You may have come across the hashtag #EndBSL on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram this week amongst thousands of beloved pit bull photos. 'BSL' is 'Breed Specific Legislation,' which the city of Montreal has placed in their newest bylaw that has animal lovers angrier than ever.
The Canadian city passed a bylaw that makes new ownership or adoption of pit bulls illegal. Any sheltered dog that is considered a pit bull faces euthanasia as soon as October 3, which is when the law goes into affect.
In addition, anyone that currently owns a pit bull in Montreal must muzzle their dog in public and apply for an owner's permit. By 2020, they are also expected to microchipped and sterilized.
The bylaw characterized pit bulls as: an American Pit Bull Terrier, an American Staffordshire Terrier, a Bull Terrier, a Staffordshire Terrier, any crossbreed with one of the above animals as a parent, or any dog that shares physical characteristics with a pit bull — such as large jaws or a stocky build. The rules, which will be made on an individual basis, could also be applied to any dog deemed dangerous.
So, basically, any mixed-breed dog that resembles a pit bull falls under the new regulations.
This bylaw came into affect after Montreal resident Christiana Vadnais was brutally attacked and killed in her backyard by a pit bull.
While my sincerest condolences go to the family of Christiana Vadnais, I completely disagree with Montreal's new bylaw.
In turn for one dog's wrong-doing, the estimated 7,000 effected dogs in Montreal will be muzzled, sterilized and at worse, killed.
The city of Montreal failed to address the leading concern, which countless, innocent dogs will pay the cost for. The underlying issue is not the dog breed itself; the issues lay with the owner and how he/she trains the dog.
It isn't a secret that most aggressive dogs have an owner who trained them in such way — just as canine police were trained to act aggressively in certain situations. With the correct training, any dog can be the loving, happy and loyal creature that they are meant to be — just as service dogs are trained to be. Any being is not born aggressive or not — it is taught that nature. Condemning a dog for their breed is quite literally the same concept as condemning a person for their race.
If a resident in Montreal wants a dog for wrong-doing, they will simply find another large, masculine breed to improperly train and abuse. I guarantee that with the decrease in ownership of pit bulls in Montreal decreases, ownership of another large breed will increase — as will attacks by that breed.
But the good news is, you can join the 30,000+ people have signed a petition to ban Montreal's new bylaw.
Looking at my sweet boy, Remington, who is an Australian-Shepherd Pit Bull mix, I could not imagine how the owners of pit bulls in Montreal are feeling right now.
I don't know about you, but I have only been attacked with kisses by pit bulls.
Breed Specific Legislation is not effective nor preventative.
#EndBSL
