Uncontrolled dogs

Name(s): 
Feral dogs
Unpredictable dogs
Vicious dogs
Killer dogs
Dangerous attack dogs
Dangerous breeds of dogs
Aggressive dogs
Nature 

Uncontrolled dogs, those with or without proper owners, may pose great threat to the bodily well-being of the people, other animals and environment around them. The trouble of uncontrolled dogs may range from excrement on public sidewalks to fatal dog bites. Negligence of dog owners and law enforcement officials contribute to the problem of vicious and unpredictable dog behaviour. The popularity of organized dog fighting may reinforce the mystique of owning a wild dog, as well may an individual's need to protect his home and family from harmful intruders.

Background 

Organized dog fighting is in some countries an ancient tradition, acting as both entertainment and sport. Despite the number of fatalities, serious injuries, dog-bite laws and animal protection acts incurred, the breeding of uncontrolled dogs remains a reality.

Incidence 

In 1988, eight Americans were killed by pit bull terriers. At a District of Columbia Council hearing on the fortification of dog-bite laws during the same year, one member attempted to shield a dangerous breed by insisting all dogs are covered by the equal protection clause of the USA Constitution. The American pit bull terrier is the most ferocious dog known, according to the RSPCA. The Japanese Tosa, almost as large as a mule, is known as the "sumo wrestler" of the dog fighting world. Other dogs considered dangerous and unpredictable include rottweilers, bull terriers, Staffordshire terriers, wolf and alsatian hybrids, Japanese Akita and Neapolitan Mastiffs.

A 1991 British report shows 125 attacks by pit bulls within one year, which included the disfigurement of a 6-year-old girl who was bitten 25 times by one dog. The British government's outrage at these figures prompted a ban on the import of "Very Dangerous Fighting Dogs", which included American pit bull terriers and Japanese Tosa. In 1991, there were an estimated 30,000 pit bull terriers in the UK, some of which were a part of 50 organized dog fighting syndicates in the country (15 of which were based in London).

In Belgium, ten thousand dogs are put down each year because of behavioural problems associated with inbreed aggression.

Claim 

1. Banning so-called dangerous breed just strengthens the illegal market.

2. A harmless breed can become dangerous if you select the most aggressive specimens for reproduction.

3. We cannot put them in prison, so they must be put down or sterilized.

Narrower 
Type 
(E) Emanations of other problems