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Three pit bulls were killed after they mauled a young girl in Cape Town.
PHOTO: PHOTO: Cape of Good Hope SPCA
- A girl was taken to hospital with serious injuries after being mauled by three pit bulls in Athlone.
- Residents later stoned, beat and set the dogs alight.
- The incident comes amid calls for the banning of pit bulls being kept as pets.
Three pit bull terriers were beaten, stoned and set alight in Gatesville, Cape Town when residents attacked the dogs after they had mauled a girl on a field.
It is understood the child sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital.
An eyewitness told News24 that around 30 residents of Pooke se Bos informal settlement attacked the dogs on Sunday, pelting them with stones. He said he saw locals dragging one of the wounded pit bulls down the street.
Jeffrey Mfini, an inspector from the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, responded to the report and found the animals dead, but still alight. He extinguished the fire and collected the dogs' carcasses.
READ | Demand for pit bulls increased since petition calling for them to be banned, say breeders
SPCA chief inspector Jaco Pieterse said it was tragic that a child was harmed and, in turn, that the animals were attacked.
"No dog should be roaming the streets. Responsible pet owners ensure their animals are kept within their properties. If your home is not adequately fenced, don't get a dog," he said.
"We urge the public to contact the SPCA if a dog behaves aggressively or tries to bite someone. We will take the dog immediately. People must not take matters into their own hands – no animal deserves to endure brutality and suffering," he added.
Western Cape police said it had no record of the incident. Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, urged residents to report the incident to the nearby Athlone police for further investigation.
The incident comes amid a spate of pit bull attacks and a petition by the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation, which calls for an immediate ban on pit bulls being kept as pets following the violent death of Storm Nuku in Gelvandale, Gqeberha, in September.
Dismissing the counter-argument that their behaviour depends on how the dogs are raised, the foundation is lobbying for the government to take "decisive steps and impose a complete ban on the ownership of pit bulls as domestic animals".
Pieterse said the SPCA did not support the call to ban or outlaw pit bulls, but rather supported a motion to "develop and implement stronger regulations/legislation with regard to the keeping and breeding of power breed dogs".
READ | 'We are traumatised and in need of counselling' - grandfather of boy, 3, killed by two pit bulls
"Although the SPCA movement's mandate is the prevention of cruelty to animals and promoting good animal care, the SPCA also values human lives. Not only do people suffer from dog attacks, but other animals are also victims and have been mauled to death," he said.
Pieterse added:
In many instances, the aggressive animals themselves have also been subjected to extreme abuse and cruelty in the manner in which they are kept, trained and even killed. This is an issue where both human and animal lives have been placed in danger by irresponsible people who lack the skills and knowledge required to handle power breeds.
A step in the right direction would be the development and implementation of stronger regulations, such as compulsory sterilisation and permitting to keep power breeds, Pieterse said.
"Compulsory sterilisation, at the cost of the owner, would assist in preventing power-breed puppies from being easily accessible to irresponsible people. Compulsory permitting would assist in being able to hold power breed owners accountable for their pets."
Dog owners who may want to give their pit bulls to the SPCA can contact the inspectorate at 021 700 4158/9 or 083 326 1604 after hours.
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