Sudbury considers giving vicious dog bylaw more teeth

Higher fines and stricter enforcement are on the table as Greater Sudbury reviews its bylaw covering vicious dogs. (File)

Higher fines and stricter enforcement are on the table as Greater Sudbury reviews its bylaw covering vicious dogs.

A report headed to the operations committee May 21 calls not only for increased fines but proposes a plan to allow the city to recover costs from the owners of caring for the dogs while they are in custody.

Vicious dog complaints have been rising steadily in the city, rising from 129 in 2018 to 358 in 2023. Of the calls in 2023, 148 complaints were attacks on other dogs and 181 were attacks on humans.

There are currently 12 dogs in Sudbury who have been designated as vicious.

The bylaws in Ontario are largely covered by the Dog Owners’ Liability Act, or DOLA, which makes owners responsible for the actions of their canines. In the most serious cases, the act gives municipalities the ability to apply to a court to put down a vicious dog.

“DOLA includes a process through which a court can order dog owners to take measures for the more effective control of their dog for the purposes of public safety in situations including where a dog has bitten, attacked or threatened people or other domestic animals,” the staff report said.

Convictions under the act include penalties up to $10,000 and up to six months in jail.

In Sudbury, bylaw officers investigate all vicious dog complaints and are the ones who deem a canine as vicious when there is an unprovoked attack or an attack that results in serious injury.

Owners may appeal the designation of their dog as vicious to hearing committee. Once the decision is confirmed, owners of vicious dogs must ensure they are muzzled when in public, that signs have been posted, the dog has been microchipped and the owner has sufficient liability insurance.

The report proposes that once a dog is labelled vicious, owners must apply for a separate vicious dog licence, which it must wear at all times. And owners must submit new photos of the animal every year in case it somehow runs away.

“Staff are recommending amendments to the vicious dog provisions to explicitly prohibit a vicious dog from using the city’s dog parks and off-leash areas in the event the owners attempt to bring the dog to the location, even if leashed and muzzled,” the report said.

The report recommends applying to the province to raise fines to the provincial average. Currently, an owner is fined $365 if their animal bites someone, compared to the provincial average of $600.

“Most dog bites in our community occur when one or more dogs are off leash and not in the not in control of a handler,” the report said.

“Owners are often bit when trying to separate their dogs during a fight. Staff is recommending increased set fines for off-leash offences.”

The report also recommends sending the owner the bill for housing seized animals and including information about vicious dogs on Greater Sudbury’s open data portal.

Read the full report here.