Many of us are aware of what has been going on in reference to pit bulls in Montreal with the pit bull ban (which got banned for good). But the one thing I want to talk about is the amount of discrimination this breed gets. Yes, the bully breeds can be a bit terrifying to some people who are scared of dogs, but they don't deserve the treatment they get from the public. We need to look past the stereotype they are associated with and see the sweet, loving companion in front of us.
What is a pit bull?
A pit bull refers to a group of dogs, not just one breed. This group of dogs includes American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier and any other pure bred or mixed breed dog that is a combination of these dogs.
However, these dogs are naturally family and companions dogs. Due to poor ownership and careless breeding, they have been turned into aggressive dogs. Pit bulls aren't the only aggressive dog, though; all dogs can be aggressive and attack a person. These dogs face the most discrimination, especially when it comes to housing agencies where they don't want the dogs living in the buildings. It is not just pit bulls that get discrimination when it comes to housing agents, though; huskies and dogs like chow chows also face breed discrimination.
What these housing agents should do is meet the dog to determine if the dog can live in the house/apartment/condo; they shouldn't breed discriminate.
Montreal's pit bull ban.
This ban all started when a dog attacked a 55-year-old woman in Pointe-aux-Trembles. This caused a lot of turmoil for pit bull owners when they heard that pit bulls would be banned in Montreal. There were so many in shelters, many families were moving in order to keep the beloved pets, and those in shelters were put down. It was a foolish decision to ban pit bulls because it caused so much havoc within the city.
According to the Montreal Gazette, there is no such thing as a bad dog; bad owners make bad dogs. That statement is very true within the dog world.
The reality.
On a personal note, my aunt owns a pit bull-mix, and she is the sweetest dog I've ever met. She couldn't harm a fly, and she has bonded very deeply with her family.
Hundreds of dogs live in shelters across the states, and a huge majority of them are pit bull breeds. A lot of these dogs are given to shelters because of the housing laws that made their owners unable to keep them. There are websites trying to raise awareness that pit bull dogs are not what the media makes them. They have come up with pet resumes to give to housing offices so that they may see that they are good dogs with responsible owners. In all honesty, I have one for my dog, and she's a Beagle mix.
Overall, we need to learn to look past pit bulls' history and stereotype and let them be loved by the people around them. Also, owners need to learn that they have to be responsible for their dog's actions. It's not the dog's fault, it's theirs.
