In response to a number of highly publicized attacks on people by “pit bull”-type dogs, several provincial and municipal legislatures have enacted Breed Specific Legislation. This legislation ranges from restrictions and conditions on the ownership of certain breeds to outright bans, and often establishes a legal presumption that certain breeds are prima facie “dangerous”. Breed Specific Legislation has been the target of a number of legal challenges, both in Canada and abroad.
On Tuesday, March 15th 2011, the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund at McGill will host an interdisciplinary panel discussion on Breed Specific Legislation. Drawing on their unique expertise, panelists will critically discuss Breed Specific Legislation and the various scientific, policy and legal issues it raises.
Alanna Devine is the Director of Animal Advocacy at the Montreal Society for the 
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). She graduated from McGill University’s Faculty of Law with a B.C.L./LL.B. in 2006, having founded the McGill chapter of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF). After clerking at the Supreme Court of Canada, Ms. Devine returned to Montreal and began her work on behalf of animals at the SPCA, where she pushes for improvement in animal welfare and anti-cruelty laws at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels.
Nicholas Gilman is the current Executive Director of the Montreal SPCA. He is also President of Humane Logic, a business consulting firm focusing on the animal welfare field, which he founded in 2006. Mr. Gilman has been working on behalf of animals for over 26 years. His work experience ranges from national disaster relief to cruelty investigation, consulting and shelter design. He worked for three years for the Humane Society of the United States, and for seven years for the American Humane Association where he served as Director of Animal Programs. He was also a founding board member of the National Federation of Humane Societies.
Dr. Enid Stiles graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. Before receiving her veterinary degree, she completed a Bachelor in Science (Conservation Biology) at the University of Ottawa and recently completed a Masters in Clinical Sciences (Behaviour Medicine) at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Montreal. Dr. Stiles is a founding member of Veterinarians Without Borders, Canada, and the Director of its Canine/Feline Programs. She is also a practicing veterinarian at Sherwood Park Animal Hospital in Beaconsfield.
It is with great pleasure that we invite you to attend the panel discussion, which will take place on March 15th at 5:30 pm, in Room 202 of McGill’s Faculty of Law, 3644 Peel Street.
We hope to see you there!
