Growing up, we've all asked our parents for puppies at some point or another. Sometimes we get puppies as birthday presents or Christmas presents or because we got all A's on our report cards. Sometimes we have to wait until we have houses of our own until we can get puppies. In any case, there's almost nothing better than holding a tiny ball of fuzz and staring into those big puppy eyes for the first time.
That pup is yours, now. You name him, feed him, take him for walks, play with him, and maybe even share a bed with him. Through the years, this pup has grown into a full sized dog. He's become your best friend; he walks you to your bus stop and watches you leave, he waits for you to come home from school and work, he follows you around your whole house. At the end of the day, this dog has been there for you through thick and thin. He licks your tears away, he cuddles with you when you're cold, he lays with you when you watch scary movies on your own.
Now imagine your beloved four-legged friend has grown so old that his frail bones can no longer carry him. The only thing left to do now is take him to the vet and say goodbye to your old pal one last time. You're staring into those big puppy dog eyes — just like the moment you first held him in your arms - as he's staring right back into yours. He knows you love him and you don't want him to suffer anymore, and he loves you just the same. You bend down and hug him one last time as he licks your tears away. Without him feeling any pain, he's gone.
Imagine this going on in every animal shelter across Montreal, Canada. Due to the increased number of dog attacks allegedly caused by pit bulls, Montreal officially made it illegal for the breed to simply exist. They've taken action to enforce this law in the most heartbreaking way — by killing not only pit bulls but any type of dog that may even resemble a pit bull in the slightest. Pit bull owners have to muzzle their dogs when they take them outside to do something as simple as go to the bathroom. Not only are they to be muzzled, but forget having company over! Having guests means putting Fido in his cage and keeping him out of sight since it's illegal for pit bulls and their lookalikes to be around other humans that aren't their owners.
Pit bulls have been public enemy for a long time because of owners training their dogs to fight and be aggressive in nature. But isn't this a lot of breeds? German Shepard, Rottweiler, Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Doberman Pinscher, Chow Chow, Great Dane, Boxer, and Akita. These are supposed to be some of the most dangerous dog breeds over the past thirty years, but how dangerous are they? Dogs are only as vicious as you train them to be.
The next time you stare into your dog's eyes, just think about the pit bull killings going on in Montreal. You'd hate it for it to happen to your dog, so think about what the pit bull owners in Canada must be going through. Heartbreaking, isn't it? After all, dogs are man's best friend.
