Canada: SPCA refuses to call dog that attacked 7-year-old boy a pit bull EVEN WHEN THE OWNER SAYS IT'S A PIT BULL. Surprise, they're officially against a ban on pit bulls.

CANADA -- A dog that attacked a seven-year-old boy in Verdun has been euthanized.

The pit bull attacked the boy Sunday morning in a home on Melrose St.

The boy's face was injured in the attack. He was taken to hospital to be treated for his injuries and is expected to survive.

The animal, an unsterilized male named Rocco, was taken to the SPCA and euthanized at the owner’s request.

The SPCA said it is “unable to identify the dog’s breed,” adding that it so far has “no information on the environment in which the dog was raised, socialized, educated and trained,” although it later noted the dog did not get enough exercise.

The owner is the boy's mother's live-in boyfriend. He told TVA it was a three-year-old pit bull and registered as such with the city.

James Maxime Pilon said the dog had never previously shown any signs of aggression.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said the attack proves why a ban on pit bulls is necessary.

"You know what? I'm thinking about the little boy of seven years old who has been bitten on the mouth and will be marked for life. Can we think about the kids?" said Coderre.

Verdun borough mayor Jean-Francois Parenteau agreed that humans must come first.

"It's important to talk about the human before the dog. For me, it's my third incident since I'm mayor and I'm upset by the situation," said Parenteau.

The SPCA opposes a ban on pit bulls, and noted that in its statement that the dog had been euthanized.

“It is important to note that Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) would not have prevented this, or any other dog bites, as it is fundamentally ineffective and unenforceable,” said communications manager Anita Kapuscinska in the statement. “We must focus on effective legislation and practical solutions that will keep our community safe from dog bites – focusing on responsible pet guardianship and dog bite prevention.”

Projet Montreal agrees with the SPCA idea.

"We should be targeting the dog owners and to work on their responsibility and their behaviour but not on the dog," said party leader Valerie Plante.

The SPCA said that each year in the province of Quebec, an estimated 164,000 dog bites occur, of which 45,000 of those to children under the age of 12.

“The Montreal SPCA receives a variety of dogs involved in dog bite incidents, most of which never make the news,” added Kapuscinska.

(Montreal CTV News - Jan 23, 2017)