Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
FOLLOWING cases of fatal and near-fatal attacks on residents by their own dogs, the Bulawayo City Council is now drafting a policy to stop the breeding of vicious dogs.
The local authority also believes that in many cases, dog owners do not properly secure their pets.
The drafting of the policy to address the breeding of dangerous dogs is part of Council’s proactive approach to residents’ concerns that such dogs pose a threat to public safety.
According to the local authority’s weekly newsletter MasiyePhambili, the new policy would bar the breeding of Pit Bulls, among other dangerous breeds.
“This comes as the City has recorded 425 dog bites from January to the end of July this year and has also recorded cases of rabies, leading to one death. In Bulawayo and other parts of the country, there have been reports of vicious dogs attacking and, in some instances, killing people,” said council in the newsletter.
In November last year, former Director in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office during the Government of National Unity, Ms Addelis Sibutha, was viciously attacked by her Boerboel, leaving her with deep lacerations and cuts on her arms, legs, neck, ear, and head. The injuries were life-threatening, requiring four surgeries within a mere 20 days at Mater Dei Hospital.
In 2022, a city resident, Mr John Gavhera of Selbourne Park, was mauled to death by his two Boerboels.
This year, a Harare man, Mr Samuel Machara, was killed by a Pit Bull owned by one Mike Mupinga (40) of Harare’s Bluff Hill area, who was subsequently arrested and charged with culpable homicide.
Twelve countries in Europe, as well as Australia, Canada, some parts of the United States, Ecuador, Malaysia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and Venezuela, have enacted some form of breed-specific legislation on Pit Bull-type dogs, including American Pit Bull Terriers, ranging from outright bans to restrictions and conditions on ownership.
Several states in Australia place restrictions on the breed, including mandatory sterilisation. Pit Bulls are banned in the United Kingdom, in the Canadian province of Ontario, and in many locations in the United States.
According to BCC’s September full council agenda, the Health, Housing and Education Committee discussed the issue of vicious dogs, and it was highlighted that a draft policy on dog breeding was in progress.
The Director of Health Services, Dr Edwin Mzingwane, said the issue of vicious dog breeds would be addressed by a policy which was being drafted and was awaiting input from other stakeholders such as the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Zimbabwe Republic Police, and the Veterinary Services.
“As part of contingency measures to reduce dog bites, the City has been implementing a tie-up order to put down stray dogs. The Dog Tie-Up Order, which was carried out during the last week of July, saw 79 dogs being put down, and the operation will continue during the last quarter of the year,” reads the report from the newsletter.
Dr Mzingwane said in the western suburbs, residents are limited to keeping two dogs while four dogs are allowed in low-density areas.
Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube, said breeding of vicious dogs was a serious concern, even for the police, as their population was increasing.
Mr Dube said residents intending to keep dogs should do so in line with the City’s Dog Control By-Laws, adding that failure to provide for one’s dog is cruelty to animals.
