Rottweiler Kills Baby In Gujarat, PETA India Renews Call For State To Ban Foreign Dog Breeds Bred For Attack
Following the mauling and killing of a 4-month-old baby girl in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, after a Rottweiler broke free from the guardian, PETA India has sent a letter to Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel’s office and to the Gujarat Chief Secretary Shri Pankaj Joshi, IAS renewing its call urging the state to implement a policy prohibiting breeding, selling, or keeping of dog breeds such as pit bull terriers, Rottweilers, Pakistani bully kuttas, Dogo Argentinos (Argentine mastiffs), Presa Canarios, Fila Brasileiros (Brazilian mastiffs), bull terriers and XL bullies who have been deliberately bred for fighting and aggression. PETA India warns that such dogs are often sold to unsuspecting buyers who are themselves attacked or otherwise cannot control the animals.
Pit bull, Rottweiler and other such foreign dog breeds are bred to be unstoppable weapons and to be abused in dogfights. We urge Gujarat to immediately pass a statewide policy that prohibits the keeping, breeding, or selling of these dogs to protect humans from attacks and dogs from abuse.
The Gujarat government has announced an intention to frame a policy on such dog breeds. Pit bulls, Rottweilers and similar foreign dog breeds are primarily used for dogfighting in India, even though inciting dogs to fight is illegal under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Without suitable enforcement, organised dogfights have become prevalent in parts of the country, making pit bull–type dogs and others used in these fights the most abused dog breeds. Pit bulls and related breeds are also otherwise typically kept on heavy chains as attack dogs, resulting in aggressive defensive behaviour and a lifetime of suffering. Many endure painful physical mutilations, such as ear cropping and tail docking – illegal procedures that involve removing part of a dog’s ears or their tail to try to prevent another dog from grabbing them during a fight. These dogs are encouraged to continue fighting until they become exhausted and at least one is seriously injured or dies. Because dogfighting is illegal, injured dogs are not taken to veterinarians.
A prohibition could be achieved in the state by requiring such dogs to be mandatorily sterilised and registered while prohibiting the breeding, keeping, or selling of these dogs after a stipulated date. PETA India is also calling for a closure of illegal pet shops and breeders, as well as a crackdown on illegal dogfights.
