By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE
The 2016 summer has been, without a doubt, the busiest anti-BSL season on record. I’m not an activist by any means, but when absurdity manifests itself, one reciprocates. Montreal mayor Denis Coderre absolutely wants to pass a law that, we all know, will be financially impossible to enforce, will not reduce dog bites or deaths, and will continue to make Montreal the laughing stock of Canada.
Montreal 2016: Year of the Bully
M. Denis Coderre, I think your administration needs to stop consulting the media as your primary source of information to pass legislation. We are in 2016; we have the resources to make strategically sound and financially viable choices. Education and criminal responsibility, M. Coderre, are the only strategies that will actively reduce dog bites and deaths. To deny these choices is to deny democracy and logic.
I look at this desperate BSL move as a re-election strategy that will undoubtedly backfire. You see, M. Coderre, no one likes a bully. In case you forgot what bully stands for, when one person tries to forcefully impose his or her beliefs onto another person, we call them bullies. From my point of view, you are a bully trying to eradicate media-made bullies, but, M. Coderre, top dogs never last for long.
Montreal Division
I have been living in Montreal for a few decades and am saddened by what Montreal looks like. Mayor Coderre has turned Montreal into a joke. There are no parking spaces, and when you can find one, the cost is incredibly expensive. Furthermore, there’s so much construction on the island; no one wants to come and spend their money. Businesses are closing and moving away, streets and parks are falling apart, cyclists get hurt and killed, traffic is a nightmare, heck, if I didn’t have a business on the island, I wouldn’t come to Montreal either.
Starting September, mayor Coderre will give people yet another reason to avoid Montreal. This fall, you will no longer be able to visit Montreal with your dog that is 1. An American pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, or Staffordshire bull terrier, 2. A mix with one of those breeds, or 3. A dog which presents many morphological characteristics from groups 1 or 2.” Whatever that means.
Take a Stand
I urge every person who owns a dog with a big head, quasi floppy ears, a large chest, and a big rectangular muzzle (I’m assuming these are the characteristics politicians are referring to because we still don’t know what they are) to take this by-law very seriously. You might think My dog’s not a pit bull, I don’t have to worry about this. You are wrong. You should worry, and worry big time because if your dog fits one of the three previous profiles it can be taken away and euthanized.
I urge everybody to call your municipal and provincial politicians and make your voice be heard. If you don’t, we ALL risk losing our furry friends. We can provide lists of names and e-mails if needed. There is power in numbers; hopefully, you can remember that principle and act now. I don’t want to write about BSL and Staffordshires in the near future, so please voice your opinion. Till the end of September comes, I can only hope we have a positive impact and continue to educate people.