The family of Christiane Vadnais will file a lawsuit against Franklin Junior Frontal, the owner of the dog that fatally mauled the 55-year-old woman.
Vadnais was killed in her Pointe-aux-Trembles back yard in June after the animal got loose.
While Frontal had registered his pet as a boxer, an autopsy of the dog written by two veterinarians from Université de Montreal confirmed the animal was a 34 kilogram pit bull. The autopsy showed no signs of rabies or other illnesses.
“There was never a doubt in our mind it was a pit bull, but now everybody will know,” said Lise Vadnais, sister of the deceased.
The daughter of the woman killed by the dog said the decision to sue was reached after the Crown announced there would be no charges against Frontal.
The dog had attacked people twice before, but those incidents were apparently never reported to police, and Crown prosecutor did not think they had enough evidence to convict Frontal on charges of criminal negligence.
Vadnais’s daughter said a formal notice has been sent to Frontal.
Lise Vadnais said the family has not decided on how much money they will be suing Frontal for but that the suit itself is a matter of principle.
"For us, it was clear we had to send a message, to say to this young man and to all dog owners that a dog can't irrevocably maul somebody without consequences," said Lise Vadnais. “It was clear in our mind that the owner knew he had a dangerous dog.”
The death of Christiane Vadnais kickstarted a major debate on pit bull type dogs in Quebec.
The city of Montreal has banned new pit bulls from living in the city, although that bylaw is being challenged in court by the SPCA.
The Vadnais family said they had to put up with threats and disparaging comments from some defenders of pit bulls.
“Despite everything that happened, there are still people who say it was my sister's fault,” said Lise Vadnais.
The Vadnais family said they will continue fighting to keep pit bulls off the streets.
