Durban - A leading animal behaviour expert has weighed in on the debate calling for the ban of pit bulls, saying the breed was “genetically unsound”.
An animal behaviour and welfare lecturer affiliated to the South African Veterinary Council, Dr Quixi Sonntag, said although the debate around the ban of pit bulls was always centred on whether the dog or the owner were at fault, it didn’t change the fact that the breed was “genetically unsound”.
She said petitions may not be the solution to the aggressive behaviour of pit bulls because nothing could change genetics.
The Sizwe Kupelo Foundation, an NPO that advocates for vulnerable children, has called for the immediate ban of pit bulls following a recent attack resulting in the death of a 10-year-old in Nelson Mandela Bay. The founder Sizwe Kupelo said they were prompted to start the petition because there was loss of a child’s life.
“We are saying the pit bull breed is killing our children and this recent incident was not the first.”
Sonntag said a blanket approach was not the answer, each dog should be judged on its own merits and professional input should be acquired each time.
“The dog’s fighting instinct can be influenced and triggered by human interference,” she said, adding that pit bulls may struggle to distinguish an appropriate target, which often leads to an attack.
The National Council of SPCAs has come out in support of the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation’s call, highlighting that although its mandate was the prevention of cruelty to animals and promoting good animal care, they also valued human lives.
“The petition calls for all pit bulls to be castrated/sterilised which would prevent the current rate of uncontrolled breeding. The petition also calls for stronger regulations for the keeping of pit bulls (and other power-breed animals), requiring owners to have permits to keep such animals,” said the council’s Keshvi Nair.
Nair said dog breeds with the potential to be aggressive and cause harm to other animals and people are easily obtained.
“In the hands of uninformed or irresponsible people, the dogs can become a risk to the people in their communities.”
Nair added that this petition should not result in the demonising of pit bulls but in finding a humane and cohesive way forward to protect the human and animal victims.
Nicole Jack, founder of SerendiPitty Rescue, a pit bull rescue centre based in KwaZulu-Natal, said the issue stemmed from owners and potential owners not educating themselves enough about the breed.
“People looking to own a pit bull should go through a stringent adoption process as with any adoption, in most cases people who own pit bulls don’t meet the standards required.”
She said some breeders did not do home inspections and most owners bought from backyard breeders who were not educated on the breed.
Jack said labelling pit bulls as genetically unsound was unfair as there could be genetic issues with other breeds as well.
Pet owner and Durban resident Vanessa Laas said the behaviour of each dog depended on how it is raised.
“Our pit bull, Zara, was amazing, she had the best personality. With every dog it depends on how you raise it, the only downfall with Zara came when my husband passed away and she started to not get along with one of our other dogs.”
Laas said Zara was grieving the passing of someone she loved and it broke her heart when she had to take her in for euthanasia. “Zara was one of seven dogs and all were different, having her exposed to people and different animals shaped her behaviour.”
By yesterday afternoon 41 610 people had signed the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation anti-pit bull petition.