Goa will ban the import, breeding and sale of rottweiler and pit bull dog breeds, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Wednesday.

Sawant said that the Cabinet had approved an amendment to the 2024 Goa Animal Breeding, Domestic Regulations and Compensation Ordinance to include a ban on the sale, import and breeding of the two dog breeds.

People who already have rottweilers and pit bulls will have to register and take responsibility for them, Sawant added.

The decision to impose a ban came after a series of incidents wherein humans were attacked by “aggressive” dog breeds.

In March 2024, the Union government asked states to ban the import, breeding and sale of 23 “ferocious” dog breeds in the wake of a number of fatal attacks on humans by dogs.

It mentioned several breeds including pit bull terriers, tosa inu, American bulldogs, Japanese tosa and akita, mastiffs, rottweilers, terriers, central Asian shepherd dogs, wolf dog and bandog.

The Union fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying ministry had said at the time that it had received representations from citizen’s forums and animal rights groups requesting the ban.

The letter from the ministry to state governments added that dogs that have already been kept as pets should be sterilised to prevent further breeding.

The directive was stayed by the Delhi, Karnataka and Calcutta High Courts in their jurisdictions.

In the Karnataka High Court, the petitioners alleged that the expert committee that recommended the ban had not consulted stakeholders before the decision.

It was also argued that no particular dog breed could be identified as “aggressive”, adding that any incident of such attacks could be attributed to “untrained and unsocialised” dogs.

“There are several dog breeds which are not covered under the impugned circular which have also caused dogs attacks, and for the said reason the rationale behind the classification in the impugned circular is highly arbitrary and is liable to be set aside,” the petitioners said.

On January 24, the Union government told the Bombay High Court that it does not intend to act on the March 2024 circular yet, Live Law reported.

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