People should have to qualify for special licences to own dangerous dogs and muzzles should be made mandatory for problem breeds a local veterinarian claimed yesterday.

Dr. Maureen Ware-Cieters of the Hanover Veterinary Hospital spoke in the wake of the brutal pitbull attack on postwoman Margaret Pitt, saying: "The biggest problem in Bermuda is that people underestimate dogs on many levels."

Better education about dog handling could have prevented the vicious attack, with more attention paid to caring for a dog's emotional and physical needs.

She said one of the reasons why pitbull attacks are so prevalent in Bermuda is because the breed's bloodlines are so close and this could affect their temperament and cause health problems as well as susceptibility to demodectic mange in the dogs.

Dr. Ware-Cieters said: "There are a couple of short-term solutions that Government could put into place; a temporary ban on breeding dogs which are considered dangerous as well as making the use of muzzles mandatory on dogs assessed as difficult. Muzzles do not cause any discomfort to the animals yet it appears that the psychological barriers of humans seem to prevent the use of them."

She added that muzzles are easily available for purchase in Bermuda, but in her experience, the people who purchase them are the ones who care for their dogs properly and thus are not a part of the problem regarding dog attacks.

Dr. Ware-Cieters also suggested that before people are allowed to own dogs deemed to be dangerous, they should have to apply for a special handling licence to ensure that the dog is in a healthy environment and free of elements which minimise its chances of being abused.

She said there are many circumstances that could have led to the dog attacking, like nearby traffic, adding: "Unfortunately, when the postwoman rode across, the dog could have attacked in retaliation of the noises that he frequently heard, but again, this cannot be concluded until the dog is given an assessment."

She added: "The bottom line is that we need to educate people about how to deal with dogs. People need to start taking responsibility for their dog's actions."