Toronto committee votes to strengthen dangerous dog bylaw requiring warning signs
Changes coming after city inspectors found many buildings prohibit city-mandated 'beware of dog' signs
The City of Toronto is looking to strengthen a bylaw that requires warning signs outside the homes of dangerous dogs, after city inspectors found last year that some buildings prohibited them from being posted.
On Tuesday, the city's economic and community development committee voted unanimously to amend chapter 349 of the municipal code. The amendment requires condo dwellers with dogs deemed dangerous by the city to post warning signs on the front door of their unit, after many were found not to have signs up last year.
In 2024, city inspectors visited every address with a dangerous dog order and found rules in most condominium buildings prohibited the posting of signs of any type, according to a city report.
Currently, there are 335 dangerous dog orders in Toronto, city staff say, down from 373 last year.
"This is an ongoing saga of how to manage your dangerous dogs in the city of Toronto," Coun. Paula Fletcher said in an interview Tuesday.
"Our bylaw will change so that if you have a dangerous dog, no matter what you live in — apartment, single-family home, multiplex, condo — you have to display that sign."
The committee also voted to issue letters to owners of dangerous dogs and their property managers to explain the changes.
Bylaw changes introduced after vicious attack in 2023
Fletcher pushed the introduction of the signage rule last year after a woman and a young boy were mauled in a dog attack in her East York ward in 2023.
Along with the signage rule that followed, the city also created a public, online registry of dangerous dog orders.
One person, speaking as a public delegate at Tuesday's meeting, raised concerns to the committee that the bylaw changes don't go far enough.
"If there's a dangerous dog, put the sign in the lobby, or better still, on the front door," David Blythe told the committee.
"If you're trying to warn people, how does a sign on the door of an apartment on the fourth floor warn me if I live on the fifth floor?"
City council will consider the bylaw amendment at the end of the month.
City-issued signs come with a QR code which passersby can scan to find city information on dangerous dog orders.
When dog attacks are reported, the city investigates and determines whether an order should be issued. Orders are issued if the dangerous act is deemed severe, or if the dog has committed a dangerous act before.
Dogs deemed dangerous by the city must receive socialization or obedience training, wear a special dog tag and microchip, and be muzzled in public. They are also prohibited from entering off-leash areas.
The city provides access to discounted training for owners who can't afford it on their own.
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With files from Tyler Cheese