By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
A PARLIAMENTARIAN’S call for the possible ban of pit bulls has the support of a manager at the Bahamas Humane Society.
St Anne’s MP Adrian White urged legislators last week to consider banning the dogs after a constituent’s dog was attacked through a gate.
Peter Feldman, BHS’s assistant shelter manager, said yesterday it would “not be a bad idea at all” to ban the breeding and ownership of pit bulls.
Many countries restrict or ban the breed of dogs, including Australia, Denmark, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Singapore and Switzerland, among others.
Mr Feldman said: “Pit bulls are one of the most aggressive variety of dogs out there in the market and that’s why we have banned them coming into not just this country, but the United States has banned them and so has England.”
In the Bahamas, it is unlawful to import pit bulls.
“Has it been enough? Probably not because I think a lot of them have slipped, pit bulls have slipped through the cracks and there’s a lot of bully breeds out there,” Mr Feldman said.
He said complaints about pit bull attacks are common.
“It is a common complaint on a weekly basis, and most of them are pit bull related, yes. But at the end of the day, you know, two potcakes can chase you down the road as well. (Does that) mean are they going to bite you? Probably not, but it can happen. But if a pit bull chases you? Most of the time, it wants to draw blood. It wants to bite you.”
Supporters of the status quo say pit bulls are not the problem - weak enforcement of existing laws is.
“Yes, we’ve changed a lot of the laws on the books, but if we’re not enforcing them, then what does it actually mean?” Mr Feldman asked.
Comments
DillyTree 1 year ago
This is nonsense -- there are no bad pit bulls, just bad owners. A pit bull by nature is not more aggressive than any other breed. Do the research.
As a responsible pit bull owner, I go through all kinds of red tape each and every time I take my dogs to Florida for medical treatment, and jump through all the required hoops to do so. I cannot imagine owning any other breed than a pit bull -- they are the most loyal and sweet pups and only want to please. They are intelligent and quick learners, and are not typically hostile to other dogs and humans.
Is this the BHS's official position? If so, I will no longer be supporting them.
Let's regulate the owners, not the dogs!
Josie 1 year ago
Totally agree. An irresponsible owner and a poorly trained dog are a dangerous combination. And, unfortunately, it’s the dog that pays the price.
AnObserver 1 year ago
Agreed 100%. While it is very easy (and likely correct) to stereotype the "typical" pit bull and pit bull owner, if these dogs are banned, they'll just move on to some dog breed in their backyard puppy mills and dog-fighting.
What we need to be cracking down on are those last two items, not the breed of dog. This is a lot like saying we are going to ban Nissan Notes, because they are most often used in crimes.
Now a law requiring all dogs to be spayed and neutered by the time they are one year old - and an enforcement of dog licenses, now that is something I could get behind.
LastManStanding 1 year ago
Complete non-sense. Pitbulls are responsible for ~60% of dog bites in the United States, the highest among any breed, with Rottweilers coming in second at ~15%. It is 100% a breed problem.
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