A pitbull gored a 39-year-old man to death in the early hours of Saturday in Mogwase, a town in the North-West region close to Rustenburg, News24 reports.
Floyd Metsileng was reportedly a customer at the tavern, according to Lieutenant Colonel Amanda Funani, a spokesperson for the police department.
“The proprietor decided to give up and close up shop when it came time to do so. It is said that he gave everyone a warning to evacuate, locked up [the tavern], and then left the building. It is asserted that the proprietor let loose his dogs after the establishment (the tavern) had closed, as is his customary practice “— I quote her.
Funani stated that it was speculated that Metsileng returned to the tavern at some point.
“After scaling the wall, he was attacked by a dog, which turned out to be a pitbull. It was decided to call both the ambulance and the police. At the location of the incident, the man was pronounced dead. We opened an investigation into the matter. The investigation by the police is still ongoing “— I quote her.
At this point, she did not have any additional information.
Pitbulls handed over to SPCA
The owner of the pitbulls brought both of them to the Rustenburg Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) as soon as the organization’s representatives arrived at the scene, according to the SPCA.
Nazareth Appalsamy, a spokesperson for the NSPCA Special Investigations Unit, confirmed the news to News24 that two dogs had been put down since the incident.
“It is a terrible thing that we have to deal with yet another case of a pitbull attacking someone. Due to the fact that the SPCA’s policy states that we do not rehome aggressive animals, we were left with no other option but to put the dogs to sleep “Appalsamy said.
The organization claims that the attack was captured on camera because there was a CCTV system installed in the bar.
“Although there are more and more dog attacks, we encourage victims and members of the families of the victims to please report such [dog] attacks to their nearest police station,” Appalsamy added. “This is especially important for victims who are children.”
The National SPCA has issued a statement saying that they are advising pitbull dog owners to exercise increased caution with their canine companions during the holiday season in order to prevent additional dog attacks.
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This is the most recent attack in a string of fatal pitbull attacks that have taken place all over the country.
The Sizwe Kupelo Foundation initiated a petition to ban pitbulls, which has since received more than 130,000 signatures of support from concerned citizens.