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Last week, I sat in a crowded office in the Ville-Marie borough, waiting to get a special permit for my pit bull mix, Kaylee. It was a tense situation with dozens of concerned pet owners struggling with an under-staffed team that wasn’t entirely clear on how to process these new license requests and had a scant three-hour window to get it all done. At one point, a woman began to loudly criticize the operation and a growing din of angry murmurs followed.

This is the new reality for pet owners and animal lovers in Montreal. Bureaucracy, uncertainty and frustration. And yet, I consider myself one of the lucky ones. I can afford to fight for Kaylee’s right to exist. I have the means to pay the $150/year license fee (compared to $25 for all other breeds), and buy the new muzzle and harness she needs to go outside now, stripping her of any of the joy she used to find on walks. I can also afford the $55 criminal background check to prove that I’m decent enough to keep the dog I’ve had for four years without incident.

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The city has said it will provide free leashes, harnesses and licenses to the homeless, but what about those who are just scraping by? How many families are scrambling to find safe havens for their beloved animals and saying tearful goodbyes simply because they cannot afford to play along with the mayor’s whims?