Ville de Brossard will amend its animal control bylaw
in the interest of greater safety for its residents
BROSSARD, QC, June 14, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Brossard Mayor Paul Leduc, accompanied by municipal Councillors Francine Raymond and Daniel Lucier, announced at a news conference today that city council intends to amend its animal control bylaw. The amended regulation, which is the outcome of more than six months of work by the Groupe de travail sur le Règlement des animaux de compagnie (GTRAC), will include a number of new measures designed to tighten the supervision of domestic pets in Brossard.
The city will ban some breeds of particularly aggressive dogs, such as pit bulls, from its territory, hire a public inspector to oversee application of the bylaw, and adjust and increase penalties and fines according to the seriousness of the offence.
Of greatest public concern is the safety issue concerning banned breeds. Once the amended bylaw is adopted and enforced, owners of these breeds will not lose their acquired rights, but will have to act quickly to comply with the new measures during the transition period established by the municipal council. Among others, they will have to provide a certificate from an insurance company attesting that they have public liability coverage of at least $250,000, show proof that they and their dog have completed and passed an obedience course, and file a certificate showing that the dog is carrying a microchip. In addition, owners must muzzle their animal when it is outside their property, on public roads and in public areas. Owners of breeds designated as banned will not have access to dog exercise areas, even if they have a restricted ownership right.
The bylaw in its current form is viewed as contemporary and serves as a benchmark for other municipalities. The amendments to be made for the territory under Brossard's jurisdiction raise the bylaw to a higher level.
"Following the unfortunate accident in Brossard in the fall of 2015, when a girl was bitten in the face by a pit bull, we proactively created GTRAC so that professionals and community members could work together to study the issues involving family pets and propose measures that address the concerns and expectations of Brossard residents," explained Mayor Leduc. "The amended bylaw, which is based on the committee's recommendations, will be implemented in the coming weeks."
For his part, Bernard Biron, whose daughter was the victim of a pit bull attack, stated: "I would like to thank the Ville de Brossard for the way it reacted after my daughter was attacked. The work done by GTRAC was thorough and objective. The changes to the bylaw proposed today show that Brossard has assumed its responsibility and implemented the means to ensure residents' safety."
Mayor Leduc added: "This safety issue prompted Brossard to tighten its bylaws. According to studies consulted by GTRAC, pit bulls are responsible for the vast majority of documented serious attacks. Like many other municipalities in Quebec, we have opted for a ban to make Brossard's parks and public areas safer."
He concluded: "The Ville de Brossard also applauds the Quebec government's decision to create a task force to review regulations that apply to pit bulls. We believe it is the Quebec government's responsibility to legislate on this issue. This will contribute to better public protection and will make it possible to harmonize the various municipal bylaws in a very concrete way. We have offered the government our full co-operation on this matter."
Notice-of-motion preceding adoption of the amended bylaw governing domestic pets will be tabled this evening at the Brossard municipal council meeting.
SOURCE Ville de Brossard
Communications Department, Ville de Brossard, 450 923-6311
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