Calls for the banning of pitbulls as domestic animals are growing, as more incidents of people getting mauled are reported.
In the latest incident, an eight-year-old boy was mauled to death at his home in Vista Park, Bloemfontein after the dog escaped from its enclosure and forced its way through the fence into the boy’s yard.
Some neighbours of the eight-year-old are worried as other members in the community own pitbulls.
“So this is not a good day and it [the dog] went out several times. We were just worried about the children because the children always play outside here.”
“Two weeks ago on a Saturday, when the kids opened the gate, the dog came out and I was with my seven-year-old son. The dog attacked him and not me. I tried to fight but it’s a dangerous creature. It really wanted to bite him. He had three bites. And we ended up at Medic-Clinic.”
By-laws on domestic pets adhered to
Meanwhile, the Mangaung Metro in Bloemfontein says it will now ensure that its by-laws on domestic pets are adhered to.
The metro’s deputy mayor Mapaseka Mothibi-Nkoane paid a visit to the family of boy who was mauled by a pitbull in Vista Park.
Mothibi-Nkoane has also made a call to residents to surrender their pitbulls as they pose a danger to the community.
“As the municipality we are very upset. We are highly concerned of what is happening in our community, especially these vicious dogs which people are keeping. When they know that they are not supposed to be among our people. And as from tomorrow [Monday] we are going to enforce our by-laws,” adds Mothibi-Nkoane.
Calls for castration and sterilisation of all pitbull dogs
The Sizwe Kupelo Foundation is calling for the castration and sterilisation of all pitbull dogs in the country.
This is to prevent the future existence of what it calls the vicious breed.
Ten-year-old Storm Nuku was killed by his family’s two pit bulls a couple of weeks ago in Gqeberha.
In the video below, Sizwe Kupelo Foundation calls for the castration and sterilisation of all pitbull dogs:
Pit bull Federation of SA
Earlier this year, the Pitbull Federation of South Africa said they were shocked to see the alarming increase in attacks on children by pitbulls.
This came after a five-year-old was viciously attacked by the breed in Pretoria, thus renewing calls for better regulation of the dog and ownership permits.
