Pellau Magazine

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In wake of Dangerous Dogs Act…
Local vet Dr Mark Adam says just a week after the
Government decided to enforce the Dangerous
Dogs Act, he and several colleagues have been
asked to euthanise pit bull terriers. Adam says he
has refused all requests so far to put the dogs to
sleep since he believes it is too early for action.
"I told my clients that they should hold off until
it's official…I don't think it's justified to euthanise
a healthy dog," he said. The act will take effect on
August 1, and will put numerous restrictions on
the owners of pit bull terriers, Fila Brasilero and
Japanese Tosa.
Adam was in favour of regulation but concerned
about its direction. He feels the fee for dog
licences is too steep and that the mandatory
spaying and neutering stipulated in the act will
make the listed breeds extinct in T&T within ten
years. Sita Kuruvilla, president of the Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TTSPCA),
says there is no way to determine the size of the
local pit bull population, which some estimates
put at 500,000.
Kuruvilla's organisation has received numerous
euthanasia inquiries in the past week. As the
owner of two pit bull dogs, T&T Guardian
columnist Debbie Jacob said she is willing to
comply with all the act's regulations, although
she finds it misguided.
"As a responsible owner of two pit bulls, I
wholeheartedly agree that irresponsible and
abusive dog owners who purposely turn their
dogs violent need to be held accountable for their
actions," she said. "What Government needs to
crack down on are those people who engage in
aggression training."
Jacob described her dogs as "loving" and
"friendly," and said any breed of dog can be
harmful if trained to be aggressive. Adam said pit
bulls' jaws have stronger grips than other breeds,
which is why they are mistakenly thought to be
more dangerous. "Anatomically speaking, once a
pit bull bites, it's almost impossible for it to let
go," he said.
"Pits can inflict more damage, due to their
makeup. But any dog can do harm if
aggravated." Tim Lum Kin, a certified dog trader,
breeder and handler, says the act will hurt the
dog trading/breeding economy, in which pit bulls
are in high demand. He believes that the 500,000
dog estimate is close to accurate.
He said: "The pit bull is the biggest breed in the
country. Two-thirds of the dogs in each household
are pits, simply because people are into the breed
for protection." Kathryn Cleghorn, president of
the animal rights NGO Animals Alive, an
organisation founded in 2008, takes in 25 stray
dogs a week at its sanctuary in Oropouche.
Cleghorn says they have received on average
about ten "dumped" pit bulls a year as a result of
the act. Kuruvilla said the TTSPCA has only
received two abandoned pit bulls since the
Cabinet announcement.
from The Trinidad Guardian Newspaper http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2012-04-21/vets-asked-put-pit-bulls-sleep


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