 "India wants to ban Pit bulls, Rottweilers: How dangerous are these dog breeds?")
In the wake of many dog attack deaths, the Centre is seeking a ban on the import, breeding, and sale of several “ferocious” dog breeds.
The aggressive dog breeds — Pit bull, Rottweiler, Terrier, Wolf Dog, and Mastiff — are prohibited from being kept as pets or for other uses because they represent a “danger to human life.”
This prohibition will also apply to crossbred and mixed breeds.
Let’s take a closer look.
The ban
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying wrote to each state requesting that no licences or permits be issued for the sale or breeding of these canines, according to The Times of India.
The recommendation is based on a report by an expert committee and animal welfare organisations that was established by the Delhi High Court’s ruling.
The identified breeds (including mixed and cross breeds) include Pit bull Terrier, Tosa Inu, American Staffordshire Terrier, Fila Bresileiro, Dogo Argentino, American Bulldog, Boesboel, Kangal, Central Asian Shepher Dog, Caucacian Shepherd Dog, South Russian Shepherd Dog, Tornjak, Sarplaninac, Japanese Tosa and Akita, Mastiffs, Rottweiler, Terriers, Rhodesian Ridegback, Wolf Dogs, Canario, Akbas, Moscow Guard, Cane Corso, and every dog of the type commonly known as Bandog, an official release said.
“The local bodies may also issue necessary implementation guidelines,” the letter said.
The letter highlights a number of citizen and animal welfare organisation representations in addition to the Delhi High Court’s judgment prohibiting the ownership of certain kinds of dogs as pets.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIn a ruling dated 6 December 2023, the Delhi HC ordered “that the Union of India shall decide petitioner’s representation as expeditiously possible, preferably within three months, after consulting all stakeholders.”
The government has also requested that states make sure local organisations and state animal welfare boards are carrying out the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules 2017 and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules 2018.
Recent attacks in India and local bans
A man in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, was attacked by his pet Rottweiler in January of this year. The dog bit the victim and tore flesh off his arms and legs, causing more than 60 wounds. According to India Today, the attack occurred when the man remembered he had forgotten to feed the dog during the day and went to provide food around midnight. The owner was rescued by his son when the hungry Rottweiler became aggressive and started biting him.
In the same month this year, four other incidences of a similar nature were reported. One of these was a seven-year-old boy who was attacked by a Pit bull in Mahendra Park, northwest Delhi, while he was playing near his residence. In Vishwas Nagar, a Pit bull attack resulted in injuries for a two-year-old boy. A Pit bull attacked a 1.5-year-old girl in the Burari Nagar Colony in Uttarakhand. The young child required 18 stitches after suffering three separate leg fractures. She was also hospitalised for 17 days.
In January, an American bully is said to have attacked a seven-year-old girl in Shahbad Dairy while she was playing outside her home. Another account claims that a Pit bull grabbed an 18-month-old girl from her grandfather’s lap and began to maul her at Uttarakhand Colony in Burari area, as per TOI.
According to the newspaper, in November 2023, a 65-year-old nonresident Indian (NRI) who was visiting his son in Bengaluru was attacked by a Rottweiler in Malleswaram. The victim had gone to celebrate his friend’s birthday. In a matter of minutes, the dog also attacked a 60-year-old man who was strolling by. A case under IPC section 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animals) was filed against the owner of the dog.
In August 2022, a Pit bull that was out on a stroll with its owners mauled a 30-year-old woman in Gurugram. She suffered severe facial and head injuries as a result of the incident, according to PTI.
A few weeks prior, a teenager in Meerut suffered serious injuries by a Pit bull attack that happened as he was walking past the dog that was chained to a house’s fence. Locals pried open its jaws with a screwdriver to release the teenager.
According to Deccan Herald, the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation banned citizens from owning Rottweilers, Pit bulls, and Dogo Argentinos as pets in 2022. The city authority has released several other guidelines requiring pet owners to obtain a licence for their canines. No family is permitted to maintain more than one pet dog, per the rules. Additionally, it stated that dog owners who fail to register their pets would pay a charge of Rs 2,000.
The development came after more than 10 children suffered dog bites.
In September of same year, a similar ban on Pit bulls and Rottweilers was passed in Pachkula, Haryana.
Additionally, a resolution prohibiting the raising of Pit bull and Rottweiler breeds in the city was enacted by the Kanpur Municipal Corporation. According to the resolution, anyone found to be raising one of the two breeds faces a fine of up to Rs 5,000 and would have their “pet” taken away.
Are these breeds dangerous?
All five dog breeds are contentious and have a bad reputation due to a variety of issues. Some of the breeds have even been banned or restricted in several nations, including Turkey, the Cayman Islands, Norway, and the Cayman Islands.
Pit bulls’ reputation is based on their history of dog fighting, the high number of bite instances that have been documented, and their propensity to bite while gripping onto prey. Companies in the US even provide dog liability insurance, and owners of Pit bulls are liable for any attacks on other people their dogs may cause. They frequently participate in “nature vs. nurture” discussions concerning whether their habits are inherited or the result of their owners’ actions, according to Deccan Herald.
As per Brittanica, Rottweilers are thought to be descendants of cattle-driving dogs left by the Roman soldiers near Germany’s Rottweil during the 2nd Century CE. This species, which were bred as attack and hunting dogs, have also served as guard dogs, a drovers dogs, draft dogs, rescue dogs, and police dogs. Stories of Rottweilers attacks have hit the headlines with some frequency over the past couple of years. Experts say these dogs are fiercely loyal, but gravely misunderstood.
Furthermore, the breed’s reputation has been further solidified by their aggressive appearance and the bad connotations attached to them in television shows and films, most notably The Omen and its sequels. Though they are not a dog for everyone, Rottweilers are the best breed in the world, according to the American Rottweiler Club, who is one of the breed’s supporters. Rottweilers need a solid, steady, and peaceful “pack leader,” or else they will take on that responsibility for you.
Dogo Argentino, another dog bred for hunting, largely has similar characteristics to Rottweilers. According to the American Kennel Club, the Dogo Argentino is a pack-hunting dog instantly identifiable by a short, completely white coat. It has been bred to chase big game such as wild boar and puma. In general, the dog has a strong natural instinct to protect its territory and is considered a very social animal.
A mix between a domestic dog and a wolf is known as a wolf dog, according to The Spruce Pets website. Because they still have the instincts of their wild relatives, this huge breed is rather contentious. As “headstrong, aggressive, and downright ferocious,” they have been described. They also need kilogrammes of uncooked meat each day.
The American Kennel Club claims that Mastiff dogs were developed over generations in the Neapolitan region of southern Italy as estate and home guards. They may trace their origins back to Molossus, the breed that originated from the mixing of short-haired Indian dogs and Macedonian battle dogs during Alexander the Great’s reign. There are numerous varieties of Mastiff dogs, such as Bullmastiff, English Mastiff, Great Dane, Tibetan Mastiff and more. They have an impeccable pedigree. According to the website Mastiffguide, if Mastiffs are not socialised early on, they may become violent. Because of their size, they can also be harmful around little children. They can also get aggressive if they feel that their owners or themselves are in danger.
Bandogs are believed to have originated in Middle England between 1250 and 1300, according to Viovet.co.uk_. Though other dogs, such as early Bullenbeissers and crossing breeds used in the Crusades, may have also contributed to their origin, they list the American Pit Bull Terrier and the Neapolitan Mastiff as their ancestors. Their main functions were property guarding, hunting, and combat. Despite their protective and devoted nature, they are not recommended for inexperienced owners.
The genetic makeup of wolves and dogs is responsible for the frightening behaviour of wolf dogs. But that’s precisely why domestication isn’t appropriate for it. Because they are unpredictable and unable to meet their needs, these giants are difficult to handle, as per Jagran.
Also read: What are American XL Bully dogs? Why is Britain banning them?
Other countries that have banned/restricted them
Experts consider Pit bulls far too aggressive to be kept as house pets. They have been banned or restricted in 30 nations including the UK, Denmark, Columbia, Norway, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Malta, Spain, France, Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand.
According to Times Now, Rottweilers, who are aggressive dogs with powerful jaws, are banned or restricted in 18 countries, including Ecuador, Bermuda, France, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Qatar, Ukraine, Malaysia, and in many US states, as per the newspaper.
Like the Pit bull, the Dogo Argentino has been banned or restricted in several countries, including Ukraine, Australia, Denmark, Hong Kong, Israel, and New Zealand. In the United Kingdom, Dogo Argentinos are banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 unless an owner gets a court exemption.
As many as 11 countries, including Australia, Bermuda, Columbia, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, have either banned or restricted Terrier.
Wolf dogs are banned or restricted in Australia, Bermuda, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates.
Mastiffs are also banned or restricted in Bermuda, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore,
With inputs from agencies
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