Montreal Gazette

Owners rush to muzzle dogs

Store shelves emptying as new bylaw on pit bulls takes effect

- KATHERINE WILTON

Dog muzzles are flying off the shelves of Montreal pet stores as owners of pit-bull-type dogs ensure that they comply with aspects of the city’s new controvers­ial bylaw that come into force on Monday.

“We have sold more in the past two days (16) than the past two years,” said Claire Barakaris, owner of Canine & Compagnie, a pet store in Notre Dame de Grâce.

Starting Monday, pit-bull-type dogs have to be muzzled at all times outside their homes and kept on a 1.25-metre leash. Adopting or buying a pit-bull-type dog is now illegal in Montreal.

A steady stream of pit bull owners visited her store last week, Barakaris said, many of whom needed advice on how to use a muzzle, which costs between $30 and $40.

“It’s not that easy to put a muzzle on a dog — in one case, it took about 20 minutes,” she said.

Barakaris suggested that owners try to make the experience “fun and playful” by giving the dog treats. “They can put a treat through the muzzle and have the dog retrieve it, ” she said.

She also said that owners need to “not give off a bad vibe” when using the muzzle because it could lead to the dog refusing to wear it.

Many pit bull owners are disappoint­ed that they have to muzzle their pet, Barakaris said. “One person said her dog looked like Hannibal Lecter.”

It is estimated that there are about 7,000 pit-bull-type dogs in Montreal and it could be a while before there are enough muzzles to go around.

Nicola Poirier, assistant manager at the Mondou pet store in N.D.G., said they didn’t have enough in stock when the bylaw was adopted last Wednesday and his shelves are empty. “It was bad timing,” he said. “We will let our customers know when we get some more.”

Montreal city council voted last week to ban new pit-bull-type dogs (American Staffordsh­ire terriers, Staffordsh­ire bull terriers, American pit bull terriers and any mixed breed dogs that have a part of those breeds) in the wake of a fatal attack on a Pointe-aux-Trembles woman in June. Police and the dog ’s owner initially said the dog was a pit bull, but results of DNA tests have not been released.

On Monday, lawyers for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will ask a judge to suspend applicatio­n of sections of the bylaw that pertain to pit-bull-type dogs on the grounds they are discrimina­tory and because the provisions are “vague and imprecise in their definition of pit-bull-type dogs.”

Montreal’s decision to ban the dogs is garnering attention internatio­nally and online. A Facebook video about the ban has been viewed more than 15 million times and there is an online petition calling on tourists to boycott the city.

The city says that pit bulls were reported as responsibl­e in 38 per cent of dog bites in the last 21 months and steps were needed to make Montrealer­s feel safe.

Tara Garland purchased a muzzle for her dog, Gia, about six weeks ago and has been training her to use it for several weeks. She started by feeding her treats from the basket because she wanted the dog to have a positive associatio­n with it.

Garland said she is saddened that she will have to muzzle her dog when she takes Gia out for a walk on Monday. “There’s a stigma attached to it (wearing a muzzle),” she said “And that is that your dog is dangerous. My dog is very sweet and well trained.”

 ?? PETER MCCABE ?? Tara Garland, left, gets the attention of Gia as Canine & Compagnie owner Claire Barakaris adjusts a leather muzzle on Sunday.
PETER MCCABE Tara Garland, left, gets the attention of Gia as Canine & Compagnie owner Claire Barakaris adjusts a leather muzzle on Sunday.

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