Cape Town - DNA-analysis of pit bulls might be a good idea for removing the stigma attached to the power breed following several attacks on people and a number of deaths.
This is according to animal rights activists after the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development confirmed on Tuesday that work was currently under way for a comprehensive DNA analysis of pit bulls and pit bull-type dogs “to assist with correct identification of problem animals (unique) to South Africa”.
“This exercise will also investigate aggression behaviour and will assist in identifying the pit bull and pit bull type dogs that may be developed through indiscriminate cross-breeding.
“The department is also working with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to amend the Animal Matters Amendment Act of 1993 to ensure that citizens are protected from any harm and that owners of such animals are held accountable for whatever damages caused by power dogs and other animals.”
The move follows a meeting with the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation who have collected over 139 000 signatures calling for the ban of pit bulls as domestic pets citing several attacks on people.
The most recent incident saw an 88-year-old Bonteheuwel woman mauled to death after her neighbour’s dogs gained access to her backyard.
Sizwe Khuphelo said: “We are very happy with the progress being made in dealing with the issue.
“The department needs to work on the long-term solution while also looking at an immediate solution to the problem because people are dying. The minister and department (said) when they finish the process they will come back to the foundation.”
Animal Welfare Society of South Africa spokesperson Allan Perrins said looking at the genetics might clear up the stigma attached to pit bulls.
“The pit bull breed is being demonised.
“Whenever an attack happens, it’s a pit bull, never a big dog.
“Often the dog resembles a pit bull but very often it’s not true, it looks like a pit bull but if you did a DNA test it has all sorts of breed of dog in it. At the end of the day, any dog has the capacity to turn vicious and aggressive and end up biting somebody.
“There’s a lot of myths and untruths about pit bulls and their temperaments.”
Animal activist Marizanna Kemp Ferreira added that it was not a breed problem but existing laws around keeping pets that were not being enforced, as many dogs were not kept in favourable conditions.
“I have re-homed more than 700 pit bulls, 10% might have been cross-bred, 80% pure pit bull, not one of them killed a cat, killed a neighbour etc. The question is why?
“If you look at those 700 dogs re-homed, they are all family pets. If the existing animal protection act was enforced by the police, none of that would have happened,” she said.
Cape Times