Dog Bite Menace: Centre Mulls Nationwide Ban On Import, Breeding And Selling Of 'Aggressive' Breeds

Pit Bull Ban:  Amid the reports of rising dog attacks in the urban and suburban areas, the central government is mulling to ban aggressive dog breeds across the country. This follows a writ petition filed in the Delhi High Court by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India. Responding to the Court's notice, OP Chaudhary, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, has written a letter to the chief secretaries of all states and union territories.

The letter urges the state departments of Animal Husbandry, and local authorities to ensure that no licenses or permissions are issued for the sale, breeding, and possession of pit bulls and similar breeds intentionally bred for aggression, often used in illegal fights and attacks.

Import-ban likely on aggressive breed

The expert committee headed by the commissioner of animal husbandry also advised banning the import of such breeds from outside, the country. According to a report by news agency ANI, many dog breeds are suggested for a ban by the committee. Breeds such as pit bull terriers, other terrier breeds of that kind, Tosa Inu, American Staffordshire Terrier, Fila Brasilerio, Dogo Argentino, American bulldog, Boerboel, Kangal, different shepherd dogs, Tornjak, Bandog, Sarplaninac, Japanese Tosa, Akita, Mastiffs, Rottweilers, Rhodesian Ridgeback, wolf dogs, Canario, Akbash, and Moscow Guarddog are among the breeds that the committee has recommended be banned.

The ban will also extend to mixed and crossbred dog breeds.

PETA India commended the government for taking steps to safeguard children and senior citizens from certain dog breeds, which are often trained to view living beings as prey and are exploited in illegal dogfighting by criminal elements of society.

Recently, an official reported that twenty people were injured in the Ghumarwin area by a stray dog. Rita Sehgal, the President of the Municipal Council in Ghumarwin, explained that the dog would unexpectedly attack people passing by, causing injuries.

The incident took place near Gandhi Chowk in the Ghumarwin market, where the stray dog bit multiple individuals within a short time frame. The injured victims were promptly taken to a local hospital for treatment and administered anti-rabies vaccines, Sehgal confirmed. However, such occurrences are not uncommon.