Toronto could create a new website to alert members of the public of dangerous dogs who have had their official "good boy" status revoked by the City, a move floated in the wake of recent high-profile dog attacks.

Toronto's Economic and Community Development Committee will consider an item on Feb. 20 looking into the creation of a website to name and shame animals served "Dangerous Dog Orders," where members of the public can keep tabs on problematic pets in their neighbourhood.

The new report titled "Incident and Operational Review of Serious Dog Attacks" from the Executive Director of the City's Municipal Licensing and Standards division recommends the amendment of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349, Animals to "create and maintain a public record listing information" of all served Dangerous Dog Orders.

This publicly accessible database would include the dog owner's approximate location via the first three digits of the home's postal code, as well as the dog's name, breed, colour, and the date of the dangerous act committed.

Dogs who have been issued such orders are required by law to be muzzled in public, and owners are required to post signage on their property warning the public of a "dangerous dog on premises."

The report includes standardized signage that owners would be required to post, which would replace the ad hoc signs currently displayed on gates and doors across the city.

City of Toronto

In addition to the database and more aggressive-looking signage, the report also recommends that City Council allocate up to $500,000 in the 2025 budget to "implement a proactive communication strategy and public education campaign to support compliance and enforcement with the goal of reducing the occurrence of dangerous dog acts."

Dog owners would still have the ability to challenge these orders via the City's Dangerous Dog Review Tribunal.

There will always be an argument for the case that there are no bad dogs and only bad owners. However, recent events have undoubtedly contributed to the latest proposal by the City.

The move comes after high-profile dog attacks that have made recent headlines, including an incident just last week where a woman suffered "life-altering injuries" after being attacked by a pit bull in Toronto.