Hearings into Quebec-wide pit-bull ban get emotional
Bill 128 backers cite public safety; vets decry breed-specific legislation
QUEBEC The family of a woman mauled to death in 2016 by her neighbour’s dog has called on politicians to put their differences aside and implement a ban on dangerous breeds in the name of public safety.
But the association of provincial veterinarians argued a breedspecific ban — as being proposed by Quebec — will not solve the problem alone. They say educating owners is just as important, but added “zero risk” is not possible when it comes to dogs.
In a day of emotional testimony before a committee of the National Assembly examining Bill 128, the family of Christiane Vadnais, who was killed in 2016 by a pit bull-type dog, welcomed a second chance to get rid of dangerous dogs now that Montreal has suspended its proposed ban.
“What we want to show is the abnormally dangerous nature of pit bulls,” Lise Vadnais, sister of Christiane, told the media as she arrived at the hearings. “We are tired of the disinformation.
“What we want to do is say what is known scientifically of the pit bull. We know, for example, that the pit bull is responsible for 50 per cent of dog attacks. The next dog on the list is nine per cent.”
And the Vadnais family — about 20 members including Christiane Vadnais’s daughter, Émilie Routhier, attended the hearings — did their homework.
In a 16-page brief, they highlighted cities around the world that have imposed such bans with a resulting drop in dog attacks.
“No pit-bull owner, even the most responsible ones, can guarantee their dog will always be harmless,” the family writes.
They noted a recent Léger poll revealed 64 per cent of Quebecers fear walking on the same street as a pit bull and 72 per cent agree with the provincewide ban the Liberal government is proposing in Bill 128.
“People are disappointed with the decision taken by (Mayor) Valérie Plante,” Vadnais said.
“Now the provincial government has a role to play and it’s today they have to play it. We have a lot of hope that people will put politics aside and decide to opt for public security.”
But as Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux — who is responsible for the bill — predicted earlier in the day, the subject of dog bans ignites all kinds of emotions no matter what is proposed.
“We aren’t wearing rose-coloured glasses here,” Coiteux told reporters. “It’s a bill which polarizes opinions. I don’t know if it’s possible to find a large consensus, but it may be possible to find some kind of rallying point for most.
“It is my duty to ensure that Quebecers are safe in every community, in every city. We need minimal rules that will ensure the security of our citizens because we live together with dogs and some of those dogs are more dangerous than others.”
Both sides were well represented at the hearings, which will run three days.
The Vadnais family welcomed the arrival of one of the largest dog-control groups in Canada, National Pit Bull Victim Awareness, which offers support and lobbies on behalf of dog-attack victims in Canada and the United States.
The group presented a detailed 32-page brief documenting the serious and growing nature of the problem in North America. They reveal 220 cities in Canada — apart from Ontario, which has a provincewide ban on pit bulls — have breed-specific legislation. So do 900 cities in the United States.
The group said there are, on average, 1,000 pit bull attacks a year in North America. Many others go unreported.
“Such attacks are very traumatic for most people,” said group spokesperson Mia Johnson, who was a victim of an attack.
“We believe in breed-specific legislation. We call it breed-safety legislation because we want to see the public protected.”
But the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec told the committee the government needs to take a longer-term view and go beyond just a framework law for certain dogs.
If passed in its current form, Bill 128 would prevent people in Quebec from acquiring three breeds associated with pit bulls — American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers and Staffordshire bull terriers.
“Is the problem the owner or the dog ?,” the association asked in its brief. “It seems pretty clear that, in most cases, both are responsible.”
The association, however, noted that for many owners, the emotional bond they have with the animal leads to a form of denial at obvious signs of aggressive behaviour, which often worsens or results in an attack.
It said the real solution is to better control the breeding and sales of such dogs, as well as to create a registry so the government can track those with behavioural problems.
Challenged at the hearing by Coiteux over their long-term public education view, in the face of what Coiteux said have been terrible human consequences and “legitimate public fears,” Caroline Kilsdonk, president of the veterinarians association, stood her ground.
“Zero risk will never exist,” Kilsdonk told the committee. “You want a short-term solution applicable right away. We want to focus on long term and avenues which are the least polarizing and efficient.”