Britain Outlaws Dogs Bred for Fighting : Safety: American pit bulls are singled out. The move follows the mauling of a 6-year-old girl.

Home Secretary Kenneth Baker announced Wednesday that “Draconian measures” will be taken by the government to control dangerous dogs in Britain, including destroying some “fighting” breeds.

Baker singled out the American pit bull terrier, which is bred for fighting, as the object of emergency legislation banning the import of such dogs as well as keeping, breeding or selling them.

The home secretary also banned the Japanese tosa, a huge dog with powerful jaws, and the bandog, a cross between a pit bull and other breeds such as the mastiff.

As part of the government’s rationale, Baker cited a Saturday attack by a pit bull on a 6-year-old girl in the northern city of Bradford that left her seriously mauled. There have been two other attacks by pit bulls this month.

“This (the ban) is something I do not relish,” said Baker, “but we cannot go on witnessing the kind of injuries inflicted on that little girl without taking steps to prevent similar injuries in the future.”

In a country that is sometimes accused of favoring dogs over children, the government has been loath to order legislation restricting various breeds.

“Successive home secretaries have been extremely worried about the vicious tendencies of these dogs but have been reluctant to take the Draconian measures needed to control this menace,” said Baker.

He announced the canine crackdown during a speech to the Police Federation. Later, he formally proposed to the House of Commons that legislation be introduced.

As to a suggestion that neutering dogs might make them less of a threat, Baker said, “I am advised that this policy is unlikely to be effective.” If this is so, he added, “these types will have to be put down.”

“Dogs can provide companionship, friendship and comfort,” the Cabinet minister told the Commons. “But there is a clear distinction in the public’s mind between the domestic pet and a dog bred to fight and kill.”

Meanwhile, thousands of dog owners called the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to express concern about the fate of their dogs.

Since the pit bull attacks, British papers have been full of stories discussing the issue of attack dogs, including bull terriers, Rottweilers, Alsatians and Dobermans.

Stories have focused on the pit bulls, first imported from the United States a dozen years ago, and their owners, described in one account as typically “young, white, poor and inadequate with women.”

Animal psychologist and author Roger Mugford was quoted as saying: “Pit Bull Man has very low self-esteem. To him, walking down the street with his dog is like wearing brass knuckles.

“The ugly aggression of these animals makes him feel comfortable. Violence is a familiar part of his life. He wants people to look at the pair of them and think, ‘Here comes trouble.’ ”

Many pit bull owners said they would hide their dogs rather than allow them to be destroyed.