Montreal city council has moved to ban certain dog breeds and people are furious.
According to the Montreal SPCA, their new bylaw, adopted on Wednesday, means that well-behaved, healthy puppies could be put to death simply because of their breed.
Not even a day has past and the City is already facing a one lawsuit and people around the world are signing multiple petitions against the bylaw.
The Montreal SPCA quickly filed a lawsuit against the city at the Montreal courthouse.
According to a news release on their website, they hope to have the section of the bylaw targeting “Pit bull type dogs” declared illegal, null, and without effect by Quebec’s Superior Court.
The SPCA is accusing the municipal bylaw of being discriminatory against owners and guardians of “Pit bull type dogs,” even if their dogs aren’t dangerous. They say the by-law is vague about what dogs fall under “Pit bull type dogs,” which will prove problematic. They are arguing that the bylaw is contrary to article 898.1 of the Civil Code of Quebec, which grants animals the status of sentient beings, and to the Animal Welfare and Safety Act, both adopted last December by the provincial government as part of Bill 54.
Lastly, they have declared the law unreasonable, because it treats all “Pit bull type dogs” as dangerous dogs without evidence of that being true.
The Montreal SPCA’s application will be presented before the Superior Court Thursday.
Besides the fact the City is being sued, their reputation seems to be taking a nosedive across the country, and the world.
One particular petition, already signed nearly 38,000 times, has signatures from people in France, New York, Switzerland, the UK and Mexico, to name a few.
Kajsa Ingelsson, who created the petition, said she owns a pitbull mix herself.
“He has never hurt anyone,” she wrote. “A dog is not dangerous just because of its breed, dogs become dangerous because of their owners. If this law passe, pit bulls and other breeds will have to be registered, spayed or neutered and wear a muzzle in public. Any new adoptions of these breeds will be banned.
“Imagine never being able to play fetch with your pit bull again, or even walk your dog on a hot day because of the impossibility of panting with a muzzle.”
Ingelsson argues that places, like Toronto, with similar bans, haven’t seen a reduction in dog bites. Instead, she said enacting mandatory classes and information sessions for dog owners would help much more.
What do you think? Would banning a certain breed of dog prevent serious bites?
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