In the past few years there have been a number of concerning incidents involving aggressive dogs in Stittsville. I share these concerns, and I have been looking for ways that the City of Ottawa can strengthen the rules to ensure residents are safe.
A response to my most recent inquiry to City staff about vicious dogs shows that since the pandemic, there continues to be an increasing the number of reported dog bites/attacks in Ottawa.
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| Dog bite/attack reports | 562 | 654 | 715 | 845 |
There has also been an increase in the number of charges, court summonses, and muzzle orders as a result of dog bites/attacks.
| Action taken | 2022 | 2023 | Total |
| Charges | 201 | 268 | 469 |
| Court Summonses | 14 | 21 | 35 |
| Muzzle orders issued | 79 | 115 | 194 |
| Total actions | 294 | 404 | 698 |
Under Ottawa’s Animal Care and Control By-law, dogs that have bitten or attacked a person or domestic animal, without provocation, are deemed “vicious”.
I think more can be done to inform the public about safety issues associated with vicious dogs, as well as ensure that cases that need to go before the Provincial courts are dealt with faster.
Here’s what I would like to see done:
- Clear the backlog of Provincial court cases. The Province needs to assign more judges to Provincial courts in Ottawa. Right now, it can take months, sometime and sometimes more than a year, for these cases to be heard. That is far too long, especially considering our by-law officials must wait for a judge to issue a court order before they can seize a vicious dog.
- Follow the lead of the City of Toronto regarding more tools for public notification. This includes voluntary signage warning of vicious dogs on a property and posting a public list of aggressive dogs online. There are, however, limitations surrounding privacy. For example, the dangerous dog list that’s available on the City of Toronto’s website is limited to the first three digits of a postal code – not super helpful! I will be following closely when Toronto City Council receives an update next month on the roll out of their new measures.
- Increased education and awareness campaigns with the goal of reducing the occurrence of vicious dog acts.
In their response to my inquiry, staff outlined some improvements that are being made to existing public education efforts, including adding additional information to the “Dogs” page on Ottawa.ca. about vicious dogs and what to do in a case of a dog bite or attack, as well as guidance on responsible dog ownership.
By-law and Regulatory Services is also developing a new web page outlining the requirements for a Muzzle Order Appeal. All owners who are issued a Muzzle Order are entitled to appeal the decision, by applying to the Director of By-law and Regulatory Services. The page will also include information about upcoming hearings and recent hearing decisions. It is anticipated that the page will be live on Ottawa.ca by the end of this year.
While these are good steps in improving public awareness and education, I want to make sure we are using every tool we have to keep our communities safe.
I also want to hear from you: What do you think? Do you believe that Ottawa should be following Toronto’s example when it comes to informing the public about vicious dogs?
Send me an email at glen.gower@ottawa.ca.
Related: Dog attacks spiked this decade, new Ottawa stats show (CBC Ottawa)