As released to the Herald
The Pit Bull Federation of South Africa remains firm on its stance that a breed ban will not work and will exacerbate the problem of dog maulings and fatalities in South Africa.
Various case studies have proven that breed bans have no affect on the number of attacks by dogs. These studies were done in first world countries with a working justice and law enforcement system.
To further our stance, it would be impossible to positively identify a dog as a pit bull without taking DNA and comparing the dogs DNA to an established DNA profile, which we do not have in South Africa. This would lead to discrimination against dogs who may very well have no pit bull in them.
The dog mauling crisis we face in South Africa is not unique to South Africa, globally dog attacks on people are not taken seriously by law enforcement and justice systems. Every country has laws pertaining to dog bites and ownership of dogs, yet when tragedy strikes the response from those mandated to enforce these laws are at the very most luke warm. This is further complicated by a media machine that chooses sensation over lives, turning victims into the stars in their own tragedy. Instead of questioning why those in power are not enforcing laws, the media has villainised the dogs and not those solely responsible for the horror inflicted on victims and their families. This needs to stop. Lives should never take back seat to a sensationist story.
The PBFSA has identified the problems that lead us to this point.
- Irresponsible owners.
- Backyard and commercial breeders who mass bred unstable dogs and sent them into society and into homes of owners who should never have owned pit bulls. These breeders do not care about genetics or soundness.
- Reckless and unethical shelters who promoted dangerous myths like the nanny dog, it is how you raise them and they are just like other dogs. They stubbornly refuse to acknowledge that human aggression cannot be rehabilitated and dog with a bite history lacks bite inhibition and will do it again. Despite various professionals providing proven studies, these organisations choose to gamble with lives in their endeavors to be societies “heroes”.
Banning the pit bull will only open the door for a black market trade, dishonest identification of dogs, and for those keeping them for security, the next potentially dangerous dog will take its place. It will never end the problem A broken and dysfunctional law enforcement system whos role players do not know who is tasked to enforce the Animals Matters Amendment Act brush victims off and give those who cause carnage a get out of jail free card. No accountability got us here.
So where to from here. Education. We have established that dog owners from all groups in society do not understand the laws, they do not understand basic dog behaviour and body language and the care needed to meet all dogs needs.
The PBFSA has partnered up with various professionals to begin educating the public not just on pit bulls but dog ownership
We will endeavor to find a viable solution that benefits all in society and empowers dog owners to make responsible choices, that makes society aware of its rights and obligations and that creates a safe world for children and dogs. This problem has never been a dog problem. It has been an accountability and law enforcement problem.
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