“Pit bull’s are vicious fighting dogs.” “Nothing about a Pit bull is safe.”

Montreal recently adopted a new bylaw discriminating the Pit bull breed and causing a popular topic of discussion not only in the city, but worldwide. After a brutal attack on a Montreal woman in June of this year the breed was deemed as dangerous to the citizens of the city. With the recent attack and the popular stereotypes that Pit bulls often face, extreme measures were taken to regulate the “malicious” population.

All owners with Pit bulls in their possession under the regulation are required by December 31^st to acquire a special permit costing $125 more than a typical dog license. If they fail to do so, their dog is susceptible to be euthanized. The breed is expected to wear a muzzle whenever outside of their homes and must be vaccinated and microchipped. This isn’t even the worst part about the regulation. A dog is classified as a Pit bull merely by its looks and can be discriminated because it just looks dangerous.

The problem doesn’t lie with the breed but with the discrimination. These dogs are being placed on deaths row because of the way that they look and the history of their breed. If we were to look at the history of humankind, there would be plenty of arguments and instances that would lead our breed to be stereotyped as monsters and malevolent beings but we don’t typecast ourselves because of what others have done. These dogs should be treated the same way. To solely base a personality on their looks and expectations and take such drastic measures is completely immoral.

With the recent social outbursts and negative response against the law, on the very day the it was to be put into effect a suspension was issued. The SPCA humane society went to court against the city leaving Judge Louis Gouin to put the law on hold until he is able to evaluate their request. Waiting for a court hearing to take place leaves several months for the freedom of the breed but it is important to understand the dangers that still lie in the decision of the courts. Here’s one way you can make a difference.