State govt to direct local bodies to impose ban on 23 dog breeds

Following the recent circular from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, the Government of India (GOI) banning the sale, import and keeping of 23 foreign dog breeds the State Animal Husbandry department will direct all local bodies in the district to implement the same. The Animal Husbandry department on Friday issued orders to all registered breeders to stop breeding, selling and keeping these 23 foreign dog breeds claimed to be ferocious or dangerous, said the officials.

Amidst a flurry of troubling incidents involving certain dog breeds, the centre on March 12 came up with a bold move of nationwide ban for import, breeding, selling as pet dogs and other purposes. The local bodies have been also asked to take necessary implementation steps and such pet dogs should be sterilised to prevent further breeding.

Dr Ankush Parihar, deputy commissioner, Animal Husbandry Department, Pune district, said, “We have stopped issuing licenses for breeding of these dog breeds. A meeting has been scheduled on Tuesday during which all local bodies in the district will be directed to implement this ban.”

Dr Parihar added that the local bodies will be asked to sterilise pet dogs of these 23 breeds kept as pets. Also, no pet licenses will be given to the citizens who want to keep pet dogs of these 23 dog breeds,” he said.

The circular stated, “breeds (including mixed and cross breeds) like Pitbull Terrier, Tosa Inu, American Staffordshire Terrier, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, American Bulldog, Boerboel, Kangal, Central Asian Shepherd Dog (ovcharka), Caucasian Shepherd Dog (ovcharka), South Russian Shepherd Dog (ovcharka), Tornjak, Sarplaninac, Japanese Tosa and Akita, Mastiffs (Boer bulls), Rottweiler, Terriers, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Wolf Dogs, Canario, Akbash dog, Moscow Guard dog, Cane Corso, and every dog of the type commonly known as a Ban Dog (or Bandog).” However, the decision has irked pet lovers and animal activists in the country.

The Karnataka HC stayed the circular on 19 March and the Calcutta HC ordered a partial stay stating the stay didn’t apply to the circular’s directive of banning the import and sale of such dog breeds due to the “commercial connotation”. The Delhi HC also sought the Centre’s response to a plea challenging the circular.

Dr Tribhuwan Katre, joint secretary, the Vet Doctors Association, Pune, said, in the city dog breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador, Beagle, Pug, Shih Tzu, Dobermans and German Shepherds are among the most popular dog breeds in the city.

“The dog breeds like Rottweiler, Pitbull Terrier, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino and American Bulldog amongst others are less popular, as these breeds are primarily guard dogs and need large spaces. Banning dog breeds is not a solution but the pet owner should have adequate space, train their pets and should know how to handle the pet. In most dog bite cases we have found the owner has failed to handle or train their pets. The pet dog hardly was seen at fault,” he said.

Dr Sarika Funde, veterinary superintendent of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) said, once we receive the directions we will start working on it. “The strategy and implementation of rules will be discussed with the Municipal Commissioner before implementation. The issue is already under discussion.”

Vineeta Tandon, founder of Animal Rescue Trust, said, that calling the dog breeds ferocious and dangerous is wrong and the circular issued is unjust.

“The decision taken is scientifically wrong and there is no data evidence to prove that only these dog breeds bite. However, we don’t support the breeding and sale of any dog breed. We cannot say that only these dog breeds bite. Dogs don’t bite unless provoked or fear for their safety. The pet owners and the hapless pets are the ones who will suffer from this decision,” she said.