Pitbull storm spills into parliament as MPs urge ban, stricter rules

By Auther Chimbgwa

The storm around the keeping of the pitbull as a pet spilled into parliament on Wednesday, as MPs urged a ban of the vicious domestic animal, or introduction of stricter policies around its breeding in the wake of the widely publicised killing of a Harare resident by a neighbour’s dogs.

Speaking during the ministers’ question time on Wednesday, Chinhoyi MP, Leslie Everman Mhangwa urged a complete ban of the breeding of the highly aggressive dog.

Goromomonzi West MP Biatah Karimatsenga-Nyamupinga asked the minister – as leader of the house – on what the government policy was on the keeping of animals, in particular dogs like the pitbull in residential areas in view of its proclivity for attacking people.

“The pitbull is killing people. That dog does not listen to instructions from the owner,” she said, adding that the dog “loses memory”.

Mhangwa said the pitbull should be treated just like human beings who are jailed if they become a danger to society.

“The pitbull as a breed has become a danger to the people of Zimbabwe. Is there anything that stops us from banning the breed within the country? I think this is the direction we need to move with,” said Mhangwa.

Responding to the legislators, Ziyambi said Zimbabwe had by-laws which made it mandatory for dog keepers to obtain licences.

“That law clearly states the number of dogs which are allowed in each and every household in towns. In other areas there are no dogs which are allowed.

“That is why the individual who kept a pitbull which killed someone was arrested. The police apprehended him because it was against the law,” minister Ziyambi said.

He added that dog owners were required to have licences for keeping the pet in residential areas.

In the case of pitbulls, Ziyambi said, owners of the animals were required to obtain a different licence.

Minister Ziyambi asked MPs to put their questions in writing so that he could go and consult with experts such as the Veterinary Department on a number of issues regarding the dog type.

“…The pitbull dog has got a different licence from other dogs. This will also help this august House to know the correct procedure,” said minister Ziyambi.

He added: “If we want to go deeper on the types of licence and groups, it really needs to be written down so that we can go and consult the experts.

“It will be easier for each and every individual in this august House and the rest of the country to understand the requirements needed to keep pitbull dogs.”

Alarm around the keeping of the pitbull follows the recent arrest of Mike Mupinga (40), a resident of New Bluffhill in Harare, who stands accused of acting negligently by leaving three of his pitbull dogs and a rottweiler unattended.

The dogs scaled the perimeter wall and attacked Samuel Machara, resulting in his immediate death due to deep wounds on his neck and lacerations on his hands, legs and stomach.

Mupinga remains in custody facing culpable homicide charges.

According to Wikipedia, a Pit bull is an umbrella term for several types of dog believed to have descended from bull and terriers.

Most pit bull–type dogs descend from the British bull and terrier, a 19th-century dog-fighting type developed from crosses between the Old English Bulldog and the Old English Terrier.

Pit bull–type dogs have a controversial reputation as pets internationally, due to their history in dog fighting, the number of high-profile attacks documented in the media over decades, and their proclivity for latching on while biting.

Debate around the pet is has not just been centred on Zimbabwe but around the world where proponents of the type and advocates of regulation have engaged on over whether aggressive tendencies in pit bulls may be appropriately attributed to owners’ poor care for and competency to handle the dog or inherent qualities owing to their breeding for fighting purposes.

While some studies have argued that pit bull–type dogs are not disproportionately dangerous, offering competing interpretations on dog bite statistics, independent organizations have published statistics based on hospital records showing pit bulls are responsible for more than half of dog bite incidents among all breeds despite comprising only 6% of pet dogs.

Some insurance companies will not cover pit bulls (along with Rottweilers and wolf hybrids) because these particular dogs cause a disproportionate rate of bite incidents.

Dog bite severity varies by the breed of dog, and studies have found that pit bull–type dogs have both a high rate of reported bites and a high rate of severe injuries, compared to other non–pit bull–type dogs.