerous due to past behaviour.

Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante’s administration has turned away from breed-specific legislation enacted by the previous administration targeting pit bulls, rules that were dismissed as ineffective in reducing dog bites and difficult to apply. Plante said she’s troubled by the Sunday attack, adding that the dog in this case will be euthanized given what authorities know.

“Of course I was troubled, my thoughts are with the family, the kids who got attacked,” Plante said. “This is something terrible we want to prevent.”

She also called on pet owners to take measures to supervise and care for their animals.

The previous administration enacted a pit bull ban in 2016 after a woman was killed by a dog.