Ban the breed is never a solution. Let’s educate people in good pet care practices to raise well adjusted dogs.

Safety first (human & animal) is indisputable

Banning (pretty much anything from books to dog breeds) stems from a need to eradicate what we cannot understand or challenges our narrow world view.

This article from India Today reports local government reactions to dog attacks. We offer an opinion(in orange) on the fears and reactions of the community and authorities.
Please see the original story edited by: Srishti Jha here: India Today

“No family can keep more than one pet dog, says Ghaziabad civic body; Pit bull among 3 breeds banned”

“The Ghaziabad Civic Body has imposed a ban on three dog breeds, including Pit bulls, after repeated attacks on humans in the city. Moreover, one dog will be allowed per family, as per municipal corporation’s orders.”

A Cocker Spaniel or Dalmatian can attack an adult of child and cause bodily harm. The number of dogs in a family is quite irrelevant if they are well trained and behaved.

Following repeated incidents of pet dog attacks, the Ghaziabad administration has imposed a ban on residents from keeping Pitbull, Rottweiler and Dogo Argentino breeds as pets. Moreover, the city’s municipal corporation issued a series of guidelines on Saturday, addressed to pet-owners, stating that no family can keep more than one pet dog.

The pet owners will require licenses for their dogs which will be issued from November 1, 2022. Now, they will be required to obtain their dogs’ registration within two months.

A fair requirement as long as the dog has been bought from a qualified licensed breeder. Ban the breeding not the breed!

Rottweilers, Pit bulls and Dogo Angentinos were originally bred for a purpose. Each of these breeds requires a family who can dedicate time to socialise them. Here’s a quick over view on the history of each of these working breeds.

Also, pet owners who are residents of high-rise buildings will have to use service lifts for taking their pets out. Pet dogs are now required to wear a muzzle while in public, as per Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation’s (GMC) orders.

Presumably human safety is the goal therefore once a dog is muzzled which elevator is used is a moot point.

It may be noted that the orders surfaced after several dog bite and mauling incidents were reported from various residential areas and complexes in Ghaziabad recently.

“The three breeds — Pitbull, Rottweiler and Dogo Argentino — are ferocious (khoonkhar), and no permission will be granted to keep these dogs. No licence will be issued. If somebody buys one of these, he/she will be responsible. All these three breeds have been banned in Ghaziabad,” BJP leader and GMC councillor Sanjay Singh told news agency PTI.

Breeder responsibility

Breeder responsibility is not mentioned neither are they being held responsible for selling these dogs to people. An experienced and qualified breeders will never sell a dog of this ability and strength to a family without thoroughly vetting their capability. No mention is made of investigating the health and welfare of the dogs in possession of these breeders.

He said people who already have these breeds of dogs will have to get them sterilized within two months.

Questions we should be asking

• How does a person buy this breed?
• Who are the breeders? Are they qualified and do they have licenses?
• How did these breeds become so easily available?

“Sterilisation of the dogs has been declared compulsory in the board meeting of the civic body held on Saturday. Without sterilisation, certificate registration would not be granted,” Mayor Asha Sharma told PTI.

“In case the dog is younger than six months, the owner will have to submit an affidavit with an assurance that they will get the pet sterilised when he becomes one,” she added.

“More than 10 children suffered dog bites. A child in the Sanjay Nagar colony, Kush Tyagi, was attacked by a Pitbull and he got 150 stitches in his face. Four days later, another boy was attacked by a dog of this breed,” she said.

The zonal officers of the GMC have been asked to issue notices to pet-owners to inform them about the rules and regulations that have been passed in the board meeting.

Breeders have no mention of their role and responsibility. Who is going to address the fate of dogs in the possession of breeders (back yard and otherwise) . We know from experience abandonment is high when blanket bans are sudden.

Speaking about stray dogs, the mayor said that residents should offer them food at designated places.

More points to ponder

• Were any of these dogs “Pandemic Pups” and were they socialised?
• Why are we obsessed with ‘exotic’ breeds?
• Is social media and unrealistic portrayals of pet ownership behind these trends to posses a certain breed of dog?
• Were these dogs purchased online and ‘shipped’ to their new families?

In conclusion, we find ourselves in a situation where constructive collaboration is the only solution.

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