Following a spate of attacks on people by pit-bulls across the country this summer, the government has categorised 100 breeds of dog as "dangerous" and introduced new rules and penalties for their owners. Children and criminals have been banned from owning any of the breeds on the list, while legitimate owners must keep their pets muzzled and on leads in public, and take out third-party insurance against the animals injuring anyone. The dangerous dog blacklist includes dobermanns, bull mastiffs and German shepherds alongside border collies, Corgis and St Bernards. However, in a recent survey commissioned by Il Messaggero newspaper, 41 per cent of Italians said they thought the new legislation would cause owners of the breeds in question simply to abandon their pets, while 30 per cent said it would have no effect at all because it could not be enforced.