Panaji: The Goa government has decided to ban Rottweilers and Pitbulls in the state following multiple incidents involving aggressive behavior from these breeds, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced Wednesday. The decision was approved during a cabinet meeting.
To implement the ban, the government will amend the Goa Animal Breeding and Domestic Regulation and Compensation Ordinance, 2024, giving it legal standing. Sawant stated that owners of existing Rottweilers and Pitbulls will be required to register their pets and assume full responsibility for them.
The decision follows recent attacks, including an incident in Assagao, North Goa, where a 40-year-old man was bitten by a Rottweiler. The village panchayat subsequently urged pet owners to refrain from allowing such dogs in public areas. In August 2023, a seven-year-old boy died after being mauled by a Pitbull in North Goa’s Anjuna, sparking demands for a statewide ban.
In response, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services issued a notification warning dog owners of legal consequences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
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In March 2024, the central government also issued a circular banning the import, breeding, and sale of 24 aggressive dog breeds. The breeds include Pitbull Terriers, Tosa Inu, American Bulldogs, Japanese Tosa and Akita, Mastiffs (Boer bulls), Rottweilers, Terriers, Central Asian Shepherd Dogs (Ovcharka), Wolf Dog, and Bandog. However, in April 2024, the Delhi High Court rejected this circular.
