A petition by the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation to the minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development Thoko Didiza last month to ban pit bulls as pets has garnered more than 52,000 signatures.
While some have joined the petition, claiming the dogs are dangerous, others have called for tighter regulations around owning the animals and vetting owners.
“Following years of vicious attacks on innocent citizens, including young children, the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation has called for the immediate ban of pit bulls,” it said.
“The defence by pit bull lovers that it is how you raise the dog does not hold water. So many people, including joggers, have been attacked and killed by pit bulls.
“It is time that the South African government takes decisive steps and imposes a complete ban on the ownership of pit bulls as domestic animals. Such a move would prevent further attacks and unnecessary deaths. We cannot continue sending out condolences for something that can easily be prevented.”
What is a Pit Bull Ban?
A pit bull ban is a law or local or regional legislation that bans the use or ownership of a specific dog breed. It is frequently referred to as breed-specific legislation. While it is true that many pit bulls are lovable, and pitbull owners would say they all can be, they are a breed that can pose a danger. That is the crucial reason why pit bull bans exist in many different countries.
Still, there are many different reasons why a pit bull ban would be in effect and many countries all over the world ban pit bulls.
Why are Pit Bulls Banned?
Pit bulls are banned for various reasons, and it all comes down to how the breed behaves and why people own them. They are a known aggressive breed, and sometimes, that is why they are purchased as pets. Cases across the globe indicate this can be a dangerous animal, as the pit bull is a known aggressive breed.
Their notoriety for biting is a leading cause of pit bull bans for countries that ban pit bulls. The statistics on pit bull bans have resulted in millions of dollars of lost wages and personal injury every year in every country that has them.
Additionally, some dog owners use this aggression as an advantage, who want to make money from their pit bulls for fights. This is an illegal activity and a driving force behind many pit bull bans and legislation. Although a pit bull is a dog of primarily American descent, it is a breed that has become known to be one that.
Countries That Ban Pit Bulls
Some countries ban pit bulls entirely, while other countries leave it to regions such as states or provinces to make those decisions. This is a list of countries with pit bull bans that are specific:
- Singapore: In 1991, pit bulls were allowed at home, banned from entering the country
- Netherlands: 1993, complete pit bull ban
- Poland: 1997, laws about fencing and reinforcements for pit bulls
- France: 2000, a complete ban on pit bulls, with the intention the breed expires from the country
- Germany: 2001, complete pit bull ban
- Puerto Rico: 2001, complete pit bull ban
- New Zealand: 2003, pit bulls were banned from entering the country
- Italy: 2004, complete pit bull ban
- Australia: 2009, pit bulls were banned from entering the country
- Ecuador: 2009, pit bulls were banned as domestic animals or pets
- Denmark: 2010, complete pit bulls ban and a ban on breeding
- Venezuela: 2014, complete pit bull ban
In this list, there are pit bull bans by the countries listed, but not complete pit bull bans in the entire country. Some regions in some countries will have complete pit bull bans, while others will only have restrictions on breeding and entry into the country:
- Argentina
- Austria (some regions)
- Bavaria
- Belarus
- Belgium (some regions)
- Bermuda
- Brazil (some regions)
- China (some regions)
- Canada (some regions)
- Finland
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Israel
- Japan (some regions)
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Norway
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates (UEA)
- United Kingdom
