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People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), India, an animal protection group, has called for a ban on the breeding and sale of pitbulls in the country.
PETA has written to the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, requesting an amendment in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017, to prohibit the breeding and keeping of breeds of dogs that are bred for fighting and racing.
Radhika Suryavanshi, campaigns manager, PETA, pointed out that in the recent cases of people being attacked by dogs, the breed in common is the pitbull. “They are bred and raised as ‘bully dogs’, and were originally bred for bull-baiting. PETA is asking for a ban on the breeding, sale and keeping of pitbull-type dogs because they are bred in such a way that they are trained for fighting. For those that are already at home, they need to be registered and sterilised so that they are not bred and sold. Pitbull-type dogs are the most abused dogs,” Suryavanshi said at a press conference in the capital on Tuesday.
She also said that such dogs that are used for fighting suffer physical mutilations, including the cropping of their ears to prevent another dog from getting hold of it in a fight.
PETA also has footage of dog fights held with pitbulls and the footage has been sent to the Ministry, representatives of the group said. The footage, collected this year by volunteers with PETA, is mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, said Nithin Krishnegowda, veterinary policy advisor, PETA. In the footage, PETA said that dog fighting is a form of gambling, and the dogs end up sustaining injuries and bleed profusely.
“Dog fighting is prohibited under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,” Krishnegowda said.
“Unlicensed breeders also sell them without a warning that they have been bred for fighting over countless generations and can attack. They are bred for fighting and aggression,” Krishnegowda said. PETA has also called for governments to ensure that pet shops are registered and illegal breeders shut down.
In an incident from July, a pitbull had attacked an elderly woman in Lucknow who succumbed to her injuries. In other incidents in August, a pitbull had attacked a woman in Gurgaon, and a six-year-old was attacked by a pitbull in Loni, Ghaziabad. In a recent incident, a pitbull had attacked a 10-year-old boy in Ghaziabad.
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