Pit bull ban draws international attention

Montreal’s decision to ban pit bulls is garnering attention internationally and online. From a viral Facebook video viewed more than 15 million times to a petition calling on tourists to boycott the city with over 150,000 signatures, Tuesday’s vote by city council is stirring reaction among dog lovers worldwide, and particularly in the United States.

Statistics indicate pit-bull-type dogs are responsible for an inordinate percentage of bites in Montreal, and Mayor Denis Coderre has said residents want the city to take “concrete measures.”

In the online world, however, the vast majority of concern is reserved for the dogs.

On Wednesday, Cyndi Lauper became the latest celebrity to weigh in on Montreal’s decision, blasting the mayor on her Facebook page.

“Such a sad day Montreal,” she wrote. “When will people stop blaming a breed. There are many amazing pit bull and pit bull mixes out there. There are also vicious dogs of other breeds. This is unjust. It’s not the dog, it’s who is training and often mistreating them that should be banned. Thousands of shelter dogs now stand to be euthanized and also pulled out of their homes.”

The singer-songwriter invited fans to sign an online petition, My Montreal includes ALL dogs, started by the Dog Legislation Council of Canada. More than 156,000 individuals have signed on to boycott the city as a tourist destination.

Beginning Monday, it will be forbidden to buy or adopt a pit bull in Montreal. Those who already own one must be at least 18 years old, have no criminal record and obtain a special permit from the city by Dec. 31. The Montreal SPCA has filed a lawsuit against the city over the ban.

A Facebook video posted by U.S. animal advocacy site The Dodo had been viewed 15 million times as of Thursday. The video suggests hundreds of pit-bull-type dogs could be euthanized, and features clips of adorable pit bulls in cages.

A local video put up by Montreal Blurb starring a photogenic pit bull named Lucky speaking directly to Coderre has received 317,000 views.

A YouTube video of Coderre telling technicians to “cut the mike” on an impassioned dog lover at a Ville Marie council meeting has drawn 38,000 views.

Another online petition addressed to Coderre launched by Montrealer Alexandra Thompson has more than 170,000 signatures.

Opposition party Projet Montréal noted negative opinion pieces have been published in U.S. editions of the Huffington Post and Slate Magazine, and celebrities like singer Richard Marx and actress Sophia Bush have condemned the ban.

Angela Price, the wife of Canadiens goalie Carey Price, also has weighed in on Twitter, urging her followers to sign a petition.

“We are deeply worried about the consequences of Mayor Coderre’s decision on Montreal’s reputation,” Projet Montréal councillor Sterling Downey said in a statement.

Coderre was in Lebanon on Thursday for a congress of international francophone mayors.

A hearing to suspend Montreal’s bylaw brought forth by the Montreal SPCA is to be debated in Quebec Superior Court on Monday.