Bill 147 explained in plain English
Public Safety Related to Dogs Statute Law Amendment Act, 2019
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
This bill amends Ontario's laws concerning dogs by removing breed-specific regulations for pit bulls and introducing new measures for dogs that cause severe injury or death in unprovoked attacks.
This bill, the Public Safety Related to Dogs Statute Law Amendment Act, 2019, amends two existing Ontario laws: the Animals for Research Act and the Dog Owners’ Liability Act. It removes the definition of "pit bull" and related regulations from the Dog Owners’ Liability Act, effectively ending breed-specific legislation for dogs in Ontario. The bill also introduces new provisions for dealing with dogs that inflict severe physical injury or cause death in an unprovoked attack. If a court finds a dog has done so, it must declare the dog "vicious" and may order its destruction. The owner will also be prohibited from owning another dog for at least 10 years, or longer if specified by the court. The bill clarifies what constitutes a "provoked" attack, including situations where the person was trespassing, committing a crime, teasing the dog, or if the dog was defending someone from an unjustified attack. The bill also creates new powers for the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations regarding dog control in unorganized territories and designates public officers as peace officers for the purposes of the Act. Finally, it revokes Ontario Regulation 157/05, known as "Pit Bull Controls."
- Repeals breed-specific prohibitions and controls related to pit bulls from the Dog Owners’ Liability Act.
- Introduces a process for declaring a dog "vicious" if it causes severe physical injury or death in an unprovoked attack.
- Mandates court orders prohibiting owners of vicious dogs from owning another dog for at least 10 years.
- Clarifies circumstances that constitute a "provoked" dog attack.
- Empowers the Lieutenant Governor in Council to create regulations for dog control in unorganized territories.
- Designates public officers as peace officers under the Dog Owners’ Liability Act.
- Repeals Ontario Regulation 157/05 (Pit Bull Controls).
- Amends the Animals for Research Act by removing provisions related to the disposition of pit bulls.
- Dog owners in Ontario
- Individuals who have been severely injured or killed by a dog
- Courts in Ontario
- Policing and animal control authorities
- Researchers using animals (in relation to former pit bull provisions)
- Dog owners are prohibited from owning another dog for at least 10 years if their dog is declared vicious.
- Courts have the power to order the destruction of a dog declared vicious.
- Owners of dogs that cause severe physical injury or death in unprovoked attacks face mandatory prohibitions on owning future dogs.
- Individuals are protected from dog attacks under new definitions and classifications of "vicious" dogs.
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Owners of dogs declared vicious face a potential fine of not more than $60,000 or imprisonment for a term of not more than two years, or both, for contravening a prohibition order.
- Owners of dogs that contravene a mandatory order for vicious dogs are guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of not more than $60,000 or imprisonment for up to two years, or both.
- The bill does not specify the exact date of Royal Assent.
- The duration of a prohibition order for owning another dog can be longer than 10 years if specified by the court.
- The bill does not specify which "persons or other bodies" may be authorized to pass and enforce by-laws governing dogs in unorganized territories.
- The bill does not specify which "public officers" will be designated as peace officers.
Removes provisions related to the disposition of pit bulls under this Act.
Source: Section 1 (1), (2), (3), (4)
Repeals the definition of "pit bull" and related sections, effectively removing breed-specific restrictions. Adds a definition for "severe physical injury". Amends provisions related to court considerations in dog attack cases. Introduces a new section requiring courts to declare dogs that inflict severe physical injury or death in unprovoked attacks as "vicious" and to order owners to be prohibited from owning another dog for at least 10 years. Amends provisions regarding penalties for owners who contravene orders for vicious dogs. Replaces sections concerning regulations and other provisions.
Source: Section 2 (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12)
This regulation is revoked.
Source: Section 3
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
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Vote Summary
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No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
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