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Retired GP urges ban on rescue pit bull terriers

A retired Adelaide doctor has urged animal rescue charities to stop making the dangerous breed available for adoption.

An elderly man who made the agonising decision to euthanize his aggressive pit bull dog has issued a warning to others about the dangers of the breed.

Curtis Deland, a former GP, has had both good and bad experiences with dog breeds classed by some as “dangerous” and reached the conclusion pitbulls should not be available for adoption.

Dr Deland, 93, of Black Forest, ended up fearful for his safety after adopting a rescue pit bull, Claude, last year.

He said the pit bull had initially seemed good-natured but he became concerned after aggressive encounters with other dogs at the park.

“He started to threaten visitors and neighbours in a terrifying fashion and then started to attempt to dominate me by lying on me while I was in bed,” he said.

“(This was) rather dangerous for me as I am old and this made breathing difficult.”

He said after a few months of such behaviour he spoke with his family and together they made the difficult decision to euthanise the dog.

Dr Curtis Deland, 93 at home in Black Forest. Picture: Matt Loxton
Dr Curtis Deland, 93 at home in Black Forest. Picture: Matt Loxton

“I was scared that it was going to injure me or even kill me,” he said.

“That was the thing that frightened me … it might have even turned savage.”

Dr Deland said he opted not to put the dog back up for adoption as he felt that would have been “passing the buck”.

He does not believe pitbulls should be made available for adoption.

“I advise people to avoid the breed as they are bred to fight and kill.”

He had adopted the pit bull after the death of his dog of 14 years, Maude – an “excellent” and “completely non-aggressive” companion that he had been told was a staffie-cross.

“She was a beautiful dog and never violent,” he said.

Some Advertiser readers last week labelled a line-up of dogs looking for homes as “somewhat terrifying” and asked “have the charity managers not thought about who the next victims will be will be?”

The line-up included a staffie and a sharpei.

Dr Curtis Deland’ dog Claude. Picture: Supplied
Dr Curtis Deland’ dog Claude. Picture: Supplied
Dr Curtis Deland’s dog Maude. Picture: Supplied
Dr Curtis Deland’s dog Maude. Picture: Supplied

The Animal Welfare League responded in a Facebook post “we were extremely saddened and disappointed to read the Letters to the Editor in The Advertiser this morning in response to a story about some of the beautiful dogs in our care who just want to find a family to love them”.

It went on to say “these opinions don’t deserve to be acknowledged”.

The number of dog attacks or harassments reported to councils rose from 2120 in 2021-22 to 2349 in 2022-23, the most recent report of the Dog and Cat Management Board showed.

However, the number of people admitted to hospital for dog attack injuries dropped from 500 to 473. In 2012-13, the number was only 211.

Late last month, a 78-year-old woman from Novar Gardens underwent surgery to save her foot after it was nearly torn off by an out of control dog.

Paramedics were called out by the woman’s husband, who fought to rescue his wife from the dog believed to be a staffie-cross.

The dog was seized by West Torrens council officers following the attack.

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/retired-gp-urges-ban-on-rescue-pit-bull-terriers/news-story/38c207e2a0def333f86e3e2a4dd59d77