Taiwan's pit bulls bite people repeatedly, attracting a lot of attention, with public opinion tending to blame the owners

Taiwan has banned the import of pit bulls since March 2022

There have been a series of pit bull bites in Taiwan over the past two months. First, a pit bull bit a motorcyclist twice in Taipei in mid-March, and then a boy in Hualien was bitten on the calf by a pit bull in April. Although the incidents caused an uproar in society, many people pleaded for the pit bull that bit the rider, fearing that it would have to spend the rest of its life in a shelter. Public opinion unanimously tended to blame the owners who "raised dogs without educating them," believing that the owners were the real source of the disaster, showing that Taiwan's animal protection concepts have become mature and advanced.

The case occurred in Taipei City in March. A pit bull named "Lucky" jumped out of a car window twice in 11 days and attacked a motorcyclist next to him. After the second biting incident, the Taipei City Animal Protection Department quickly took Lucky away and forcibly detained him. However, when everyone saw Lucky sitting in the solitary cage with a lonely look on his face, they immediately realized that he was not an unrepentant vicious dog. However, after paying a fine of NT$200,000, the owner decided to give up on him, who had been with him for 10 years.

On April 6, an 8-year-old boy was bitten by a pit bull that suddenly rushed out of Hualien. The wound on his calf required 16 stitches. Neighbors pointed out that the pit bull had killed a cat and was reported to the Hualien Animal Inspection Office, but the owner has not been fined so far.

Lucky attacked motorists twice within 11 days

In fact, due to multiple cases of pit bull injuries in Taiwan, as early as March 2022, an announcement was made to ban the import and breeding of pit bulls. All pit bulls that are still being raised must be registered and sterilized, and when going out, they must comply with the regulations for dangerous dog breeds, wear a leash and muzzle, and be accompanied by an adult.

Looking at the attacks in Taipei and Hualien, after Lucky jumped out of the car window and bit someone for the first time, the owner claimed that the dog would roll down the car window on its own, but did not take any preventive measures, which led to another incident of injury soon after. The owner is really to blame. Although the pit bull in Hualien had a record of biting neighbors and killing cats, the owner did not care and still let it roam around, which is very bad.

A dog trainer said that pit bulls bred for fighting purposes have "aggression written in their genes," but whether they bite depends on their upbringing. Therefore, the key is whether the owner can properly guide them to get along with people, integrate into the family, and help them release physical energy and relieve stress. The pit bull "Sol", who once faced euthanasia for biting a 3-year-old boy to death in 2021, is a good example. He was first placed in a shelter in Pingtung and was adopted by a Taipei owner named Ding three years ago.

A pit pull that bitten a 3 year-old boy to his death was rehabilitated and is now adopted

In the eyes of the new owner, Thor is an uneducated dog. He was raised by the previous owner as a guard dog, so he had no idea how to get close to people. But after the new owner's correct education and training, he learned to obey commands, be friendly and act coquettishly, and is now a large companion animal in the family.

Saul's transformation has convinced animal rights activists that dog behavior is mostly caused by human factors. If they are given a proper socialization process, any dog can become a stable family member. This view has gradually been recognized by society, as people no longer demand the beating, imprisonment or even euthanasia of pit bulls that hurt people, but instead examine whether the owners have fulfilled their responsibilities. The ideal of "harmony between humans and animals" seems to be one step closer!