Last Tuesday, in a 37 to 23 vote, the Montreal City Council voted in favor of a new bylaw banning all pit bulls. The law comes with some very severe restrictions. Pit bull owners already living in Montreal must be sure to have their dogs vaccinated, sterilized and microchipped. They are also required to pay a fee for a permit to own the dogs amounting to about 115 American dollars. If they take their dogs to any public place, they must keep the animal muzzled and on a four-foot leash at all times. No new pit bulls will be allowed in the city. Existing pit bulls who have no owners are to be euthanized. This law officially goes into effect next Wednesday, October 5. So, activists have one week to help the animals before they are put down.
City officials claim this law is in response to a string of dog attacks, the most recent of which resulted in the death of a 55-year-old woman in her backyard. However, it is still unclear whether or not the dog in question was even a pit bull at all. The police say they are waiting on DNA test results, but the city’s definition of “pit bull” is incredibly vague anyways. They include all American Staffordshire Terriers, all American pit bull terriers, all Staffordshire bull terriers, any mix of these and any dog with the characteristics of these dogs.
So, to break it down. If you live in Montreal and own a pit bull or a dog that looks too much like a pit bull, you could be forced to pay a fine, and a bunch of vet fees to ensure that your dog meets the city’s standards. If for any reason, you cannot do this, you could be required to put your best friend down. All because of some mass fear of a violent dog that may or may not have been a pit bull.
The Montreal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has filed a lawsuit against the city based on the city’s own ordinance which states that dogs are considered “sentient beings.” The Pawsability is also working overtime to ensure that these dogs don’t get euthanized. They have been trying to transport as many animals as they can out of the city to keep them safe, but this can be difficult. Requests for the dogs have been flooding in, so they have to do thorough background checks to make sure they don’t go into the wrong hands.
The mass hysteria that has ultimately lead to this legislation has got to stop. Studies have shown that while pit bulls can be more aggressive than other dogs towards dogs, they are no more aggressive towards humans. A dog is only as good as its owner. I mean, really, how can this be life threatening for no reason?
Plenty of innocent dogs have been forced through fear and violence to behave aggressively and even to take lives, but I don’t see anyone outlawing people who clearly use their intelligence and height on the food chain for evil.
For more information on the Pawsability foundation near you, visit paws-ability.org.
