These dogs could soon be banned in the Netherlands

Although most of us are partial to some friendly woofers, Outgoing Minister Adema is sick of vicious canines and wants to ban “biting dogs” once and for all. 🐕❌

Apparently, the idea came to him after hearing the accounts of plastic surgeons who had to perform corrective procedures on dog attack victims.

These stories of mutilation shocked Adema and motivated him to launch an investigation into banning these dogs. A more “concrete plan” is currently in the works, NOS reports.

VVD releases ban plan on Animal Day

Yesterday — which was Animal Day — the political party Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (VVD) released a plan outlining what the ban would look like.

According to VVD MP Erik Haverkort, 150,000 people fall victim to the bite of a hound on an annual basis, AD.nl reports.

This is especially problematic when you take into account the presence of dangerous dogs in the lives of children.

READ MORE | Police confirm: Dutch baby was bitten to death by family dog

So, on what grounds would they decide to place a “breeding and keeping” ban on a particular breed of pooch?

The VVD thinks they should start by examining the dog’s physical characteristics. For instance, does the mouth have “clamp” like jaws when it bites down? In that case, a ban should be put in place to protect the community.

@twinvets 4 dog Breeds that got BANNED from the UK & Why #dog #ban #fyp ♬ original sound – Twin Vets

As Haverkort puts it, the bite of “a sweet Labrador” might leave you with a cut “at most”, whereas an “aggressive fighting dog” has the potential to effortlessly “tear away part of your cheek”.

Will we lose friendly pups in the process?

Plastic surgeon Nick Brinkman refers to the tragedies that happen to mutilated victims as an “avoidable problem”.

He notes that the ban is vital to ensure that fewer people are both physically and mentally scarred each year.

Meanwhile, although the Christian Union (CU) branded the VVD proposal as “brave”, CU MP Pieter Grinwis also chimed in with a word of caution.

According to Grinwis, care must be taken when determining which dogs are aggressive enough to ban, so we don’t also lose our mild-mannered pups in the process.

Where do you stand on this aggressive dog ban? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Feature Image:Freepik
Ellen Ranebo
Ellen Ranebo
As someone half Swedish and half Irish who has lived in the Netherlands, the UK, and attended an American School, Ellen is a cocktail of various nationalities. Having had her fair share of bike accidents, near-death experiences involving canals, and miscommunications while living here (Swedish and Dutch have deceptively similar words with very different meanings), she hopes to have (and document) plenty more in future.

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