TO OBJECT to the banning of dangerous dogs on the island may be in the best interest of dog breeders who see this activity strictly as a business.
However, some of the most dangerous and banned dogs in the world are listed as the American pit bull, the English pit bull, the Rottweiler, the German shepherd, the Akita and the Doberman.
The above-mentioned dogs, many resident in Barbados, present problems for various reasons. Each dog breed has specific traits and were bred for specific purposes; for example, hunting, working, guarding, fighting and leading the visually impaired.
A culture of breeding and cross-breeding has developed in Barbados for a number of reasons and with potentially dangerous results.
American dog-training experts Brian Kilcommons and Kelly Roper and others issue warnings about the temperament and predictability of cross-bred dogs.
Given that there is not much interest and activity in dog training for the average dog owner in Barbados, owners not being trainers themselves are exposed to uncontrollable and aggressive dogs.
Compulsory insurance does not create any safety zone for the public. In fact, insurance only comes into play when a mauling or death occurs.
If more developed and advanced countries like Britain, America and Canada have already banned these dangerous and ferocious dogs, why then should a few persons who breed and cross-breed dogs be allowed to endanger the public with dogs, some of which they cannot control?
Barbadians should be reminded of the fact that most dog breeds foreign to Barbados are imported from colder temperate climates, do not adapt to the hotter sub-tropical climate of the island, are impacted negatively and behave in an unpredictable, aggressive and uncontrollable manner.
I am urging the authorities to protect the public and whatever steps they take, please “err on the side of caution” by placing a ban on dogs listed in the top ten of the world’s most dangerous dogs.
– MICHAEL RAY