Canadian City Takes a Different Approach to Dangerous Dogs

While a number of states, provinces, and even countries have introduced bans prohibiting ownership of dog breeds that have been deemed as dangerous, the city of Toronto, Canada has taken it a bit further with a rather “bespoke” approach to the situation.

Recently, Councillors in the Ontario-based city unanimously approved the introduction of new measures that will help protect the public from dogs known to be dangerous. And it’s not breed-specific, but down to recorded incidents where the dog in question has displayed serious aggression issues.

So, how does this dangerous dog registry work, if not breed-specific?

City staff will be heading out to visit the homes of a whopping 373 various dogs across the city with rap sheets indicating previously reported dangerous behaviour. Working down the list based on level of severity, the pet owners will receive and be required to display signs that advise the public that a dangerous dog lives at that address. Failure to comply will result in significant penalties ranging from the basic $615 fine all the way up to $100,000 upon conviction.

Yes, Toronto got serious about this issue following a series of unprovoked, life-altering dog attacks on both humans and animals over this past year.

There’s more. Having the dangerous dog designation also means the animal must be muzzled when in public, wear a “dangerous dog” tag, and the owner must attend training sessions that will help them learn how to socialize their dog. Additionally, the dog is forbidden from using any of the city’s many off-leash parks.

Now because the success of any program boils down to enforcement of the rules, city staff will do regular compliance checks on that lengthy checklist of dogs, and continue to respond to complaints.

For residents with young children, small pets, or who simply have a fear of dogs, they can go online to check out exactly where these dangerous dogs live. You won’t get the name and address of the animal, but you will get the first three digits of the owner’s postal code (zip code), which ward/area they are located in as well as the dog’s name, breed, color, and the date of the dangerous occurrence.

Having this type of information can help people decide which routes to choose when walking their pet, sending their kids off to school, or heading out for an evening stroll. And the mapping system created by the city shows that it’s not just the “fearsome” bully breeds that have made the list. Want to see how the interactive map works?  Check it out here.

Perhaps focus on the individual dog versus breed, may be a more effective approach to dealing with the challenge of dangerous dogs.