Should the ownership of pit bulls be banned in SA?
On Monday, the Breakfast with Martin Bester spoke to Estelle Smith from Underdog Pitbull Rehabilitation Center about a petition to ban the ownership of pit bulls and why it's important for people to educate themselves.
Recently a petition to end the ownership of pit bulls has made waves across South Africa.
The petition claims to be for the protection of human and animal lives by promoting responsible ownership.
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The petition has received some backlash for seeking a complete ban on the ownership of pit bulls as domestic animals.
Many agree with certain factors of the petition calling for stricter regulation and potential licenses for the ownership of certain dog breeds.
Breakfast with Martin Bester spoke to Estelle Smith from Underdog Pitbull Rehabilitation Center regarding the petition and ownership of pit bulls.
According to Smith, pit bulls are misunderstood and "people do not know the breed" as they should. This is often also true for people who breed pit bulls.
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"Many breeders also don't know the breed and they don't care if they breed them incorrectly," Smith said.
Many factors could determine why pit bulls would act aggressively such as; the way people treat them, what they are used for (dog fighting), and why people have them (breeding or security)
Smith agrees that licences should be implemented for the ownership of certain dogs, but more should be done to educate people about the dog breed.
Many breeders also breed pit bulls with other breeds and that could be dangerous. Smith encourages people to also take this factor into consideration.
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Smith added that pit bulls have gotten a bad name because of people. People have pit bulls for the wrong reasons and they are often used as a way to display a certain "image".
Although now illegal, some owners cut the dogs' ears to make them look more dangerous. Some pit bulls are also sent for human attack training. All these factors create a stigma around these dogs.
Education is the most important factor surrounding pit bulls and people should learn more respect for this dog breed.
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