Due to recent attacks, Montreal has enacted breed-specific laws to ban pit bulls.

This means that pit bulls in shelters face euthanization (the intentional ending of a life via a drug) and all current pit bull owners must purchase a $115 permit and walk their muzzled dogs on leashes no longer than four feet.

The Montreal Gazette estimated that this will impact owners of 7,000 dogs.

But are these breed-specific laws really helpful?

“There is no evidence that breed-specific laws reduce dog bites or attacks on people, and experts have found that no breed is more likely to bite than another.

“In fact, no jurisdiction has been able to prove that public safety has been improved thanks to this kind of legislation,” said the Humane Society International.

Legislation such as this has even been enacted in some areas of Ohio, such as Norwood.

“Pit bulls used to be an American favorite. Now they have been bred to become guard dogs and engage in dogfights, and news outlets have perpetuated and demonized their reputations for profit.

“It makes me very disappointed that humans started this cycle and now they are just trying to fix the problem by ignoring it,” said Nathan Zhang, 11.

However, as of October 5, the controversial pit bull ban in Montreal was suspended for the duration of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (SPCA) legal challenge concerning the new legislation.

This is one step toward victory for animal rights organizations around the world, and organizations have begun popping up internationally to stand up for the bullied breed.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially recommends against the legislation as well [as multiple animal rights organizations, including the SPCA], citing too much uncertainty in dog-bite data to target a specific breed,” said The Washington Post.

To support the SPCA’s cause, sign their petition in order to protect pit bulls.

Also, check out organizations’ websites and social media accounts such as @TheGentlePit on Instagram, which follows a pit bull named Olive on her journey to becoming a therapy dog.