Central Government Imposes Ban On 23 "Ferocious" Dog Breeds: Report (image@Pixabay)
As an attempt to tackle the increasing cases of aggressive dog attacks across the country, the Central government imposed ban on import, sale and breeding of 23 “ferocious” breeds of dogs, deeming them to be a “threat to human life”.
The move came after a report by a joint panel of experts and animal welfare bodies as a response to an order from Delhi High Court. The court asked central government to decide the matter after consulting with all the stakeholders within three months.
The Animal Husbandry and Dairying has also sent letter to chief secretary of states and Union territories to ensure the imposition of the ban. The expert group formed under the chairmanship of the commissioner of Animal Husbandry also recommended the import of such dogs to be prohibited.
The list of banned dogs also include Pitbull Terrier, Tosa Inu, American Staffordshire Terrier, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, American bulldog, Boerboel, Kangal, Central Asian Shepherd Dog, Caucasian Shepherd Dog, South Russian Shepherd, Tornjak, Sarplaninac, Japanese Tosa and Akita, Mastiffs, Rottweiler, Terriers, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Wolf dogs, Canario, Akbash dog, Moscow Guard dog, Cane Corso. Every god of the type which was commonly known as ‘Ban Dog’ was also banned in the country.
The Union government also called for enforcing the Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules 2017 and the Pet Shop Rules 2018. Earlier, PETA (People for The Ethical Treatment of Animals) requested the government to protect vulnerable dog breeds which are commonly exploited by the criminal elements of society for illegal dogfighting and for the safety of humans.
In its petition filed at the Delhi High Court, PETA said, the order is the key towards providing a vital protection for both humans and dogs. It said a strong, clear message that pit bulls and other such breeds are bred to be weapons. The petition said, “ Pit bulls and breeds are the most commonly abandoned dogs in India, and this action can prevent a great deal of suffering”.
