Item - 2024.EC13.1

The Economic and Community Development Committee:

1. Requested the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards in consultation with the City Solicitor to report back to the Economic and Community Development Committee in the fourth quarter of 2024 on the definition of severity as discussed in the Dangerous Dog Review Tribunal 2023 Annual Report.

The Chair of the Dangerous Dog Review Tribunal (Tribunal) must submit an annual report on its activities to the appropriate standing committee in accordance with its governance structure. Attached to this report is the Tribunal Chair's 2023 Annual Report.

The Tribunal is an adjudicative board and city and local board of the City of Toronto and is established under the authority of the City of Toronto Act, 2006. Tribunal hearings are conducted in accordance with the Statutory Powers Procedure Act and the Tribunal's rules of procedure. The Tribunal provides an independent review of appeals to Dangerous Dog Orders that are issued by Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS) under the authority of Section 349-15 of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349, Animals. The Tribunal has the authority to either confirm the dangerous dog designation or rescind the dangerous dog designation and exempt the owner from compliance with the requirements of a Dangerous Dog Order.

In 2023, MLS responded to 2,726 service requests related to a potentially dangerous act by a dog and issued 137 Dangerous Dog Orders, with 11 Dangerous Dog Orders appealed to the Tribunal.

In 2023 the Tribunal heard 31 cases (the majority of these were carried over from 2022) and four cases were deferred to 2024. Of the matters heard, 25 Dangerous Dog Orders were upheld, four were rescinded, and two appeals were withdrawn. The Tribunal also approved one request for reconsideration of its earlier decisions, which has yet to be scheduled.

This report also responds to six issues for consideration in the Chair's 2023 Annual Report. MLS is already working to address many of the identified issues, including proactive enforcement and public education of Dangerous Dog Orders and off-leash dogs. Staff are not recommending bylaw amendments as part of this report.

MLS will report back to the Economic and Community Development Committee by October 2024 in response to Council directives as part of Item 2024.EC10.2. The report will also address some of the identified issues in the Chair's 2023 Annual Report.

This report was developed in consultation with Legal Services.