In the wake of a tragic incident where a Rottweiler mauled a four-month-old baby girl to death in Ahmedabad, PETA India has renewed its appeal to the Gujarat government to ban aggressive foreign dog breeds. The animal rights group has written to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Chief Secretary Pankaj Joshi, urging the state to prohibit the breeding, sale, and keeping of dog breeds bred for fighting and aggression.
In its letter, PETA India called for a policy to restrict breeds like pit bull terriers, Rottweilers, Pakistani bully kuttas, Dogo Argentinos, Presa Canarios, Fila Brasileiros, bull terriers, and XL bullies. The organisation warned that these breeds are often acquired by individuals unaware of the challenges in handling them, sometimes resulting in serious attacks.
“These dogs are bred to be unstoppable weapons and are often exploited in illegal dogfighting rings,” said PETA India Advocacy Associate Shaurya Agrawal. “We urge the Gujarat government to enact a policy that protects people from attacks and dogs from cruelty.”
Quoting directly from the letter submitted to the state government, PETA India wrote:
“These dog breeds – including pit bulls and Rottweilers – are bred to be powerful and aggressive and are exploited in gruesome illegal blood sports such as dogfighting. They pose a danger to communities and suffer immensely from abuse, neglect, and mutilations. We urge the government of Gujarat to act swiftly to ban their breeding, sale, and keeping in the interest of public safety and animal welfare.”
PETA India highlighted that, despite laws under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, illegal dogfights remain rampant in parts of the country. Breeds like pit bulls and Rottweilers are frequently used in these fights, often suffering mutilations like ear cropping and tail docking – practices that are illegal but still common in underground circles.
The group has proposed that the state could impose a ban by mandating sterilisation and registration of existing dogs, alongside a cutoff date after which the breeding, sale, or keeping of such breeds would be prohibited. They also urged strict action against illegal pet shops and breeders, and a crackdown on organised dogfighting.
The Gujarat government has announced plans to frame a policy on this issue.
PETA India maintains that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” and continues to campaign against speciesism – the belief that one species is superior to another.
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