On October 11, 2026, Gilbert of La Presse, together with Caroline Touzin and Martin Tremblay, spent a day following a municipal canine investigator in Montreal. The shadowing focused on how the officer responds to public reports of dangerous dogs, a task described as unpredictable and hazardous.
The investigator’s routine involves traveling to complaint sites, assessing the behavior of the animal with the aid of a specially trained dog, and determining whether the animal poses a risk that requires containment or removal. These actions are part of the city’s program to manage potentially dangerous animals.
Montreal’s city government maintains a dedicated unit of officers who use dogs to evaluate and address dangerous‑dog reports filed by residents, aiming to protect public safety while handling each case on an individual basis.