The Montreal SPCA have been celebrating some very good news just in time for Christmas as the city of Montreal, Canada decided to suspend the so-called "Pit Bull ban". The ban, which banned certain breeds of dogs seen as dangerous from the city, was lifted on December 20.The law, which was adopted in October 2016, banned three dog breeds - the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier - from living in Montreal.
Source : 88kncorbett/Instagram
Once the legislation was adopted, people owning dogs of these breeds had to pay $150 for a license to keep their dog, have their criminal records searched and prove that their pet had been neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. In addition, these dogs would have to be and muzzled and kept on a short leash at all times outside.Any rescue dogs with no family had to be put down, with no hope of being saved as adopting Pit Bulls was also banned.
Source : SCPA
The Mayor of Montreal, Denis Coderre, tried to justify this controversial decision, saying "as the Mayor of Montreal, I have the responsibility to protect its citizens". For the Montreal SPCA, these were seen as "discriminatory and punitive measures" which penalized many families "simply because of the physical appearance of their dog."
Montreal is not the first city to introduce a law banning one or more specific dog breeds. This type of legislation is relatively widespread and is based on the idea that certain breeds are more dangerous than others.However, this belief has never been scientifically proven. In addition, according to many charities, including the Humane Society of the United States and the American Bar Association, this type of law has never actually lowered the number of injuries caused by dog bites.
Following the end of the Pit Bull ban, Montreal will need to make a new law concerning these animals. The legal text, planned for 2018, will be written up in collaboration with canine behaviorists, the SPCA, dog owners and people with no pets.
The charity explained that this law does not aim to be repressive, but to prioritize animal welfare:
We are eager to help the new administration to put in place fair and efficient measures to address the problem of dog attacks, with the aim of better protecting the citizens of Montreal. We are also looking forward to working with the council with a view to expand a new progressive ruling, which fights against animal overpopulation and which will ensure the welfare of all the animals in our community.
A wonderful victory for dogs that are often unfairly branded as monsters, when all that's needed is a love and proper training. Like with all dogs, there are some mistakes you can make with Pit Bullsthat are easily avoidable. Many 'dangerous' dog breeds are actually big softies, and there is never a good reason to not adopt a Pit Bull just because it is a Pit Bull.
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