Deadline to register Montreal pit bulls will be extended, city says

Montreal pit bull owners will have an extra threemonths to apply for the special permits their dogs will need to live in the city.

The city's executive committee will vote on extendingthe deadlines set out in its animal bylaw at its next meeting, to take place on Wednesday.

Under the rules, which came into effect in October, the deadline was Dec. 31.

However, due to the two-month, court-ordered suspension of the pit bull-related parts of the city's bylaw,the city will extend the deadlineto the end of March.

• Mayor Denis Coderre says his priority is protecting people, not dogs

The new dates will be as follows:

• Applicants will have until March 31 to file for the special pit bull permit, changed from Dec. 31.
• Applicants must prove they owned the dog as of Dec. 1, instead of Oct. 3.
• Applicants will have until June 1 to provide documents that prove they don't have a criminal record and that the dog is spayed or neutered, microchipped andhas its rabies shots.

The bylaw's suspension was the result of a court challenge by the Montreal SPCA.

It was granted in October, not long after the new rules came into effect, and was overturned by Quebec's Court of Appeal earlier this month.

The proposed deadline extensions will only apply to pit bull owners those who have cats and other kinds of dogs must still register their animals by Dec. 31.

The city has information about where, when and how to obtain animal permits on its website.

• Own a dog or a cat in Montreal? Here's what you need to know