Alan Tobin, a councillor for Ashbourne Municipal District in County Meath, Ireland, organised a series of signs to be erected in public parks and spaces.
They warn of 10 dog breeds 'too dangerous' for families - a list which includes the following:
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American Pit Bull Terrier
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Rhodesian Ridgeback
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Bull Mastiff
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Doberman Pinscher
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Staffordshire Bull Terrier
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Rottweiler
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German Shepherd
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English Bull Terrier
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Japanese Akita
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Japanese Tosa
Sharing a photograph of the sign on Facebook, he said: “As a dog owner I'm absolutely delighted that signs I've asked for, with pictures, showing the dangerous breeds of dogs have been erected over the past week.
“It still amazes me that some people think these dogs are ideal family pets.”
However his post has since sparked a massive backlash online, with over 266K comments from pet owners who own, love, and cherish some of the ‘gentle giants’ listed on the sign.
“This is the most ignorant, misleading and uneducated sign I've ever seen! Stereotyping these breeds like this just shows you haven't done an ounce of research on what dogs make good family pets.
“As a 'dog' owner I'm sure you've heard of the phrase 'Punish the deed, not the breed'. You would have been better served putting up safety signs on the use of chocolate teapots!!!” raged one Facebook user.
One wrote: "You really are an uneducated moron. I'm embarrassed for you."
Another pet owner, sharing a photograph of her Staffordshire Bull Terrier in a little dog-sized hoody, added: “How dare you make this statement do you have any experience with these breeds listed above?? Can you tell me my dog is not a family pet?”
And a dog trainer, added: "Are you kidding me!? What is your credentials to make such claims? I've been training dogs for years and my favourites are all the breeds listed on your stupid sign."
Frustrated Facebook user Jacqulyn Delaney took things one step further, logging into Photoshop so that she could draw a muzzle on to a picture of Mr Tobin.
She wrote: "Here's another picture of a dangerous breed it's known as a ‘politician’ they talk absolute s----e and also should be muzzled."
Her post has received over 100K likes and counting.
What do you make of the signs?
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