That Stupid, Awful Montreal Pit Bull Ban Is Back In Effect

Montreal's draconian pit bull ban is back in effect,
but it will probably only harm dogs, and not
prevent dog attacks against people, as intended.

Remember that pit bull ban that Montreal tried to enact and enforce earlier this year that a court temporarily put on hold.

It's baaa--aack. and once again a lot of innocent, docile dogs, some pit bulls, many who just sort of look like pit bulls, are now in danger of euthanasia, or at best. some terrible restrictions.

Back in June, a Montreal woman was mauled and killed by a dog that looked like a pit bull.

No question that was a totally sad and unnecessary. The owner of the dog that caused the problem is the most culpable, since the dog obviously wasn't trained right.

As is usual with politicians who genuinely want to "do something" about a problem or a tragedy like that terrible mauling, the fine leaders of Montreal totally overreacted.

The ban also affects American Staffordshire terriers, Staffordshire bull terriers and any dog that remotely resembles a pit bull. They have to be registered, muzzled in public, and nobody can own one if a criminal background check comes up with something.

The Dodo reported that a Quebec court had ended a temporary suspension of Montreal's ban on pit bulls.

The court at least did at least temporarily curbed a provision that would have spelled a death sentence to these types of dogs in shelters, The Dodo reported.  The Montreal ban would have banned the adoption of these 700 or so dogs in Montreal area shelters.

Rescue groups have been trying to move as many of these dogs out of Montreal for adoption elsewhere.

If Montreal thinks the "pit bull ban" would reduce dog bites, they need only look to Toronto to see how wrong they are.

Toronto passed a rather draconian pit bull ban in 2005,  and most pit bulls are gone from that city. However, the number of annual dog bite incidents has risen there in recent years. 

In other words, all dogs have the potential to bite. It's just a risk in life.

I'm glad Canadian politicians want to do something about problems that arise. I just wish they would do something that would actually make a difference, and not harm innocent dogs, or their owners.