Montreal Has Officially Banned Pit Bulls — And It's Not the First City to Do It
"Good-natured," "people-oriented" and "gentle" - that's how the American Kennel Club describes American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers, two dog breeds commonly called pit bulls. Along with American Pit Bull Terriers and other "bully breeds," these misunderstood dogs are banned in Miami, Denver, Ontario and most recently Montreal.
The latest legislation came after a dog attacked and killed a woman in the Canadian city, although that dog was registered as a boxer, not a pit bull. Now, pit bulls or even dogs that look like them must be muzzled and kept on short leases while out in public. Owners will also have to shell out $115 U.S. for a special permit. More importantly, it'll be illegal to adopt or acquire any new pit bulls, putting lots of shelter dogs at risk of death.
Montreal's ban, an example of breed-specific legislation (BSL), stems from common biases and misperceptions about pit bulls. Most experts condemn these ineffective laws, including the American Bar Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior and even the White House, just to name a few. Why? Besides victimizing innocent dogs, BSL doesn't keep people safe.
Places that have passed BSL have actually seen an increase in dog bites, likely because residents assume other breeds won't bite and therefore behave irresponsibly. The statutes are also vague, especially when it comes to mixed breeds, and enforcement wastes time and money. "If anything, they jeopardize [public safety] because they divert animal control resources away from truly dangerous individual dogs and use it to round up dogs who haven't harmed anyone," says Bronwen Dickey, author of Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon.
In response to the new legislation, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Montreal announced they would stop their services. They're refusing to follow the rules because one-third of the 2,000 dogs they take in every year would be subject to euthanasia. The good news? While they're working to defeat the measure, SPCA Montreal has seen more people coming to its shelters. The visitors want to give the rescued pit bulls a home - before it's too late.
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