Vicious Creatures and BSL

Maybe you've heard and maybe you haven't, Montreal has just announced their newest law. They've passed a BSL law-Breed Specific Legislation. Their target as it has been for many years in many other places, Pit-Bull type dogs. Under this new law any dog of this type that is currently in a shelter cannot be adopted, it is to be euthanized immediately. If such a dog is owned you must meet a set of stringent requirements that are bizarre and unethical. A $150 registration fee (essentially a dog tax) that must be paid yearly, every dog is to be sterilized, when outside the home they must be muzzled and on a leash no longer than four feet. This law falls on dogs that are American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier or any mix of the three or just look as if they could share the DNA of one of these breeds. Does your dog have a nice blocky, square head? That's a characteristic of all three of these breeds, under this new law it could be euthanized if you don't follow the above rules. BSL is in nice terms garbage.

  This law was prompted by a dog attack in March wherein a lady was killed. Here's the thing, they don't even know that the dog was any of the bully breeds. There was no DNA testing done but because of this dog's appearance it has been decided that any dog that is such a breed or remotely resembling them needs to be muzzled or killed to 'protect' the city. You want to know why these dogs are considered killers, their size. Their bites can inflict damage that can kill. There is a very large problem with that. That problem, it is based solely on the fact that compared to a small dog they can do more damage. It doesn't take into account the temperament of the dogs in general. Ready for a surprise? The only dog who has a better temperament than the Pit Bull is a Labrador. You read that right. Only America's favorite dog has a better temperament than the proclaimed killer beast who will happily rip your throat out. When tested 84% of those tested passed with flying colors. For comparison only 61% of Chihuahua's passed. Which means you are far more likely to be bitten by one of the small dogs than you are a Pit Bull. In case you were wondering according to the American Temperament Test Society both the American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Terrier also passed with a higher percentage than the Chihuahua. Chihuahua bites aren't newsworthy. Dog attacks that involve your larger breeds are way more likely to get hits on a news website. They fan flames of fear and the result is the death of dogs that are branded as something they are not.

I'm not a fan of small dogs. I never have been. The number of them that have growled or snapped at me when I've approached is high. Actually I've only met one Chihuahua that didn't growl at me when I got near him and he could fit in my hand and belonged to my sister. In all the times I've seen them in public and dealt with them there has never been a single account of a Pit Bull or any of the Bully breeds growling or snapping because I got near them. Beyond that you want to know the reason that I find BSL complete and total garbage:

Meet Delilah. This lovely lady was my first real dealing with a Pit Bull. She happens to be owned by the sister of two of my best friends. Clearly the picture shows why you should hide your children from these vicious creatures. The problem with BSL is I can't imagine not having met this girl. Any and all fear of the killer dogs was dispelled by her. This picture was taken a few weeks ago, I met Delilah many years ago when she was around three or four I think. She's much older now but still acts like a puppy. That tongue went right up my face about .2 seconds after I snapped that picture. I'll be honest the night I met her and she came charging up the driveway barking with the other dogs I freaked out a little. When she jumped up and started licking me I was hooked. She's about as dangerous as a wet paper sack.

This new law is not only going to bring a large number of deaths to Montreal as these beautiful dogs are killed, it's going to bring pointless heartache to people who own them and might lose them simply because some people deem them too dangerous to exist. Our first dog died when I was eleven, she was a Lab mix, she was twelve, age was her killer and it hurt. I can't imagine being that age again or younger and having my dog taken from me because some idiots with power wielded it the wrong way and made it so my dog was suddenly dangerous. For that matter I can't imagine such a law being passed here and losing my dogs now.

One of these days I will have a Pit Bull of my own and I'm hoping that it will be a therapy dog. I've seen what those dogs can do. Those dogs can be given the worst lives and still rise above it and become something no one thought possible because of their upbringing and breed. They just need to be given the chance to show that beneath the muscle they are basically comprised of there is a need to show and be given affection.

The problem isn't the dogs. The vicious creatures do not walk on four legs, they walk on two. Breed Specific Legislation hasn't been shown to do anything good for the places it is made into law but it will continue to spread so long as fear is allowed to win over reality.Montreal has made a mistake and many lives will unnecessarily pay for it.