Call for pitbull ban to tackle ‘criminal’ breeding network
An animal welfare veteran warned that the island was failing to tackle an “underground criminal network of mass breeding and ill treatment” of pitbull terriers, as new figures revealed that 175 were destroyed last year.
Debbie Masters, a retired investigator for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, claimed animal control wardens were “up against it” when trying to deal with the “catastrophic” problem.
She urged the Government to return the breed to the banned list, eight years after pitbulls were taken off and reclassified as “restricted”.
“They should put them back on because now there are so many of them and there are no homes for them,” Ms Masters said.
“People didn’t want to abide by the restrictions and it wasn’t enforced. It made people go more underground. It really didn’t accomplish what we wanted.”
Data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, released in response to a public access to information request from The Royal Gazette, showed that pitbulls accounted for more than 90 per cent of the 189 dogs put down in 2025.
There were more than four times as many destroyed last year than in 2021, when 41 were put down by government veterinarians.
Unlicensed breeding of pitbulls was cited as the initial complaint in 28 of the euthanasias last year, as was cruelty, while 33 involved a pitbull being surrendered to authorities because they were unwanted.
“We do not capture an electronic record of why a specific animal was destroyed,” the disclosure stated.
“However, in reality, dogs are destroyed for any of the following reasons: time expired (unclaimed/abandoned); surrendered; unadoptable (medical, behavioural issues); court-ordered destruction.”
Wardens found or seized 322 dogs in 2025 — more than double the number in 2021 — and pitbulls made up 65 per cent of the total.
There were ten prosecutions under the Dogs Act last year ― two involving unlicensed breeding and one involving cruelty ― but none have yet resulted in a conviction, according to the DENR figures. No civil penalties were issued.
More recently, pitbulls were identified in 13 of the 18 attacks by dogs on humans so far in 2026 and in 11 of the 15 attacks on other animals.
The DENR disclosure noted: “An incident of biting/injury is recorded as such; however, the animals that are identified (or discovered) in probing the incident become associated with the complaint, even if the animal did not inflict the bite/injury that was originally brought to the attention of the wardens.”
Ms Masters, a member of the Save Our Pitbulls community group, said there was much inbreeding of pitbulls, causing increased aggression in pups.
“A lot of these puppies are so aggressive, you can’t fix the genes,” she said. “Some of the dogs, you have to put them to sleep.”
Samantha Wild, also from Save Our Pitbulls, questioned why “consequences often fall almost entirely on the dogs” and suggested that the Government shifts its focus onto enforcing responsible ownership.
“Dogs are seized, surrendered or euthanased, but the people responsible for breeding them illegally, neglecting them, abusing them or using them for fighting do not always appear to face meaningful consequences,” she said.
“Until there are stronger penalties and consistent enforcement against those individuals, the cycle is likely to continue.”
Ms Wild added: “If people who commit these offences are not held accountable, there is nothing preventing them from acquiring another dog and repeating the same behaviour.”
The 44-page disclosure from the DENR’s animal control section showed how the amended legislation passed in 2018, which reclassified pitbulls, appears to have achieved little.
Lobbyists, including Ms Masters, pushed for the change with the aim of reducing illegal breeding, and therefore misbehaviour by and mistreatment of pitbulls, which are often described as Bermuda’s “favourite breed”.
Yet the disclosure showed that many cases dealt with by animal wardens last year involved the seizure of multiple pitbulls from a single location.
Two complaints from February and August both listed 12 pitbulls as having been seized.
Of the 416 dogs added to the Government’s database of licensed canines last year, only 59, or 14 per cent, were pitbulls.
The Ministry of Home Affairs pledged to table legislation in 2024 to tackle a growing number of dog-related incidents, including attacks by canines, but it has yet to happen.
A December 2024 final report containing recommendations from the Canine Advisory Committee has not been made public.
Dogs are now the responsibility of the public works and environment ministry, which said last June its focus was on improving aspects of animal control, including promoting responsible dog ownership and exploring regulatory changes.
Ms Masters sat on the committee and said she and other members met recently with the minister, Jaché Adams, having not heard back on their recommendations for more than a year.
“He said he was trying to deal with the pitbull problem … I said before a child gets killed on your watch … it’s got to be done.”
She added: “We need legislative changes. We need education. There’s a whole lot of things we need.
“We have got an underground criminal network of mass breeding and ill-treatment of dogs and it’s not getting dealt with.”
Ms Wild agreed there was “no single solution to the issues surrounding pitbulls or any other breed”.
She added: “It requires a multifaceted approach that includes stronger enforcement against illegal breeding, greater accountability for irresponsible owners, increased public education, affordable access to spay/neuter services and intervention before situations reach a crisis point.”
A public works ministry spokesman said: “The Ministry of Public Works and Environment recognises that irresponsible breeding, animal cruelty and poor socialisation of dogs are serious challenges that our animal wardens face on a regular basis.
“The Government takes these matters seriously and is advancing legislative amendments intended to strengthen the powers available to animal wardens and give them better tools to address these issues.”
Legislative amendments passed in 2018, as well as removing pitbulls from the banned-breed list, were meant to create civil penalties related to dog ownership so offences could be dealt with faster and without going to court.
However, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Pati disclosure stated: “There have been no civil penalties assessed.
“Legal issues arising with civil penalties have slowed implementation of these penalties.”
• To read the full Pati disclosure, see Related Media
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