More pit bulls brought to Sask. following Montreal breed ban

More pit bulls have been coming to Saskatchewan through rescue groups since Montreal announced a breed ban last week.

The city called for the bylaw, which goes into effect Monday, after a 55-year-old woman was killed by a dog police described as a pit bull.

John Claggett has been fostering pit bulls through Prairie Sky Dog Rescue in Regina.

The group primarily focuses on helping stray dogs within the province, but has started helping dogs from Montreal, including one pit bull named Jack.

“The longer he stayed with us, the more he revealed to be a very well-trained dog. He even knew how to high-five, which was awesome,” Claggett said.

Jack has since been adopted, but Claggett said more Montreal dogs are on the way.

“There will be a four-year-old female coming in on Sunday night … she’s been stuck in a pound up until now, so she was a little bit more of a priority to get out,” Claggett said.

There will also be three more coming in the next week.

“All have been surrenders meaning that they were all somebody’s family dog. Most of them come with notes saying that they are fully trained, all of those kinds of qualities,” he said.

“It’s a little bit heartbreaking to know that we’re getting someone’s family dog again, but at least we’re giving them a second chance.”

Claggett said he and others in the group are frustrated by the decision made in Montreal.

As of Oct. 3, the ban makes it illegal for a “pit-bull type dog” to be adopted or bought in the Quebec city.

All current owners of impacted breeds also need to obtain a special permit by Dec. 31. If they don’t, the dog is forbidden on Montreal territory and could be euthanized.

Any pit-bull-type dog will also have to be muzzled at all times outside their homes and kept on a 1.25-metre leash.

“We’re all pretty big believers that a dog will be raised how you raise it,” Clagget said.

“So these incidents of poorly-raised dogs, which have given the pit bull breed a bad name, is really a human problem, not an animal problem. It does feel like Montreal has blamed an animal for what humans have done.”

According to the city bylaw, “pit-bull type dogs” include American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers and American pit bull terriers, plus any mixed breed dogs that have a part of those breeds, or any dog with similar physical characteristics.