New Delhi: On Tuesday, shocking news came from Lucknow about a pit bull mauling to death its owner – an 80-year-old woman. The dog apparently mauled the woman for almost an hour, chewing off her face and stomach. The family is now coping with the loss and trying to identify the reasons behind the dog’s aggressive behaviour. However, it is exactly for this ferocity that ownership of pit bulls is banned or restricted in several countries.
The United Kingdom banned the ownership and breeding of pit bulls under the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991. The decision followed a slew of dog attacks, often unprovoked, on humans for years that claimed a number of lives. Pit bull ownership needs a court nod, but then again, they can’t be bred, sold or exchanged.
Pit bull import and ownership are also banned or restricted in several other countries of Europe, including France, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Poland. Similar rules are in force in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and several cities of Canada as well. Puerto Rico had a two-decade ban in place till 2018, when it was once again made legal to own, sell and import the breed.
Strong, energetic and courageous, pit bulls were once used for dog fighting and blood sports. They are now increasingly being used by law enforcement agencies in several countries for detection of narcotics and bombs, and to track criminals.
Several mauling incidents involving pit bulls have come to the fore in India recently. In January this year, a pit bull attacked a child in Noida. Surprisingly, the video of the incident that went viral showed the dog’s owner calmly looking on from the terrace even as the child was wailing in pain.
In June last year, another incident was reported from Jaipur when an 11-year-old child’s face was badly injured after his landlord’s pit bull attacked him. The dog also inflicted serious injuries on the child’s neck, head and thighs.
