BENGALURU: After the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday quashed the central government circular banning the import, breeding and sale of 23 “ferocious” dog breeds, the People For Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA) said the circular should be re-formulated and re-issued with stringent directions.
PETA India Advocacy Associate Shaurya Agrawal said they will call on the Centre to use this opportunity to see how the circular can be strengthened to protect these vulnerable dog breeds that are largely bred to be abused, and safeguard more Indian citizens against dog attacks.
Agrawal said in the application filed before the high court, PETA India pointed out that pit bulls and similar foreign dog breeds are primarily used for illegal dog fighting in India. Without suitable enforcement and regulation, organised dogfights have become prevalent in parts of the country, making pit bull-type dogs and others used in these fights the most abused dog breeds.
Pit bulls and related breeds are also otherwise typically kept on heavy chains as attack dogs, resulting in aggressive, defensive behaviour and a lifetime of suffering. Many endure painful physical mutilations such as ear-cropping and tail-docking that involve removing part of a dog’s ears or their tail to prevent another dog from grabbing them during a fight, PETA said in a release.
Breeders do not warn unsuspecting buyers that this breed was developed in the UK through the selective breeding of dogs to accentuate characteristics desirable for use in dogfights and attack, resulting in aggression, abnormally strong jaws, and muscular strength. Although dog fighting was banned in the UK in 1835 and pit bulls and similar breeds are now prohibited there and in numerous other countries, their exploitation is still causing chaos in India, the organisation said.
An organisation certifying the breeds could be heard. PETA, which has sought interference in the matter, should also be heard if the Centre wants to bring in a law in this regard, the court clarified.
