Complaints of aggressive behavior or dog bites increase in Montreal, more than 500 files that were processed last year. The canine population is increasing, but the administration plants also blame the lack of “socialization and education” of several animals.
According to city data, 523 files were opened last year for dogs with “aggressive behavior”. About half of these files are bites, the rest being for example contacts with a person in a park, or a very repetitive yap that scares citizens in a neighborhood.
Among the factors that can explain the upward trend, the city spokesman Guillaume Rivest immediately quotes “the constant increase in the number of dogs on the territory”. The most recent survey in this area, led at the end of 2021, estimated the number of dogs in Montreal at 158,000, compared to 115,000 in 2017.
“Many dogs demonstrate unsuitable behavior in certain situations for lack of socialization and education”, explains Mr. Rivest, who also quotes “lack of knowledge in terms of canine behavior by guards”.
In 2022, when the increase was already noticeable, the city was already worried that the confinement measures linked to the COVID-19 made sure that “the guards, like their respective dog, have little socialized”.
Montreal deplores that many citizens do not comply with the regulations aimed at supervising dogs. Several animals are not, for example, in a leash in a public place and “will attack others,” said the spokesperson. He also quotes “the wearing of the muzzle-not respected” in the event of a bite recurrence, or even a “toy used in a dog park which causes clashes”.
A tightened setting than before
General rule, reporting a bite is compulsory in Montreal, under the municipal regulations, at 311 or the police. Upon receipt of a report, prevention agents conduct an investigation by going to the home of the master of the dog, to document the behavior of the latter and his environment.
To the company for the prevention of cruelty to animals (SPCA), the Director of Defense of Animals and Legal Affairs, Me Sophie Gaillard, however, recalls that legislative changes have recently changed the situation.
“We have a new provincial law which obliges the report on the side of veterinarians and doctors. In the municipal, it was done by district before and the follow-up was very hardly assiduous, but in recent years, the city has centralized treatment and follow-up is much more rigorous, ”she adds.
Nevertheless, “the situation concerns us, since if we see such an increase, that also means that the measures in place are not sufficient”, adds Mr.e Gaillard.
Several risk factors contribute to the development of aggressive behaviors in dogs. “There is the fact of not being sterilized, the history of bad socialization, of ill -treatment. We must supervise the breeding and the sale of dogs more closely so that it is only healthy dogs that are used for reproduction, ”says the manager.
In his eyes, it would also be necessary to regulate the sale of online animals and even in the pet stores, which “often do business with less responsible breeders, who are a bit of dog factories”.
On the island, animal centers cannot sell dogs, cats and rabbits for this reason for a few years, but outside, most cities still allow it. “The last thing is to facilitate access to sterilization, which is still not always hyper accessible,” notes Me Gaillard.
Education workshops
Montreal has been offering canine education workshops for a few years in various districts. Several time slots are still available on the city’s website. Last year, 54 of these training courses were offered in 49 dog parks, joining more than 450 people.
Canine education, by using positive techniques, remains an essential element in cohabitation in a densely populated urban environment and one of the best solutions to the prevention of bites.
Guillaume Rivest, spokesperson for the city of Montreal
He invites Montrealers to “plan their trips when they wish to access businesses by asking a person to support them in order to monitor the animal outside”.
“It is clear that the masters of dog must be emphasized,” said Sophie Gaillard. “People do not always have a responsible approach, especially from the pandemic. And it was much harder to socialize your animal in recent years than in normal times, ”she concludes.
