Quebec looking at tighter pit bull regulations after recent incidents

QuebecAgriculture Minister Pierre Paradis says the government is examining the possibility of following Ontario's example and adopting a province-wide ban on pit bulls.

Paradis told reporters "there's a sense of urgency" among provincial officials meeting todayto figure out how to deal with the problem.

The comments comea week after a woman was found dead after being mauled by a pit bull inPointe-aux-Trembles.

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On Tuesday,police reported two more pit bull attacks in Quebec, while theCity ofBrossardintroduced a proposed banon the dogs.

Speaking with reporters in Quebec City,Health MinisterGatanBarrette added that he's personally in favour of a ban.

Barrette said hesaw first-hand the damage the dogscan causeafter one attacked a child inhis riding ofBrossardlast September.

"Thechild has significant permanent damage, not only esthetically," he said.

"That child has nerve damage to her face that will lastforever and that's a dog that does that, and at some point there has to be some answer to that."

2 more dog attacks

Twomorepeople were bitten by pit bullson Tuesday, one in Quebec City and another in the Laurentians, police said.

The incident in theLaurentianshappened in a backyard inSainte-Adle, wherea woman was visiting a friend, a spokesperson for theSretduQubecsaid.

Police identified the dog as a pit bull and said he was tied up at the time.

The town's mayor, RobertMilot, told CBC Newsthe dog was registered as alabrador-boxermix.

However, IsabelleChalifoux of the SPCM, the municipality's animal protection agency, later said that was an error and that dog was registered at differentaddress.

The dog involved in the biting incident was not registered with the municipality, she said.

The woman was taken to hospital to be treated for injuries to her leg.

• Pit bull owner and trainer says breed-specific ban not the answer

TheSPCMsaid its staff will inspect the dog later today and, if it isin fact a pitbull, the owner will be given 48 hours to get rid of it.

If it is moved to another town, the owner will have to give the address to the SPCM.The owner will also face a fine but neither the mayor nor theSPCM could sayhow much that would be.

Sainte-Adle banned dangerous dogs in 1998. It bannedpitbulls in 2012, according to the mayor.

The attack inQuebecCity happened on a street corner and also involved a pit bull, police said.

A 47-year-old woman was taken to hospital.

Montreal mulls ban

For its part, the Cityof Montreal is considering a ban onpitbullsbut it has yet to harmonize its animal control regulations across all 19 boroughs.

One resident said Tuesdaypolice need more powers to deal with dog attacks.

Notre-Dame-de-Grce residentPeterMeasrochsaid hewas walking along Sherbrooke Street three weeksago when he was suddenly attacked by a pitbull that was tied up to a bicycle stand.

"I was looking in the store windowand then all of a sudden I just sort of felt a whack on the back of the knee," he said.

"I turned around and I had this hole in the back of my knee and I was bleeding."

Measrochsaidthere's no clear policy in place for when attacks happen in Montreal.

"The policesaid to me, 'What would you like to see as an outcome? Do you want us to give a ticket? This is more kind of SPCA stuff,'" Measrochrecalled.

The SPCA and some veterinarians say breed-specific bans are ineffective, and the focus should be on the owners.

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