Protesters hoped to greet Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre as he arrived at la Grande Bibliotheque Monday but it didn’t happen.
Coderre was at the facility to give a speech but didn’t come face-to-face with the crowd.
Regardless, that didn’t stop them from attempting to deliver a message.
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“Get your head out of your backside and pick on something your own size, don’t pick on animals,” Montreal resident Michelle Baitel said.
Over the last few months, there have been numerous protests against breed-specific legislation in and around the city.
READ MORE: ‘My Canada includes all dogs’: Montrealers rally against pit bull ban
Dog owner, Dori Yeats, claims the bylaw is so vague, she’s unsure it would include her two mixed-breed pups.
“For me, the laws are especially stressful because there’s so much ambiguity,” she said. “What will happen to my dogs? Do I have to go and get a DNA test to find out? Do I have to pay for a registration?”
Projet Montreal, which has continuously opposed the bylaw, has criticized the Coderre administration for failing to open up the pit bull debate to both the general public and experts.
READ MORE: Montreal pit bull ban: Court grants temporary injunction
“Coderre should wake up and smell the bacon,” NDG city councillor Peter McQueen said. “You see what the courts are saying, it’s not just the opposition, it’s not just a few pit bull owners who are having a problem with the bylaw – it’s any reasonable, evidence-based observer that are saying this bylaw has serious problems – it’s gotta be reworked.”
Under the bylaw, adopting new pit bull-type dogs would be illegal and current dog owners would face strict regulations.
READ MORE: Montreal pit bull ban unjust: Cyndi Lauper
Coderre has repeatedly stated that it’s his responsibility to protect all Montreal citizens and that this regulation is about public safety.
The protesters disagree, saying if the bylaw sticks, the protests will continue.
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