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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 2, 1993                   TAG: 9302020181
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A2   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS                                LENGTH: Short

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TOUGH NEW DUTCH LAW FORBIDS OWNING PIT BULLS

A draconian law aimed at making pit bull terriers extinct in the Netherlands took effect Monday.

The Animal Health and Welfare Act makes it illegal to own, import, breed or sell the unpredictable and sometimes savage dogs, Agriculture Ministry spokesman Benno Bruggink said.

The law allows current owners to keep their pets, including puppies born up to mid-April, providing they are sterilized and registered with a central authority.

Unlicensed or unsterilized dogs will be confiscated and almost certainly put to death, Bruggink said. Puppies born after mid-April also would be confiscated and killed. - Associated Press

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