The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

A LOCAL dog trainer says the government must crack down on Pit Bull breeding, noting that a mere ban on the import of the dog breed is not enough.

By not enforcing breeding among other measures, Adrian Forbes, owner of Dog World K9 Services, said the government has inadvertently created a situation devoid of regulation, paving the way for dogs to be in environments where their best interests are not at the forefront.

He said the breed is not “bad”, but they need proper stimulation and training to ensure they are not aggressive to the point of seriously injuring or killing people.

Mr Forbes, a dog behaviour modification and obedience training specialist, said the government has also not followed through on ensuring that every dog is registered and licenced, as mandated by the Animal Protection and Control Act.

 His comments came in the aftermath of a vicious dog attack on 51-year-old Alicia Barton.

 The 11-year-cancer survivor is nursing severe head, arm and leg injuries after she was attacked by four Pit Bulls in the yard of her Pastel Gardens home on Friday.

 A man is in police custody over the incident, but police yesterday could not say when he would face charges.

 One of the four dogs was put down on the night of the incident. However, the status of the remaining animals is unknown.

 “We have an import ban on certain dogs and Pit Bulls are one of those dogs,” Mr Forbes said yesterday. “You cannot have an import ban on a particular breed and then don’t have a breeding ban on that same breed.

 “So, one the government is creating this problem because dudes are breeding Pit Bulls indiscriminately all over and they know that. You can go on Facebook right now and see at least 50 people right now selling pit bulls in The Bahamas, at least.

“You trying to tell me the Ministry of Agriculture doesn’t know this? So, from that aspect, they are creating the problem.”

 He also said: “It comes down to an enforcement issue and generally speaking it is a public service issue whereas we work, but don’t follow up. We don’t enforce and we don’t do many things.

 “What they really need to do is put a separation between pet owners, breeders and working dogs. The reason I say that is, in the States you can’t own more than four dogs unless you have a breeder licence. Here in order to own dogs, I think we need to go as far as really inspecting people’s homes and all that because dogs are a multibillion industry.

 “You see all these strays in the road? That’s because I get a dog and one day I run into issues, my pocket runs low or the dog makes me mad so I throw the dog out the yard. The dog go breed and breed and just have a bunch of puppies everywhere what happens.

 “People do it for quick money. So that’s something that must be cracked down on.

 “To own a dog, it should be licensed and that’s by law and right now in the books your dog is supposed to be licensed so that’s one thing they don’t enforce.

 “They need to put some kind of restriction on breeding.

  “But Pit Bulls are not a bad breed and let’s get that clear. We have generally speaking bad ownership and people who are not responsible when it comes to dogs.

 “They are not human aggressive, they are conditioned to be human aggressive,” he also said.

 Yesterday, the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs, which has animals in its portfolio, said it was saddened to learn of Ms Barton’s near-death experience due to a dog attack. The ministry noted some of the provisions of the Animal Protection and Control Act 2010.

 The statement said: “Under the Animal Protection and Control Act, 2010, the government is seeking to ensure that the Animal Control Board mandates that pet owners provide proper animal care, animal behaviour, animal welfare and proper housing of aggressive animals.

 “In the meantime, the ministry has been working closely with non-profit organisations such as The Bahamas Humane Society and BAARK on preventative measures such as spay and neuter clinics.

 “The Animal Control Unit within the Department of Agriculture is integral in the enforcement of the Act, specifically, public education on animal care and control, issuance of dog licences for all dogs over three months old, attending to animal attack cases and animal breeder facility inspections.

 “Should the public encounter a breach in the Act, they should contact the Royal Bahamas Police Force and The Animal Control Unit of the Department of Agriculture (325-1173).”

 Late last year, three Pit Bulls were put down by the Humane Society of Grand Bahama (HSGB) after they attacked an elderly woman who was hospitalised with serious injuries.

 At the time Tip Burrows, executive director at HSGB, described the incident as tragic and urged the government to fully implement the Animal Protection and Control Act to reduce the chances of such incidents in the future.

 Two men were arraigned in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court in connection with the dog attack.

 Zion Douglas and a second man, both of Sunset Subdivision, were charged with permitting a ferocious dog at large, causing harm by negligence, and having an unlicensed dog.

 Douglas pleaded guilty to all charges and was fined $2,680. Of that figure, $500 is compensation to the victim. The second accused man, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

 He was granted $2,000 bail with one surety, and the case was adjourned to January 25.

 The dogs were collected by the Animal Control Unit at the Department of Agriculture and subsequently turned over to HSGB.