The people living in the Gatesville neighborhood of Cape Town decided to take matters into their own hands and attacked the dogs, stabbing them and setting them on fire.
Residents were responsible for the torching and subsequent deaths of three pit bulls.
This past weekend, the SPCA was made aware of the incident, according to the organization’s statement, 702 reports.
The incident occurred after the dogs attacked & mauled a young girl who was playing in a field in the vicinity of the incident.
The child sustained life-threatening injuries and is currently recovering in the hospital.
According to the SPCA, members of the community took matters into their own hands and attacked the dogs, stoning, stabbing, and hitting the animals with a variety of objects before setting them on fire to kill them.
After receiving the report, SPCA Inspector Jeffrey Mfini rushed to the location where he discovered the dogs and found that they were still on fire. Mfini put out the fire, but it was too late for the animals. They had already passed away.
It is a terrible thing that a child was hurt, and that this resulted in the animals being brutally attacked. It is unacceptable for any dog to be walking free in the neighborhood. It is the responsibility of responsible pet owners to ensure that their animals are contained within their own properties at all times. Do not get a dog if your property does not have a fence that is high enough or strong enough.
– Inspector of the SPCA at the Cape of Good Hope, Jaco Pieterse
This incident takes place at a time when there has been a steady increase in the number of people calling for a complete ban on the ownership of pitbulls as pets or companion animals.
Earlier this month, a pit bull fatally attacked and killed an eight-year-old boy who lived in Bloemfontein. The incident took place at the boy’s residence.
READ MORE: 2 Pitbulls tear 3-year-old apart, residents bash & burn dog
According to the reports filed by the police, the dog was able to get out of his yard by climbing over the fence and entering the property of a neighbor where a young boy was playing by himself.
