Wagger.co.uk

Carolin Fabian jokes that the only thing her American Staffordshire terrier Tobias fights for is a place on the couch.

"He’s very calm — he’s happy when he can sleep, eat … go for a bit of a walk when it’s not too hot or raining," said the 35-year-old Fabian.

Sounds harmless. But starting Thursday, Fabian and owners of 11 other breeds known as aggressive "fight dogs" will be under stricter scrutiny: a hotly debated new law requires Viennese and longterm visitors who own such dogs to carry a license proving they can keep their pets in check.

Some say the measure will make public spaces safer, critics call it canine profiling.

The dog magazine "Wuff" tried to make that point in a highly controversial manner — by publishing a flyer that showed a young pit bull wearing a yellow star with the word "bad" inscribed in it, seated next to a labrador puppy. A headline above the two asked: "What differentiates us?" The magazine dropped the yellow star from its campaign after protests from the Jewish community.

Months later, emotions are still running high.

Alexander Willer, a spokesman for Vienna’s main animal shelter, said the list of affected dogs — which includes Rottweilers, pit bull terriers, Mastiffs, and others — was compiled "at random" and has made it harder for abandoned breeds of this kind to find new homes.

"The image of these dogs has hit rock bottom," Willer said, adding that since Christmas, the number of "fight dogs" seeking refuge in the shelter increased from 123 to 170.

"The majority of people who own these kinds of dogs are normal — they aren’t psychopaths," Willer said.

Maybe not — but dangerous incidents still happen, said Valentina Simic, 21, whose young son narrowly escaped an attack by a Rottweiler.

"Dogs are cute and all but if people can’t handle them properly then they shouldn’t be allowed to own them," she said as she sat on a park bench on a recent balmy evening.

Officials estimate that about 2,500 dogs will be affected by the new law in a city where man’s best friend is often spotted snoozing in cafes, riding the subway and sitting outside shops.

If owners don’t comply by this time next year and are caught without a permit, they face fines and could even see their pet confiscated by police.

Is this an indication that breed laws will be tightened up even more across Europe??