Things have been really hard around here. Especially in the past few weeks.
Some of you know that I have a dog. Her name is Naya, and sheâs a pitbull kind of mix⊠thing. No one really knows what she is. But she has a big, goofy square face and it scares people.
It didnât use to scare anyone. She used to go pretty unnoticed. People would even be surprised when Iâd say she was a kind of pitbull. No one really knows what a pitbull is. Guys, it isnât even an existing breed. Itâs just a sort of umbrella term.
Recently, though, a woman died in her back yard. She was bitten by her neighborâs pitbull-ish kind of dog. Now, a few important things: there was a hole in the fence; the dog had a history of biting; the owner was a fucking douche, and had a pretty well decorated (and still recent) criminal record; the dog was underfed.
And despite that, all the media had to say was âPITBULL MAULS A WOMAN TO DEATHâ and âSHOULD DANGEROUS DOGS LIKE PITBULLS BE BANNEDâ. Public fear began to grow. That was, like, two weeks ago.
In two weeks, the capital city of Quebec (which is like 3 hours away from where the attack happened?) decided to ban pitbulls altogether. Owners of pitbulls over there have until January the 1st to, literal translation: â get rid of their dogsâ. S'en dĂ©barasser.
Iâve watched this inflate and swell with growing apprehension. Three days ago, there was an announcement that pitbulls were banned in MontrĂ©al, my home, as well. I was walking Naya in the park when I learnt it. Some guy from the news network, suit, tie and mic, ran after me and asked if I had heard the bad news. I thought he was talking about Quebec city, so I said yeah. And⊠I said âat least it isnât as bad in MontrĂ©al quite yetâ and he froze, and went âwell, then, Iâm sorry to be the one to tell you. But the mayor has prohibited pitbulls from September on.â
Iâm going to have the right to keep my dog, provided she wears a muzzle at all times, keeps out of parks and fits a plethora of different complex criteria (sterilization, microchipâŠ). The muzzle is veryâŠDisturbing. Any canine expert will tell you that a muzzle is potentially dangerous to the dog, and should be worn as scarcely as possible, and only in a situation of training and rehabilitation. But⊠I can do this. To keep my dog safe.
I can license her. Iâve been wanting to do it for months. Sheâs already sterilized and microchipped. She is always on a lead in public. She has no agressivity problems whatsoever. She doesnât even bark when someone is at the door.
Today, though, I heard through the grapevines that my civil responsibility insurance might not stand the same if I have a âdangerous dogâ. So, like any responsible tenant would, this afternoon, I called them.
I had to answer a few typical questions. Is your dog a pure pitbull? (Cue explaining what a pitbull actually is.) Has she ever bitten someone? Has she been trained for combat? I mentioned I was ready to have my animal be evaluated by a professional of their choice. I also said that I wasnât looking for insurance to cover any damages my dog could make. Just the standard fire, water, earthquake and shit liability insurance that I used to have. I was just looking to know whether or not having a pitbull-ish kind of dog would change anything.
The lady was pretty lighthearted about it. She said of course sheâd look into it. She said she might have to call tomorrow, but when she would, sheâd have the info. I hung up reassured.
She called back thirty minutes later, slightly mortified. She asked if I was sitting down.
Unless I write a letter to my insurance compay, stating that a pitbull no longer lives in my house or ever enters my property, they will revoke my insurance plan. I wonât be insured for fire damages, earthquakes, leaks from the roof, name it. They call itâŠÂ âan augmentation of risksâ.
Iâve been looking around. Articles everywhere state how difficult it is for someone with a pitbull to get insurance. Not⊠Not even for damages the dog might cause. I didnât want to add to my policy âGuarantee: if the dog mauls a person to deathâ. I just wanted a goddamn fire coverage. Iâve made that clear, and the lady had to tell me that âas of yesterday, Intact Insurances does not insure pitbull owners anymore.â
I guess Naya increases my risk of having an earthquake destroy my property.Â
This dog does not in any way affect the things they guarantee protection against. This is a reactionnary, discriminatory measure, and it is commonplace in the insurance industry. In about three weeks, I will have no more insurance. If anything were to happen to my home, like Iâve seen happen before â I would go bankrupt. It would be horrible.
But I am not getting rid of my dog. Naya and I live alone in the city. Sheis my pride, my joy and my support. If only theyâd let me pay more, or⊠Prove that sheâs no risk at all (especially not when weâre talking about leaks in the roof). But they just wonât hear it.
So I guess this has been a rough week for me. Iâm asking you guys to spread this as far as you can. Pitbull bans have been trending in the past few years, destroying so many lives and not improving the situation in the least. People need to see what the actual consequences of breed-specific legislation are.Â
janainaart
theartofmadeline
jacobvanloon
titsay
germansingergirl
gummygunk
dededos
