City council could revisit ban on choke chains

A North York city councillor is pushing for people who use or train guide dogs to be exempted from a new law banning choke chains and pronged dog collars.

The bylaw, which was approved by council in January and went into effect last month, has been criticized by a number of groups who say it unfairly prevents those who use the collars in a humane fashion from doing so.

In a motion that is expected to go before council today, Ward 26 Coun. Jon Burnside says that there has been some concern over “a lack of consultation with the organizations that rely on” the collars for training service dogs.

As a result, Burnside says a further review should be conducted “to ensure no undue burden is placed on those that rely on service dogs.”

Burnside goes on to ask that Municipal Licensing and Standards Executive Director Tracy Cook report back on June 14 with amendments to “ensure that service dogs are able to use any and all collars as appropriate.”

Two-thirds of city council will have to first vote to reopen debate on the bylaw before Burnside’s motion can be considered.

In a letter that will be tabled alongside the motion, the President of Guide Dog Users of Canada says that training guide dogs is a “scientific business” and that those who do it should be able to use choke chains and pronged dog collars, provided they do so properly.

“The schools put considerable thought into their choices of collars and such, and train their students on the safe and effective use of that equipment,” Greg Thompson writes. “Consequently, a choke or pronged collar in the hands of a properly trained individual does not represent a threat to a guide dog.”

In addition to the dog collar motion, council will also consider dozens of other items today as they continue their monthly meeting.

Also on the agenda is the presentation of the annual report from the city’s ombudsman.