Bred for fighting

Re: “Untethered pit bull mauls 2-yearold foreign toddler”, (BP, June 23).

I am a dog lover, having had them since I was a kid. But there are two categories of dogs that should be phased out of existence.

The first are breeds such as King Charles Cavalier Spaniels and English Bulldogs, which have been bred to satisfy human perceptions of canine desirability, while totally ignoring the induced hereditary disorders caused by the breeding. These include heart and eye problems for King Charles Cavaliers and respiratory, reproductive and orthopaedic problems for bulldogs. Norway has already banned the breeding of these two breeds of dogs. Other nations should follow suit.

The second category is dogs that have been bred for fighting. Pit bulls were originally bred for the ghastly sport of bull-baiting, and the fighting and aggressive instinct is still there, even when pit bulls are kept as family pets.

Your report today of the unprovoked attack by a pit bull on a 2-year-old boy in Pattaya, and the injuries he suffered, was horrific reading.

But it is not the first such attack. Earlier this year an 8-year-old girl was attacked in Samut Prakan, and in Kanchanaburi in March two boys, aged 6 and 8, ran in terror when three pit bulls broke into their garden and tore their pet cat apart. And I seem to remember reports in the Bangkok Post of a grandmother who was mauled to death by a pit bull last year.

I’ve also had a run-in with a pit bull when I was walking my dogs on Mae Ram Phueng Beach earlier this year. An unleashed pit bull raced towards me, reared up and locked his front legs around my waist. Fortunately, his intent was more amorous than hostile, and I escaped shaken but uninjured. Meanwhile, its owner looked on and thought the whole thing was a huge joke.

Enough is enough. Pit bulls should be banned.