Dog attack cases: After Kanpur, Panchkula municipal body bans pitbull, rottweiler dog breeds as pets - Economic Times

Following the example of Kanpur Municipal Corporation (KMC) House, the Panchkula Municipal Corporation has also banned the "ferocious" pitbull and rottweiler breeds of dogs as pets within the city limits, PTI reported quoting officials as saying on Thursday.

"As far as the issue pertaining to dogs was concerned, those pet owners who do not get their dogs registered will be fined Rs 2,000. Besides, two ferocious dog breeds have been banned in the city. Pitbull and rottweiler breeds have also been banned in many other cities and in Panchkula too they have been banned," Panchkula Mayor Kulbushan Goyal, said.

He said there have been cases of dog attacks especially by these dog breeds at many places, and that people were bothered about this.

A few days ago, the Kanpur Municipal Corporation (KMC) also passed a resolution to ban the rearing of pitbull and rottweiler breeds in the city.

The resolution said anyone found rearing either of the two breeds will be fined up to Rs 5,000 and their 'pet' will be confiscated.

"To protect the public from attack, dreaded pitbull and rottweiler breeds are banned from the city limits," it said.

Anyone found domesticating or selling dogs of these breeds too would be penalised.

Half a dozen people have been attacked by pitbull dogs in different states over the past two months. An elderly lady succumbed to injuries in Lucknow in July. In Ghaziabad, a 10-year-old boy required 150 stitches after being mauled by a pit bull earlier this month. In Meerut, a teenager was critically injured by a pit bull. In Gurugram, a woman sustained serious injuries in a pit bull attack. One dog attacked a cow in Kanpur.

The Kanpur resolution said that people do not have a large enough residence or farm house to keep pitbulls and Rottweilers due to which they come under stress and attack people.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has been urging Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to prohibit the keeping, breeding, and sale of dogs bred for illegal fighting, to shut down illegal pet shops and breeders, and to crack down on illegal dogfights.

Pitbulls are commonly bred to be used in illegal fighting or kept on heavy chains as attack dogs, resulting in a lifetime of suffering.

(With inputs from agencies)