On September 27, Montreal's city councillors sentenced thousands of dogs to death.

The city council voted 37 to 23 favor of a breed-specific legislation that bans not only pit bulls, but also any dog that resembles a pit bull, unless its owners meet a strict set of conditions. Pit bulls in shelters, however, are automatically sentenced to death, as it is against Montreal laws to adopt a pit bull from a shelter. These dogs are to be euthanized, and though vets are already protesting this decision; the Quebec Order of Veterinarians, for example, has argued that they have the right to choose what animals they put down and why.

Thankfully, there are several people who saw the writing on the wall and organized rescue organizations in advance of the ban. These organizations have been working tirelessly to move these doomed dogs out of Montreal, trying to find them places in western provinces that don't enforce the same ban. Unfortunately, the number of safe, rescued dogs are far less than the number of pit bulls still in Montreal.

Unsurprisingly, Montreal's ban on pit bulls has been met with other protestations, from not only dog rescuers and vets but from people around the world-- celebrities, dog lovers, and other organizations like the American Bar Association, a legal group that has written a letter to Montreal's Mayor Denis Coderre questioning the legality behind this ban. There is also a petition protesting this recent law, and you can write to city officials here. Those looking to adopt dogs can take a look at this website, where you can help adopt Montreal's shelter dogs.

The legislation came about after several dog attacks, one of which was notorious since a woman died after being bitten by a dog. Despite the lack of proof that the dog responsible for her death was a pit bull at all, the city has passed the law stating that people with pit bulls must undergo criminal background checks and pay $150 for a special permit. Pit bulls must then be sterilized, vaccinated, microchipped, and be forced to wear muzzles on a 4-foot leash at all times in public. This is problematic as people from poor-income families will have difficulty meeting all of these requirements, and owners who cannot fulfill all of the requirements will have their pit bulls seized and euthanized.