More adoptions, less socialization? Montreal dog attacks rose in 2022, data shows

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As the number of dogs in Montreal has increased, so has the number of reported dog bites and other aggressive behaviours.

That's according to data from the city, which shows an increase in reported dog-related incidents since last year.

In 2021, the city logged 263 bites and 152 other incidents. So far, in 2022, those numbers are 301 and 189.
 

MORE DOGS, LESS SOCIALIZATION

Sophie Gaillard is the acting executive director and director of animal advocacy and legal affairs at the Montreal SPCA.

She said the increased numbers are related to several factors.

First, there are more dogs in Montreal, with the COVID-19 pandemic spurring a dog adoption blitz across the province.

More dogs mean more bites.

Montreal was home to approximately 115,000 dogs in 2017, city estimates indicate.

That figure had risen to 158,000 in 2021.
 

City data also shows 110,000 households have acquired a dog or cat since the start of the pandemic.

Gaillard added that during that time, some purchases came from less-than-reputable breeders.

"We know that early socialization in dogs is extremely critical in terms of determining their behaviour, and especially the tendency to develop aggressive behaviour," she said. "Having acquired dogs from unreputable sources with perhaps lacking early socialization is probably also part of the issue at play."

Being confined during the pandemic also meant dog owners couldn't take their pets out to interact with other people and animals.

"Get them used to being around people, being in different situations, etc.," said Gaillard. "All of that sort of comes into play to explain the increase that we've been seeing."

In a statement, the city also pointed to issues related to the pandemic and socialization.

"Many had puppies that had little contact with other dogs or people throughout their first months of life, and some found themselves in situations where they had difficulty knowing how to behave," the statement from spokesperson Camille Bégin reads.

New regulations in 2024 will require a minimum standard of socialization for breeders.

The Montreal rule requiring pet stores to only sell dogs that have been sourced from a shelter has improved things, but Gaillard said people looking to buy and sell on Kijiji or other online sites causes issues.

Enforcement of animal protection laws is also important, according to the SPCA.

"We know that dogs who are neglected or abused are also much more likely to become aggressive, so we have to be strict in terms of enforcing animal protection legislation," said Gaillard.

For those who have pets, the SPCA has a series of resources on its site to help socialize and train dogs early and often.

A CENTRALIZED REPORTING SYSTEM

A new provincial law requiring veterinarians and physicians to report all dog bites in Quebec and the City of Montreal has centralized data collection for dog bites rather than delegating to the boroughs.

"It's been taken much more seriously," said Gaillard.

Bégin said the approach allows declarations about certain dogs to be applied province-wide.

"For example, a dog declared potentially dangerous by the local municipality of Montreal remains potentially dangerous in another local municipality. "