Bermuda has a problem with pitbulls that Angel Burgess is desperately trying to fix.

Behind her is a group of about 60 people concerned about animals whose owners neglect them, mistreat them and abandon them in tough times.

They formed Save the Pitties in response.

The case of a pitbull tied to a fence and left to bake in the August sun drove the group to action but the problem with the breed stretches further back than that.

Lawmakers lifted a ban on pitbulls in 2018, believing the argument by advocates that bad owners were the problem, not the breed.

The Royal Gazette reported that between 2017 and 2022 there were 218 complaints lodged against pitbulls – for threatening behaviour, or injury to a person or other animal.

New dog laws are expected to be tabled this year.

It is not just a Bermuda problem, Ms Burgess said. In the US it is estimated that 1 million pitbulls are euthanised each year after their owners fail to provide proper care.

“It’s because they're so hard to rehome that we run into these problems. Just a few weeks ago someone left the island. They basically opened up their door and let their dog out. They couldn't take the dog with them because it was an illegal breed; they couldn't rehome it, so they just left the dog and jumped on a plane,” she said.

“There's endless stories of how people are treating these dogs, or how they're ending up with their back up against the wall and they feel like there’s no help.”

In an ideal world there would be laws to prevent that, said Ms Burgess, an animal lover with several dogs of her own.

Her UK-based company, Puppy Love BDA, specialises in sourcing and transporting pets but also connects rescue dogs in Jamaica with loving homes.

She is hoping Save the Pitties will do something similar for pit bulls here.

“People have illegal pitbulls, we know that, and that is because they do not have the permit to have a restricted breed. You have to have a licence from Animal Husbandry, you have to have a fenced-in yard. Not everyone is able to have that,” Ms Burgess said.

“Some people have pitbulls and they live in an apartment, or they don't have the means for fencing. That doesn't mean that they don't love the dog, or that they're irresponsible.”

A goal of the group is to fundraise to help people who are in that situation gain legal ownership of their pets.

“The dream of the group would be that we could find a piece of land and have a shelter that would be run by volunteers and donations so that these dogs that are being left without homes have somewhere to go; people who love and care for them as opposed to having to go to the SPCA or having to be euthanised,” she said.

Until that is possible, the group is focused on assisting stakeholders in any way they can.

“We’re just trying to come together collectively as a group to see how we can help Government and the wardens because we can imagine how overwhelmed they are because that isn't the only job that the wardens do,” Ms Burgess said.

“That would be the goal but it's overwhelming already and we haven't even started to get our footing. Every day it's another puppy looking for a home or looking to be fostered. It’s just really an out-of-control situation that needs some type of solution.”

Another way to tackle the problem, Ms Burgess believes, is to stop the animals that are in Bermuda from reproducing.

“I feel if the warden gets a dog, for you to get it back, maybe you have to have the dog spayed or neutered [as a way to] kind of get a hold on the breed.”

Samantha Wild, another Save the Pitties member, said it was obvious that both the Government and the SPCA were struggling.

“The SPCA is obviously overrun. They can't hold any more. The government kennels are overrun and, unfortunately, people just don't care. There's so many people that are doing illegal breeding just for money and it’s sad to see. These dogs are being abused. They're not being taken care of properly and you see it every day,” she said.

A significant fine would make them think twice, Ms Burgess said. People with illegal dogs know that if they are caught the animals will be taken away from them but also know that if that does happen, it’s fairly easy to find another.

“These dogs and puppies are being euthanised because of irresponsible humans. I think if we make it really uncomfortable for people to breed or have illegal dogs, then people are really going to sit back and think: is it really worth me breeding this dog if I get caught and I have a $20,000 fine?”

It is an opinion not necessarily shared by every member of Save the Pitties.

“Of course with a group that large everyone has kind of a different perspective of where they would like to see things go but collectively, we do agree that it's out of control and there needs to be something done,” Ms Burgess said.

Ms Wild was moved to join Save the Pitties because of her love for dogs. At the moment, she has two of her own – a 14-year-old Chihuahua and five-year-old Pomchi.

“These dogs are my children. I love them to death and I just feel that there needs to be an advocate for these dogs that are just being thrown to the wayside. If you're not prepared to treat your dog like family, don't get one,” she said.

“I know not everybody has that same mind frame, for them it's just an animal. But they rely on us for everything. We're their voice, we're their home, we're their protector – and a lot of people don't get that.”

Ms Wild is also upset by how well the illegal breeding business is “kept under wraps”.

“There's so many of these dogs that are being bred and nobody's talking about it. Nobody knows that it's happening until these puppies are not being taken care of,” she said.

She acknowledged it was a “crazy” comparison but likened it to the outcome of children who are abused, or taught to be mean.

“You're going to come up and commit crimes and do things that hurt others. It's the same way when it comes to a puppy.

“Dogs, whether they are pitbulls, German shepherds or any other breed, they aren’t born to hate. They don’t know what it means to attack. This is something they are trained to do, this is something that happens as a direct result of how they have been raised or treated.

“If you’re constantly being beaten, yelled at, neglected, left out in the cold or heat with no proper shelter, there will come a day when you will lash out, you will learn that the only way to protect yourself is to attack,” she said.

“If you know you can’t afford a dog – or any animal for that matter – don’t ruin their lives by getting one just for your benefit only to ill treat them or give up on them.”

• Anyone interested in being a part of Save the Pitties should WhatsApp Angel Burgess: +44 7449 788857. For more information on Puppy Love BDA, visitpuppylovebda.com/