American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper has posted a message on her Facebook page voicing her opposition to Montreal's newly adopted pit bull ban.
She calls it a "sad day" and an unjust bylaw.
Lauper adds, "it's not the dog, it's who is training and often mistreating them that should be banned" and invites opponents of the ban to sign a petition entitled "My Montreal includes all dogs" on the GoPetition online site.
The singer also wrote in a message posted Wednesday and shared more than 3,000 times that there are "many amazing pit bull and pit bull mixes out there" and also vicious dogs of other breeds.
Montreal city council voted 37-23 in favour of the new bylaw on Tuesday following a heated debate.
The legislation includes a ban on new pit bull-type dogs as of next week. It also places restrictions on those currently in the city, including the requirement that they be sterilized and wear muzzles in public.
The Montreal SPCA is mounting a legal challenge against the city, arguing the sections of the bylaw that specifically target pit bulls are discriminatory and contrary to Quebec's animal-welfare laws that define animals as "sentient beings."
The law was drafted following several attacks, including one last June that resulted in the death of a 55-year-old woman in her backyard.
Several other cities in Quebec and across Canada already have bans in place. The Quebec government is also considering provincial legislation regarding the dogs.
