Pit bull owner criticized over alleged dog attack

By Huang Shu-li and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer





The owner of an American pit bull terrier yesterday faced criticism after video purportedly showed his animal attacking and killing a smaller dog in Yunlin County on Tuesday.

The owner of the smaller dog of an unidentified breed posted the video on a Facebook page for members of the neighborhood, with several people posting comments, saying that it was not the first incident involving the pit bull.

In the video, a man is seen using a stick in an unsuccessful attempt to separate the smaller dog from the pit bull, which had locked its jaws around the other’s neck.

Some commenters said that children in the community were in danger from the pit bull, while one wrote that it should have had a muzzle and the owner should be reported to the authorities.

Other comments said that in 2018 the pit bull bit the leg of another dog, forcing the limb to be amputated, and that last year it attacked and killed another dog in a similar fashion to Tuesday’s incident.

Others said that they no longer feel safe letting their pets outdoors, with some writing that they feared for their own safety while walking in the neighborhood.

Pit bulls are categorized as “attack dogs” by the Council of Agriculture and therefore need to be muzzled and on a leash at all times when in public, the Yunlin County Animal Disease Control Center said on Wednesday.

The center said that it would ask the owners of both dogs involved in Tuesday’s incident to report to it, with the owner of the pit bull potentially facing a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$150,000 if they are found to be in breach of the regulations.