Pit Bull Jumps Over Fence and Mauls 8-Year-Old Boy to Death, SA Angry: “Owner Should Be Imprisoned”

• An eight-year-old boy in the Free State was brutally mauled to death by a pit bull on Saturday afternoon
• The pit bull allegedly escaped from his cage and jumped over the fence into his neighbour's yard, and attacked the boy
• Calls for the dog breed to be banned intensified on social media by South Africans trying to come to terms with the death of another child

BLOEMFONTEIN - An eight-year-old boy was mauled to death by a neighbour's pit bull on Saturday in Vista Park, Bloemfontein.

The police in the Free State said the dog jumped over a fence and killed the boy at his home at around 2pm. The Mangaung police shot the dog dead after the incident happened and an inquest docket was opened, reported TimesLIVE.

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The increasing number of fatal human attacks by pit bulls has led to the public's outcry to have them banned from being kept as domestic animals.

A petition to ban the breed was started by the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation last month after a 10-year-old boy in Gqeberha was mauled to death.

"We need to protect the right to life because we have lost so many people in South Africa from the pit bulls. We are calling on government to put a ban and but not kill it but castrate them."

The petition got over 50 00 signatures, and the foundation said its aim is to prevent the further breeding of pit bulls. According to Eyewitness News, Kupelo also demanded that the government ensure that prospective pit bull owners undergo a regulatory process to certify them before owning the dogs.

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South Africans were outraged that another young child lost their life because of the dangerous dogs. Read some comments below:

Courage Sithole mentioned:

"Those who own them will defend them until this tragedy strikes. So now, yet another little boy has lost his life because a few people insist on keeping them. How selfish."

Matshidiso Honey-Bee Kgokong asked:

"When will the government act? They will wait until this situation gets out of hand and people take matters into their own hands. We're not saying ban the dogs; start with simple ownership registrations and licencing."

Mr EFF wrote:

"And pitbull owners will say it’s the boy's fault for playing in his own garden. Ban all these wild dogs and jail the owners!"

Nosipho Hams stated:

"These wild animals called pit bulls must be banned. I'm angry about other owners who still protect their pit bulls. It's just one day before it loses its mind."

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"So someone's child has passed away very painfully because of a neighbour's dog? The owner should be imprisoned."

Pit bull owners start their own petition to protect their beloved pets, SA is torn: “Heartbreaking both ways”

Briefly News recently reported that at least 38 people have signed a counter online petition to fight against banning pit bulls in the country. The dog breed has grabbed headlines following the recent attacks and killings of young children.

Lee-Ann van Staden started the Do Not Ban Pitbulls petition and mentioned that there's nothing wrong with pit bulls and dog owners are to be blamed.

Source: Briefly News