Quebec Order of Veterinarians says vets have right to refuse to euthanize pit bulls

Quebec's Order of Veterinarians has told members, asa bylaw banning new pit bullsin Montreal looms,that they have the right to refuse to euthanize healthy dogs, even if owners are found to have violated municipal rules.

In a letter to its members, the ordersaidveterinariansmustweigh issues of animal welfare and public health in making their decisions, but ultimately, "no municipal regulation or provincial legislation can obligate a veterinarian to carry out any veterinary act."

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City council is expected to pass new regulations Monday that would ban new ownership ofpitbulls, and place restrictions on people already owning the breed,including:

• Keeping the dogsmuzzled at all times outside.
• Keeping them on a 1.25-metre leash.
• Paying a $150registration fee.

Owners who violate these rulescould be ordered to have their dogs put down.

But some veterinarianssay they will refuse to euthanize apitbullbased solely on a bylaw violation.

"I, professionally, morally, ethically am not required toeuthanizethose animals," saidDr. Karen JoyGoldenberg, veterinarian at thePierrefondsAnimalHospital.

"Now,if I actually witness or believe that a dog is dangerous to public safety, it has actually bitten someone, regardless of its breed, then absolutely I would agree to put it to sleep for its welfare and the welfare of the people around it."

• What you need to know about Montreal's proposed dog bylaw

Dr. JolBergeron, president of the Quebec Order ofVeterinarians, says he has fielded many calls from veterinariansto clarify their responsibility incomplying with a municipal order to put down a dog.

"They worry about that," saidBergeron. "Euthanasia is a big concern for our members when it's not based on a very scientific reason or [a] health condition."

48-hour window

Veterinarians whorefuse to euthanize a pit bull,Bergeronsaid, must make an effort to refer owners to another professional who will agree to put downthedog.

The problem is, under the new bylaw, owners have only 48 hours from the time euthanasia is orderedto find a veterinarianwilling to perform the procedure, and another 24 hours to provide written proof that the dog has been put down.

TheSPCA, which currently holds the contracts for dog services in 10Montreal boroughs, said it will noteuthanizedogs affected by the newpitbull-specificrules.

"It's going to be very, very hard to find a big population of veterinarians whowill sleep well at night, knowing they've put down a healthy animal," saidGoldenberg.

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Bergeronadded thatit isup to the city to clarify exactly what owners and veterinariansmust doif they can't find a veterinarian willing to put theiranimals down.

AnieSamson, theMontreal executive committee member in charge of animal control, declined to be interviewed on specifics about the new bylaw.

Identifying breeds

The Order of Veterinariansis also warning veterinariansthey cannot alter a dog's file to list their breed as something other than apitbull, unless there is a valid reason.

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Bergeronsaid a dog's veterinary files constitute a legal document and can only be changedif the ownerobtainsa breed certification from a kennel club, or a DNA test proving it's a different breed. But even that is not foolproof, according to Bergeron.

"It can then be a challenge to identify exactly, even with a DNA test, what kind of dog we have in our hands."