Overseas lifeline for ‘pitbull-type’ dog
Salintae Tuzo-Smith has been able to save her dog from certain death by flying him overseas.
Seven-month-old pitbull-mix Dayyo, who had been seized by animal wardens, left the Island despite the Bermuda Government reiterating that it is “simply impractical and unworkable” to send impounded dogs overseas.
While Ms Tuzo-Smith is delighted that her dog is safe, the news of Dayyo’s arrival in California is also being celebrated by a local animal advocacy group.
Punish the Deed not the Breed Bermuda has been petitioning Government to amend the legislation so that pitbull-type dogs are classed as restricted rather than prohibited.
“I am very grateful and would like other people to get the opportunity,” Ms Tuzo-Smith said. “If they do take a dog it should be an option for the owner to take one or two weeks to get the dog off the Island.
“I understand their concern but what they are doing is not eliminating the problem that they feel they have. I believe they should focus on cutting down on the breeders.”
Jeanne Atherden, the Minister of Health, Seniors and Environment, told the House of Assembly in May that it is “simply impractical and unworkable” to export seized dogs from the Island once they are in custody for reasons including cost, breed restrictions in other jurisdictions and airline policies.
Once an illegal dog has been seized, she said it is no longer the owner’s choice to export the dog because the law vests the direction in the Director of Environmental Protection.
According to figures released by the ministry, 42 pitbull-type dogs were seized and 47 were caught straying or were surrendered between January 1 and September 30. All were euthanised.
“It ruins homes and the dog’s life,” Ms Tuzo-Smith said. “It is devastating to families at the end of the day.”
Ms Tuzo-Smith described Dayyo as a “rocket ship of love”, who loved “meeting new people, was delicate with children and a normal, genuinely happy little boy”.
She said she took him in because she wanted to give a dog that had already been born a good home.
“Just because it’s an illegal dog doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve love and a happy home. If I didn’t take him in someone else would have and they might not have loved him and cared for him, which could have caused him to be aggressive and everything you didn’t want him to be.”
She told The Royal Gazette that Dayyo was seized by animal wardens after he was stolen from her Warwick residence on October 6. He was found by police at Admiralty House. Animal wardens were called and Ms Tuzo-Smith was informed that she would not get him back.
“Despite that, I went to the Department of Environmental Protection that afternoon to find out more information,” she said.
“That’s when they told me he looks too much like a pitbull.
“They said that I couldn’t see him because it would make their job harder.”
But Ms Tuzo-Smith persisted and after pleading with staff at the facility where the seized dogs are held to let her see him, she was allowed to.
She still believed that Dayyo would be killed when she was contacted by Kim Mello, whose seized dog Isis had been allowed to leave Bermuda last year.
Ms Mello suggested Ms Tuzo-Smith look into sending Dayyo away and Punish the Deed not the Breed put her in touch with Bad Rap, a non-profit organisation in California.
“They said they’d take him with no questions asked,” Ms Tuzo-Smith said. “It was a long process — almost two weeks to sort out his paperwork.
“I didn’t see him until the airport. It was about two hours I had with him — it was a good time span to say goodbye.”
Ms Tuzo-Smith received a formal caution letter stating that no legal action would be taken against her as long as she follows the correct procedures for acquiring a dog in the future.
A government spokeswoman confirmed that Dayyo had been seized by the department.
“The owner asked for the option to export the animal and quickly moved to identify a receiving agency and make all necessary arrangements,” she said.
“The department saw this as an opportunity to further investigate the possibility of deportation as a sustainable option for existing illegal dogs; this was a favourable opportunity to trial this process.”
According to the ministry, it took nine days to complete the deportation, which happened last Friday, with Ms Tuzo-Smith responsible for all expenses.
“It should be noted, however, that the export carried associated logistical, financial and resource implications for the Government that are not sustainable.”
The ministry also reminded owners of illegal dogs that they can export their pets before the animal is seized but have to cover all associated expenses because Government “cannot bear the cost of housing and caring for an illegal animal throughout the associated delays”.
Punish the Deed not the Breed said: “We are grateful they allowed Dayyo the opportunity to live out his lifespan and are willing to assist with any future condemned dogs to hopefully move into an era where this can happen on a more regular basis.
“But we still advocate to resolve the issue on-Island in terms of addressing the outdated policy and the need to amend the legislation for the licensing of all breeds.”
An online petition launched six months ago by Punish the Deed not the Breed to have pitbull-type dogs re-classed as restricted has received 2,376 signatures to date.
In response to the petition, the Ministry of Health, Seniors and Environment announced in April that it had appointed a canine advisory committee, whose remit includes recommendations to the Minister on issues including restricted breeds of dog and any relevant considerations regarding existing bans.
Punish the Deed not the Breed presented the committee with documents including legislation amendments to both the Dogs Act 2008 and the Dogs Act 1978 in August but is still waiting for a response.
A ministry spokesman said the committee’s report had been forwarded to Ms Atherden and an update would be provided once she has reviewed the report.
“Breed discrimination is a serious issue on this Island,” the group said. “We’re advocating for the dogs because they are being killed simply because of their breed. We’re not going to give up, we’re going to keep creating more awareness and keep educating people.
“‘Pitbull’ is not a breed — it is a negative association given to mixed breed terriers to identify them into a category.”
The group wants the American Staffordshire terrier and the American Pit Bull terrier, which were bred from the British Staffordshire terrier and are both commonly referred to as ‘pitbulls’, moved to the restricted list.
According to the group, the American Staffordshire terrier is slightly larger than the restricted British Staffordshire terrier, which can be bought locally.
“They are literally the same dog, there is nothing distinctive that sets the American Staffordshire aside from the British, yet one has a death sentence and one does not.
“While the group understands both the positive and negative traits of the breed, we highlight the real safety issue and an ugly undercurrent: the lack of human accountability, the lack of actual animal advocacy, the fact we view animals as objects or property.”
The group insists that existing legislation allows “irresponsible owners to fly under the radar”.
“We’ve had numerous reports and stories of abuse that people are reluctant to report because of the current policy on the breed — the alternative to the abuse — ultimately the euthanasia — is seen as more brutal.”
In its submissions to the committee, the group presented breed recommendations and safe breed behavioural practices such as muzzling in public and mandatory training to recognise behavioural traits and their potential triggers. It also requested that the breeds be kept as house dogs and not be tethered so they do not become the “problem dogs of days gone past, those left neglected on chains or in kennels”.
Punish the Deed not the Breed furthermore objects to seized dogs being identified as pitbull-type dogs on sight rather than through DNA testing. “If someone happens to see one and they think it’s a pit bull and they report it or bring it in — if it looks like a pit bull then it’s subject to be killed, which isn’t fair to a healthy dog.”
A ministry spokesman confirmed that pit bull-type dogs are identified by their phenotype — the observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism — based on the experience of the head warden, assistant wardens and the veterinary officer.
He said: “The discussion about the use of DNA tests only arises when a dog is found to be an illegal dog (born outside the authority of a breeder’s licence), and no DNA test will render the animal legal. Under legislation, any illegal breed of dog must be forfeited to the department or is subject to seizure and disposal at the discretion of the director.”
But he added that the department is euthanising about 50 per cent fewer dogs than it did in 2003, when breed-related restrictions were enforced.
