Banishment

What a strange word.
To ban.
A form of punishment.
In Montreal, there has been so much controversy over the the Montreal council banning pit bulls.
This has upset not only me, but thousands of people.
Let's look first at what exactly is a pit bull.
A breed that encompasses a variety types including also terriers.
I was reading that even experts find it difficult to name specific characteristics that identify a dog as a pit bull.
So, if experts cannot name specifics about what a pit bull is, how can a council of mere lay persons identify that the breed pit bull must be banned?
This ban came about in Montreal because of an incident where a woman was killed by a neighbour's dog. This is a tragedy. No one should have to die that way. It is traumatic. That being said, police said it was a pit bull, but that was not actually confirmed. No DNA was taken.
I can understand why the call on some people to ban a breed of dog that was engineered to look "tough". Their jaws were a characteristic sought to be extra strong. They have a horrible history of being bred to fight.
The by-law created by Montreal asked for numerous regulations to be followed. Sterilization and micro-chipped. A special license must be obtained of the dog will be euthanized. They must also be muzzled at all times.
On a website created to try and answer some questions, many are addressed by, "unable to provide the information". That is reassuring is it not when lives lie in the balance?
So much of these by laws are created out of fear with little to no information. The part of this whole fiasco that hurts the most is the lack of control over people who can even own animals in the first place. Why has that not become an issue. Are there any people out there in the world who has not at some point witness animal abuse? Animals are considered property by so many people. The rest of us however, consider them family. Look at all the hoops you have to jump through to get a loan or a mortgage, even a job interview. Why can't these sort of practices be enforced when people want to adopt or purchase a pet. There are some people out there I would not even trust for the care of a plant. That is where our law makers need to exercise their power. More strict codes as to who can own animals.
I have never had a problem with large, intimidating dogs. Most of the dangerous situations I have encountered involved small dogs, less that ten pounds, who have come charging out after me and my dogs. The owners tend to think it great fun their little darling is trying to "take on" a big dog. They treat these small breeds as babies with little or no discipline. That is poor pet ownership.
Currently, the by law is being suspended by a Quebec superior court judge amidst all the protests by people who feel just like me. The big statement for me was the court being under the impression that certain articles of the bylaw were written in haste. Is this not the start of most arguments? People reacting out of fear and anger before actually investigating both sides of the story? The mayor wants to overturn the courts ruling and continue to ban pit bulls even though no one can readily identify this breed. He did say one thing I agree with, "It's not a right to have a dog, it's a privilege."
Stricter laws need to be enforced for the safety of every living being. I agree, but good owners should not be penalized.