A man dies after his own dog attacks him. A breeding ban is now being discussed again. But the problem isn't the dogs.
Hamburg – The dog is the most popular pet in Germany after the cat. But while smaller breeds are usually seen as cute, larger ones seem scarier. Not least because there are always incidents in which dogs attack and injure people – or even kill them. First On Friday (January 26), a man died from injuries inflicted by his own dog, an American Bully XL. The incident has sparked calls for a ban on breeding the breed. The animal protection organization PETA even wants to go one step further.
Man is attacked by his own dog – debate about banning the American Bully XL breed
On Wednesday (January 24th), passers-by discovered a dog owner covered in blood in a forest area near Hamburg. Sitting next to him was his dog, an American Bully XL, who had previously attacked and fatally injured him. Two weeks before this tragic incident, the same dog had attacked the man's partner, who also had to be taken to hospital with serious injuries.
As early as autumn 2023, a debate about bred fighting dogs was sparked in Austria after an American Staffordshire Terrier bit a jogger to death. The animal protection organization PETA has now reiterated its call for a breeding ban for all dog breeds, not just so-called listed dogs.
American Bully dog attack is not an isolated case, but not only listed dogs can become a danger
“Unfortunately, this tragic incident is no exception,” said Monic Moll, specialist officer at PETA. Attacks by dogs occur every day in Germany. A look at the Dog bite statistics from Berlin shows: In 2022, a total of 576 incidents were reported in the capital in which people were injured by dog bites. In around one in five cases the injuries were serious.
Most bite attacks in Berlin were committed by dogs that are not classified as dangerous. These include breeds such as St. Bernards, Boxers and Labradors. Less than five percent of all dog bites that resulted in minor injuries are caused by “dangerous dog breeds”. These include Pitbull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Bull Terriers and mixed breeds of these breeds.
The import of these dog breeds into Germany is prohibited
The law restricting the movement or import of dangerous dogs into the country (dog movement and import restriction law or HundVerbrEinfG) regulates which dog breeds may not be bred in Germany or imported into the country.
§ 2(1): Dogs of breeds Pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, bull terrier As well as their Intersections with each other or with other dogs may not be imported or brought into the country. Dogs of other breeds and their crosses with each other or with other dogs that are suspected to be dangerous according to the regulations of the country in which the dog is to be kept permanently may not be imported or brought into this country from abroad.
In contrast, these dogs, which are considered dangerous, cause 17 percent of serious injuries resulting from an attack. It is to be expected that the proportion of these breeds in the total number of dogs kept is very low. There are none of the so-called “dangerous dogs” among the ten most popular dog breeds in Germany.
Dogs don't blame themselves for their aggressive behavior
However, Moll warns against blaming the dogs themselves for their dangerous behavior. Scientific studies actually suggest that the dog breed says little about the character and temperament of a dog. Training and education are crucial to a dog's character and behavior.
“But the animals are not to blame: 'fighting dogs' in particular are often kept as status symbols, tortured and abused due to their massively bred physique,” Moll said in a statement. Aggressive behavior is specifically encouraged in these dogs in order to intimidate other people.
After a fatal American Bully attack – PETA calls for a ban on breeding all dog breeds
The appearance of the animals is also designed to make an impression. To appear more dangerous, their ears and tails are often trimmed. This leads to impairments for the animals, for example in terms of communication with other dogs. According to PETA, they often come from dubious breeding facilities that put the welfare of the animals ahead of profit.
This also applies to the American Bully or Bully XL breed, which has been added to the list of banned dog breeds in England and Wales since this year. This means that the breeding of this dog breed will be banned from 2024. PETA sees this as a “responsible step” that Germany should also follow. However, the animal protection organization goes even further and calls for a ban on breeding and trading dogs of all breeds.
Conflicts with aggressive dogs do not always have to end in fatal bites. There are safe ways to solve such tricky situations with dogs.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.
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