“This could have been more informative rather than punishing,” Dimitar Beshkov says. “It could have been like: ‘Hey, don’t leave your dog unattended, that’s it.'”
Published Sep 13, 2024 • Last updated 6 days ago • 4 minute read
On his way out — just a few minutes after he’d gone inside — Beshkov was handed a $664 ticket for breaking a law he didn’t know existed by leaving his dog tethered outside the shop.
“(It’s) quite … a sum of money for something that was seemingly so minor,” he said in an interview.
Behskov was told by an animal inspector and police officer that he was in violation of Article 20 of Quebec’s Act to promote the protection of persons by establishing a framework with regard to dogs. It states that “in a public place, a dog must at all times be under the control of a person capable of controlling it.”
“When I spoke with all my friends that have dogs, people that I know with dogs, they hadn’t heard of this law,” Beshkov said. “We obviously knew about not letting our dogs off-leash. That’s a different matter, but this was not the case here. The dog was securely attached, and it wasn’t in the way of anyone.”
According to a city of Montreal media relations adviser, Quebec imposed the regulations surrounding dogs — and the associated fines — on all municipalities in 2020. A city website outlining the rules of pet ownership includes the following: “Do not tie your animal to a tree or street furniture.”
“This preventive measure is in place to ensure public safety since each year, the city of Montreal receives hundreds of reports of bite incidents and also numerous complaints for dogs not being kept on a leash or left unsupervised,” the city said.
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Owners typically resort to tying their dogs outside of businesses because provincial law also prohibits the dogs from briefly going inside, even if it’s just so the owner can grab a coffee to go.
The SPCA agrees that from a public safety standpoint, dogs need supervision at all times, said Sophie Gaillard, the shelter’s director of animal advocacy and legal and government affairs.
“You never know what could scare a dog or stress a dog in an urban environment,” she said. “In order to reduce the risk of dog bite incidents, we are in favour of this type of measure.”
But for Beshkov and his wife, Sunny, a warning would have sufficed since they had no idea the law existed — and because no actual incident took place.
“I don’t think we would have said anything if it felt like the police intervened in … a dangerous situation,” Sunny said. “But it felt like … an active campaign just to get money.”
Emphasizing the brevity of the visit, Beshkov said there was just one other client at the bakery at the time: A man who also had a dog tied outside and who also received a $664 fine.
“This could have been more informative rather than punishing, especially with this high of sum,” Beshkov said. “It could have been like: ‘Hey, don’t leave your dog unattended.’ That’s it. But $664? Way too much. … This could be groceries for an entire month.”
The SPCA doesn’t take issue with the amount of the fine itself — they have to be high to be dissuasive — but Gaillard acknowledged “the whole issue of the discretion of the person who’s actually charged with enforcing (a bylaw) and whether they choose, on a particular occasion, to give a warning to educate the person versus to proceed with a fine.”
“Conceivably, there could have been a warning given if it’s a first-time offence and someone whose dog was actually not causing a problem in that particular case,” she said.
The city said the majority of its interventions in 2023 “aimed to inform and raise awareness among dog owners.” Specifically, out of 4,763 animal-control interventions, 371 reports were handed out, it said.
Beshkov said when he received the fine, he asked the officer what the alternative would have been since he couldn’t bring his dog inside.
“He said: ‘Leave your dog at home. That’s it, you don’t have any other options at the moment,’” Beshkov said.
Making sure dogs are “genuinely members of the community” by being allowed in public spaces like businesses is part of the SPCA’s broader goal, Gaillard said. The shelter is currently focusing its efforts on public transit.
“This benefits not only the dogs, but it actually makes dogs less likely to develop aggressive behaviours if they’re well socialized, properly exercised and get to accompany their guardians to various places and get exposed to all kinds of situations,” she said, using Europe as an example.
Montreal, meanwhile, suggested dog owners “plan their trips with their dog when they wish to access businesses by asking, among other things, a person to accompany them to ensure supervision of the animal outside.”
