Germany bans breeds, reactions evoke holocaust memories
In the wake of two deadly attacks by dogs in the last three months, German
state governments have banned or restricted more than three dozens breeds of
dogs.
In late April, an old woman was killed by a Rottweiler. In late June, a six-year-old
boy was mauled to death by two dogs identified as an American Staffordshire
Terrier and a Pit Bull Terrier. In the latter case, both of the dogs were illegally
off-leash and one of the dogs and the dog owner had a record. The Pit Bull had
bitten previously but was not wearing the required muzzle in public, and the
dog owner had 17 convictions for robbery, dog fighting, and other crimes.
The dogs jumped a fence into a schoolyard to attack the boy in front of other
children. Our Dogs, a canine newspaper in England, reported that neighbors had
called police several times about the dogs with claims the owner trained them
for aggression and fighting, but the police did not take action.
Newspapers featured the attack and called for breed-specific bans on aggressive
dogs. Laws were quickly proposed to ban sale, breeding, or importation of Bull
and Terrier breeds, and stories about 'killer breeds' stirred people into a
frenzy. Nick Mays wrote in Our Dogs that dogs and dog owners have been attacked
in the streets, and various reports on the "dog holocaust" mailing list [1]
cited personal stories of harassment, threats, and assault.
The situation is fluid and confusing. Various jurisdictions in Germany apparently
have passed breed bans and restrictions affecting more than three dozen breeds
of dogs divided into three categories, and the Internet is buzzing with claims,
contradictions, and frightening accounts of dogs kicked, beaten, and poisoned
and dog owners harassed, jostled, and threatened.
The situation has focused national anger against Turks and other foreign residents
who frequently own dogs of the banned and restricted breeds and brings comparisons
with the early days of the Nazi regime in Germany, a time when people were targeted
for specious reasons and made scapegoats for tyranny. Mays of Our Dogs compared
the vendetta against breeds and owners with Kristelnacht, a night when Nazi
sympathisers destroyed property belonging to Jews, and many Internet messages
from Germany echo his assessment of the anti-breed hysteria.
The laws
Laws differ in Germany's 16 states, but in Hesse, Lower Saxony, and North Rhine
- Westphalia, they contain some version of the following provisions:
Category I dogs- dangerous breeds that cannot be imported, bred, or
sold - includes the American Staffordshire Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire
Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier, Neapolitan Mastiff, Spanish Mastiff, Dogue de Bordeaux,
Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasiliero, Roman Fighting Dog , Chinese Fighting Dog,
Bandog, and Tosa Inu. These dogs must be registered and sterilized.
Category II dogs - potentially dangerous dogs that can be owned, imported,
bred, and sold if they pass a temperament test and are free of aggressive actions
for three years - include Akbash, Briard, Beauceron, Bullmastiff, Doberman,
Komondor, Kuvasz, Maremma, Pyrenean Mountain Dog (our Great Pyrenees), Rhodesian
Ridgeback, Rottweiler, Tibetan Mastiff, and more than 15 other breeds that are
virtually unknown in the US.
Category III dogs - Those dogs that weigh more than 20 kilos (44 pounds)
or are taller than 40 centimeters (15.75 inches). These dogs must be on a leash
in developed areas and will be moved to Category II if they show aggression.
According to some stories, owners of banned breeds are required to place a
red banner on their doors to identify their premises as harboring one of these
breeds; dogs are being abandoned in the streets and killed by the dozens in
animal shelters; and licenses to keep banned breeds cost $600-1000 in US dollars.
The temperament test given to the dogs lasts about three hours According to
an eye-witness report posted on the Internet. [2] It includes an assessment
of the dog's attitude towards other dogs and people and to stimuli that startle
(an umbrella opening, a mock attack), and about an hour of instruction to dog
owners.
Opposition
Germany's VDH - the German Kennel Club - will conduct the temperament evaluations
of the dogs in some areas, and The Kennel Club in Britain has written to FCI
and to German Chancellor Schroeder in opposition to the sweeping bans and controls
on these breeds.
"We have now spoken to dozens of worried parties, including German dog owners,
who feel that this situation is spiraling out of control, largely due to media
hysteria and the determination of Government Ministers to ensure these breeds
are effectively phased out," wrote Roger French, chief executive of The Kennel
Club, to Schroeder on June 30. [3]
"Our External Affaires Department has been contacted on a number of occasions
over the past week by German television companies, who would appear to be of
the view that these dogs are a liability and should be destroyed as quickly
as possible."
Dog owners have started world-wide protests promoted on mailing lists and websites
on the Internet that range from boycotts on products made by German companies
and German tourism to a campaign to display red and black ribbons in sympathy
with the banned dogs and their owners and to draw attention to the situation
in that country.
Potential
France has recently restricted pit bull dogs and is considering further breed
controls, and there is also talk of expanding Germany's breed bans and restrictions
to all the countries of the European Union.
The original ban in Germany was proposed by a member of the Green Party, an
organization with strong ties to animal rights and environmental causes. The
12-point platform [4} commonly called the animal rights agenda was originally
drafted for inclusion into the 1987 US Green platform. The Greens are gaining
notice in the US; Ralph Nader is getting some press coverage as the party candidate
for President this year.
NAIA deplores actions taken against dogs simply because of their breed or mix.
Communities do have a responsibility to enact and enforce laws that protect
residents from dangerous or vicious animals. On the other hand dog owners have
a right to own and enjoy dogs as pets when they raise, train and socialize their
dogs appropriately and comply with all public safety laws.
We believe that responsible dog ownership is the key: Experience has shown
that when laws are reasonable and dog owners take their obligations seriously,
fear subsides, confrontations diminish, and the rights of both dog owners and
their neighbors remain protected.
Additional Articles of Interest:
Notes
- http://www.egroups.com/group/DogHolocaust/
- http://www.staffords.co.uk/kcliaison/,
the website of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club in England for the eyewitness
report and updates on dog legislation in Europe.
- Letter from Roger French to Chancellor Shroeder as printed in Our Dogs,
July 2000
- http://www.naiaonline.org/aragenda.html
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