Wellington, Feb 13 NZPA - Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule has called for tougher classifications and eventual banning of pitbull dog breeds.

Mr Yule made the call following a recent savage attack by two pitbulls on a rottweiler-cross in the suburb of Flaxmere and several other incidents involving the breed.

Mr Yule, who is also the president of Local Government New Zealand, said every dog attack in the past two months had involved a pitbull breed.

He told the Hawke's Bay Today they were a menace to people and other dogs and it was a matter of time before a child was killed by one.

"The time's over for being politically correct about all this, we need to do something."

He called for a change in the classification of pitbulls from menacing to dangerous, meaning all pitbulls would have to be neutered, muzzled and kept in a secure cage. Over time they should be banned, he said.

Mr Yule planned to raise the issue with Prime Minister John Key.

However, SPCA chief executive Robyn Kippenberger said identifying pitbull breeds was difficult and they were too widely entrenched in New Zealand to ban.

She told Radio New Zealand the owners -- not the breed -- were to blame for the problems.

Pitbulls were the dog of choice for people who were irresponsible in looking after them and sometimes used them for illegal purposes such as dog fighting.