Montreal was the most recent city to ban one of the “scariest” dog breeds known to man: pit bulls. While those canines seem to get a bad reputation, they are not all bad. In fact, many of them are quite harmless.
One of my best friends has a pit bull named Layla, and she is a total mush. It is not only unfair to discriminate against dogs based on their breed, but to think that we as humans have the right to euthanize them to play into a stereotype. You will rarely find pit bulls for sale in a pet store, so it’s no surprise that these dogs overpopulate animal shelters across the country. And, while many people are trying to rescue as many as they can (if I had a unlimited amount of wealth I would have two homes, one for myself and one for dogs), we tend to get confused by what the word “rescue” means.
While it’s true that more attention in the media is paid to certain breeds, all dogs, big and small, need a family of their own. People always say, don’t buy, rescue. When did we stop thinking that those dogs in pet stores didn’t need to be rescued? They are locked behind too small glass windows and stuck inside even smaller cages, sit in their own waste and don’t receive any human interaction aside from an annoying tap on the glass. Do you think they get to stretch their legs outside in the fresh air? Do you think they get to play with toys and keep company with other dogs? Do you think that because you have to pay for them they’re not in need of being rescued? The answer across the board is unfortunately, no.
Any dog or cat that is not safe inside a warm and loving house is in need of rescue. So this upcoming holiday season, consider adding a new member to your family and remember, all dogs, shelter or store, are in need of a hero. It turns out, they will be the ones who rescue you.
