Judge grants Montreal pit bull owners more time to complete permit paperwork

Hundreds of owners of pit bull-type dogs who received letters from the City of Montreal threatening the dogs' seizure will now have extra time to complete their requests to keep their pets.

Prominent Montreal lawyer Anne-France Goldwaterwas in Quebec Superior CourtMondayto ask for an extension ofthe deadline, originally set for this month.

Justice Andr Prvostsuspended the deadline set out inletters sent to 520 dog owners last month, which gave thema month to get rid of their dogs. The new proposed deadline is Dec. 21, although that datestill has to be approved by city council.

Under Montreal'sanimal control bylaw, the owners of pit bulls and pit bull-type dogs had until March 31 to apply for the special permit theynow need to keep their dogs. They haduntil June 1 to provide all the necessary documents to support their application.

The letterinformed owners thatwhile the cityhadreceived theirapplication, their file was incomplete.

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It gave ownersfour weeks to turn overtheir dogto someone who lives in a municipality that allows pit bulls or to a shelter and to fill out a form attesting that thedogis no longer in theirpossession. If not, the lettersaid, theycouldface legal action or the seizure of their pet.

These people, without exception, were people who were trying to abide by the law that we're challenging.- Montreal owner Anne-France Goldwater

Goldwater said many of the dog ownerswho contacted her asking for help in fighting the city's order are law-abiding people who filed their applications on time and paid the $150 fee.

She said they are ordinary people who tried to follow the rules and spent money to purchasemuzzles andleashes and on the permit, only to be toldtheir dogs may be seized anyway.

"When I saw that these people, without exception, were people who were trying to abide by the law that we're challenging because they don't want to play politics with the lives of their family dogs, I became panicked and anxious," Goldwatersaid.

The Montreal Ombudsman's office tweeted a statement, signallingits relief at the city's decision to extend the deadline.

It said the Ombudsman was"rejoicing at the good news!"

Mayor Denis Coderre commented on the deferral, saying, "If it is just a matter of missing some papers, you don't get rid of a dog."

"We need to show that kind of flexibility to accompany the people," he said.