In a horrifying incident in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, a pitbull dog left off-leash by its owner attacked a community dog. Following a complaint by local activist Suraj Bagde and Berryl Sanchis of the Aurangabad Pet Lovers Association (APLA), PETA India intervened and worked with the Senior Police Inspector of Jawahar Nagar Police Station to ensure the registration of a first information report (FIR). The FIR has been filed under Section 11(1)(i) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, and Sections 325, 125, 291, and 336 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
The incident, captured on video, shows the pitbull off-leash in a public place attacking the community dog, causing grievous injuries. The footage reveals the pitbull holding the community dog by the throat and shaking the poor animal. Despite this, the pitbull’s owner failed to intervene or restrain their dog. The injured community dog is currently undergoing medical treatment but remains in critical condition.
“PETA India commends the Jawahar Nagar Police Station for promptly acting on the complaint and registering the FIR,” says PETA India Cruelty Response Coordinator Sunayana Basu. “Pit bull–type dog breeds are bred to be unstoppable weapons and often abuse themselves in illegal dogfights. We call for Maharashtra to immediately pass a statewide policy that prohibits the keeping, breeding, or selling of these dogs to protect humans from attacks and dogs from abuse.”
Aurangabad: Pitbull Ferociously Attacks Lactating Mother Stray Dog In Front Of Owner What are your views on this? pic.twitter.com/Z0ZnLakaJw
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Pitbull and prohibition
Pitbulls and similar foreign dog breeds are primarily used for dogfighting in India, even though inciting dogs to fight is illegal under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Without suitable enforcement and regulation, organized dogfights have become prevalent in parts of the country, making pit bulls and other breeds used in these fights the most abused dog breeds.
Pitbulls and related breeds are also typically kept on heavy chains as attack dogs, resulting in aggressive defensive behavior and a lifetime of suffering. Many endure painful physical mutilations, such as ear cropping and tail docking—illegal procedures involving the removal of part of a dog’s ears or tail to prevent another dog from grabbing them during a fight. These dogs are encouraged to continue fighting until they become exhausted and at least one is seriously injured or dies. Because dogfighting is illegal, injured dogs are not taken to veterinarians.
A prohibition could be achieved in the state by making sterilization and registration of such dogs mandatory while prohibiting breeding, keeping, or selling them after a stipulated date. PETA India is also calling for the closure of illegal pet shops and breeders and a crackdown on illegal dogfighting.
