Here’s hoping the new Blue Jays pitcher can raise awareness about Ontario’s pit bull ban and maybe ultimately the law will change. I’d love for Oliver and Iris to be able to visit us sometime!

…And as [Buehrle] makes his debut as a Blue Jay, he will live alone in Toronto, leaving his family and their beloved dogs behind in St. Louis.

The reason: Ontario has banned pit bulls, one of which — a Staffordshire terrier-bulldog mix named Slater — is a treasured member of the Buehrle family…

“Being a responsible pet owner, you can’t just dump your dog on somebody else or take a chance of breaking a law and taking him up there [to Ontario],” Buehrle said…

The Buehrles adopted Slater from a shelter where he was scheduled for euthanasia two years ago. [Buehrles’ wife] Jamie has an uncommon love for dogs, but when she told her husband about finding Slater, he had never heard her wax so enthusiastic about any animal before. Bring him home, he said.

Slater is the antithesis of the pit-bull stereotype, Buehrle insisted…

Full article in the National Post:
Blue Jays’ Mark Buehrle knows many won’t understand why he’ll leave his family behind ‘over a dog’