British politician wants to ban “dangerous” Japanese dog breed
After a few recent incidents in which British children were attacked by dogs of the Akita breed, a British politician running for re-election has announced that he will try to ban these dangerous and exotic beasts:
The Japanese hunting dog, or akita, is proving increasingly popular among owners in the UK, despite a tendency towards violence, particularly towards young people.
The breed was originally used to hunt bears in Japan, and is regarded among dog experts as being prone to unpredictable behaviour.
[…|
“You would have to look into whether the dangers associated with owning the dogs outweighed the freedom of people to do what they want, and perhaps this recent spate means that balance is going against that freedom.
“The question that occurs to me is, does anyone really need a dog that has been specifically bred and trained to kill a bear?
“Despite all the coverage last year on similar cases, including the one on Anna Knuckles from Carmarthen, nothing has been done at all to get these dangerous dogs off the street and to keep them away from children.
“This is an increasingly prevalent problem and the Government seems to do absolutely nothing about it.
“The akita is bred to bring down bears, so people have no chance against them.
“I don’t know why someone would want a bear-hunting dog and I feel strongly that the Government should add them to the list of banned breeds.
One report about a recent mauling attack had these bullet points at the end of the article:
# Akitas are native to the island of Honshu in the Akita region of Japan.
# The Akita’s ancestors were historically used as hunting dogs and Samurai warriors used Akitas for dog fighting.
# Recent DNA analysis has confirmed that Akitas are one of the most primitive breeds of dog.
Wow, i can almost visualize brutal samurai warriors sending primitive Akitas into battle against bears, and then pitting the dogs against eachother in violent deathmatches!
Dogs of this breed have also been known to attack children in the United States, and some insurance companies there actually charge higher premiums to households that own Akitas.
Not everyone agrees with the conclusion that Akitas are a dangerous breed. Kjled Duits points out that the wikipedia entry on Akitas contains nothing about the breed being a primitive fighting dog that is prone to mauling children. It is also worth noting that the Akita is not considered a dangerous dog here in Japan, where the great Hachiko stands as a symbol of loyalty.
