A resident whose pet was savaged by a Pitbull last night urged Environment Minister Marc Bean to explain why he hopes to relax a ban on the breed.Richard Keane’s 30-pound terrier-mongrel Meg needed 15 stitches after her neck and chest were ripped open in an unprovoked attack from a stray which wandered into their garden in Warwick earlier this month.Mr Keane called for Mr Bean to share any information which shows there’s no need to keep Pitbulls on the restricted list; it’s understood Mr Bean is meeting dog experts today to discuss the matter.Mr Bean told ZBM last week: “I take the position that it’s not the dog, it’s the person, and so I’m willing to free it up.“I want my committee to come and give me recommendations on how to free it up and give the freedom and responsibility to the citizen in this Country to deal with the dog that they like to deal with.”When asked yesterday to clarify his position and whether he could address any fears raised by Mr Keane, the Minister declined to comment.Recalling the attack, which took place on Saturday, May 12, in his family’s Harbour Road property, Mr Keane told The Royal Gazette: “It was a horrific experience.“We were just at home watching TV and we heard a noise in the garden. A Pitbull had wandered onto our property and immediately went for our 13-year-old dog.“I managed to separate them by beating my fist against the Pitbull’s head; eventually they did separate and the Pitbull left, and we took Meg to the vets.“She’s recovered now but for the first few days she was still in shock. My dog weighs 30 pounds and the Pitbull was just an aggressive piece of meat with a very dangerous front end.”Meg suffered damage to her jaw and a broken tooth as well as the stitches, Mr Keane said.Former Minister Dennis Lister imposed a ban on importing and breeding dangerous dogs in 2003, following increasing complaints of biting, injury and aggressive behaviour.Last December, Mr Bean relaxed a ban on pets including Rottweilers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and German Shepherds, as long as their owners act responsibly.Mr Keane said he heard the Minister speaking about adding Pitbulls to that list on a ZBM talk show last Monday.“I would be interested to know what data the Minister has received that would imply the dogs are no longer considered dangerous,” said Mr Keane.“If reported attacks by dogs have decreased, I would view it that Dennis Lister’s ban on dogs is working, as opposed to the dog’s DNA has now changed.“My request for information is quite genuine.”Mr Bean said on the talk show: “What we have come to realise is that not every breed is the same and because you can handle a Doberman Pinscher that don’t mean you can handle a Rottweiler.“And the other point is that the most dogs we have in Bermuda actually are the pit bulls. That’s a fact.“Now, the other fact is that we do not have any evidence that when you have dog bites that the breed of dog is a pit bull.“So in a lot of ways there’s a perception that the pit bull, which is a fighting dog, is fundamentally more harmful to society than any other breed.“I take the position that it’s not the dog, it’s the person, and so I’m willing to free it up.“And I want my committee to come and give me recommendations on how to free it up and give the freedom and responsibility to the citizen in this country to deal with the dog that they like to deal with.“On the other hand, with that freedom comes responsibility, so if you do not care for that dog or do not train it, and that dog causes harm to another person, another individual’s person or private property, then you can expect the law to come down heavy on you.”Yesterday, The Royal Gazette sent Mr Bean a copy of Mr Keane’s letter and asked him to confirm the current situation regarding dangerous dogs, and under what circumstances Pitbulls could be removed from the banned list.We asked what he would say to address fears outlined by Mr Keane and whether the Ministry is happy with how things have gone since the policy was amended last December.Mr Bean declined to comment.