Pit Bull Ban Could Affect Viral Detroit Pit Bull’s Living Situation, While A Non-U.S. City Considers A Ban

Pit bull bans, and rumors of a pit bull ban, are on the interweb again, despite the Inquisitr not having reported on any such talks since last July when a Delaware and Missouri town did away with their respective pit bull bans. Diggy the pit bull finally found his forever home with local Waterford Twp., Michigan, musician Dan Tillery. Diggy the pit bull’s fortune was sadly short-lived because the Facebook photo of Tillery with his new pup went viral, and the authorities were not far behind, according to Dog Time.

Diggy the pit bull was inspected by the police officers that had arrived at his new forever home, and after a brief inspection of him, it was determined that he was a pit bull and needed to vacate the premises. Diggy the pit bull was being booted from his new forever home due to a pit bull ban in his owner’s township, but there was just one problem with that: Diggy the pit bull was technically not a pit bull. Diggy’s owner had signed paperwork from the City of Detroit’s Animal Control and Welfare that stated his breed was that of an American Bulldog, and a vet also confirmed that he is not a pit bull. Unfortunately, this simply would not do.

The issue with pit bull bans, and what are known as Breed Specific Legislation or BSL, is that identification of the dog is not determined by any scientific means. Diggy the assumed pit bull was determined to be so, based on simple “characteristics and features,” as such laws tend to be based on. According to the Detroit News, a public outcry has begun, and Diggy the presumed pit bull and his owner Dan Tillery have since been featured on Good Morning America.

A town hall meeting was called, and 300 came out, as many stood up to speak on behalf of Diggy and his owner. Pit bull and Diggy defenders alike broke up the meeting with “Leave Dan and Diggy alone” at some junctures during the meeting. The online petition to keep Diggy the alleged pit bull has now reach over 100,000 signatures, and his fate will be decided in an August 11 hearing. Until then, police have stated the alleged pit bull will be allowed to remain with his owner for the time being.

Despite all the associated risk with wrongful removal of pit bull-like dogs, and breaking apart families from their pets or therapy dogs, pit bulls bans and BSL remain throughout the United States.

According to Care2, cities outside of the U.S. have also begun to consider their own pit bull bans. Case in point, Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume decided that “all pit bulls” from his city should be banned, as Staffordshire Bull Terriers are currently banned. Labeaume spoke with great fervor over his all-inclusive pit bull ban that he wanted in place by 2017.

“Even if a pit bull has never bitten, even if he appears to be friendly, the owner has six months to get rid of it.”

He exclaimed that there would be no grandfathering of priorly owned, but newly banned, pit bulls. Labeaume also stated that violations of said pit bull ban would result in fines ranging from $150 to $1,000 for the first offense, and from $300 to $2,000 for the secondary offense. This caused a protest of around 50 pit bull owners to come, dog and leash in hand, to protest outside of their city hall this past July 4. Due to the protest, the Quebec City mayor tabled his pit bull ban plans until the decision was made “province-wide,” as Quebec is considering following Ontario’s pit bull ban.

Ontario banned pit bulls in 2005, in an attempt to “reduce dog bites” and attacks. Reportedly, dog bites hit historic highs in 2013 and 2014, just eight years after the proposed pit bull ban’s inception.

[Image via Shutterstock]