Centre bans import, breeding, sale of ‘ferocious’ breeds like Rottweiler, Pitbull, Mastiffs
The department of animal husbandry and dairying has written a letter to the states directing them not to issue any licences or give permission to sell or breed these dogs
After a Delhi high court order, the Centre has clamped down on the import, breeding, and sale of “ferocious” breeds like Rottweiler, Pitbull, Terrier, Wolf dogs and Mastiffs and banned them as pet dogs or for other purposes as they pose a 'danger to human life'.
The ban on these dogs will extend to mixed and cross breeds as well, said a news report.
According to the Times of India, the department of animal husbandry and dairying, a subsidiary of the ministry of animal husbandry, has written a letter to the states directing them to ban these breeds.
The department has requested the local bodies to not issue any licences or give permission to sell or breed these dogs. Further, they have said that these breeds who are being kept as pets will be sterilised to avoid breeding.
This advisory has come on the heels of a report submitted by a committee of experts and animal welfare bodies. This committee was set up on the order of the Delhi high court.
Which breeds are banned?
The breeds (including mixed and cross breeds) that have been banned include Pit bull Terrier, Tosa Inu, American Staffordshire Terrier, Fila Bresileiro, Dogo Argentino, American Bulldog, Boesboel, Kangal, Central Asian Shepher Dog, Caucacian Shepherd Dog, South Russian Shepherd Dog, Tornjak, Sarplaninac, Japanese Tosa and Akita, Mastiffs, Rottweiler, Terriers, Rhodesian Ridegback, Wolf Dogs, Canario, Akbas, Moscow Guard, Cane Corso, and every dog of the type referred to as a Bandog, said the report quoting an official release.
Delhi high court judgement
The letter also refers to represenatations made by a number of citizen and animal welfare organisations besides the Delhi high court’s judgment.
On December 23 last year, the Delhi high court asked the Centre to take a decision, preferably within three months, on a plea seeking a ban on “dangerous” dog breeds like pit bulls, American bulldogs, and rottweilers.
The plea had argued that several countries had already prohibited the ownership of some of these breeds due to their perceived danger. The increasing instances of dog bites recorded across the nation were also cited.
Dog attacks
According to newspaper reports, last year, a seven-year-old boy was attacked by a Pit bull in Mahendra Park, northwest Delhi, while he was playing near his residence. In Vishwas Nagar, a Pit bull attack resulted in injuries for a two-year-old boy.
In Uttarakhand, a Pit bull attacked a one and half year old girl in the Burari Nagar Colony and she required 18 stitches after suffering three separate leg fractures. She was also hospitalised for 17 days.
In November 2023, a 65-year-old non-resident Indian (NRI), who was visiting his son in Bengaluru, was attacked by a Rottweiler in Malleswaram. The same dog also attacked a 60-year-old man who was strolling by. A case under IPC section 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animals) was filed against the dog's owner.
In 2022, the Ghaziabad municipal corporation banned its citizens from owning Rottweilers, Pit bulls, and Dogo Argentinos as pets. The city authority has released several other guidelines requiring pet owners to obtain a licence for their canines. No family is permitted to maintain more than one pet dog and they have to register their pets.
