Over 120k South Africans Sign Petition to Ban Pit Bulls, Says Owners Should Be Held Responsible

• Over 120 000 people have signed a petition that will be handed over to the minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development
• The petition calling for the ban of pit bulls follows a string of attacks throughout the country that left several children dead
• In the latest attack, a one-year-old child in East London who was mauled to death by a neighbour’s pit bull on Wednesday, 23 November

EAST LONDON - More than 120 000 people have signed the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation’s petition calling for a ban on pit bulls.

The foundation is set to hand over the petition to the minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development Thoko Didiza. This follows the killing of a one-year-old who was mauled to death by a neighbour’s pit bull on Wednesday, 23 November.

Speaking to TimesLIVE, Sizwe Kupelo said the foundation was mourning with the little boy’s family. He said the child’s death could have been prevented if South Africa had banned pit bulls.

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The foundation called for the government and law enforcement agencies to ensure the owners of the dog that killed the one-year-old are held accountable. Kupelo added that if a pit bull attacks or kills its owners should be sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

The latest killing followed a string of other dog attacks throughout the country that left several children dead. The foundation calls for the sterilisation of the dog breed.

Meanwhile, Cape of Good Hope SPCA chief inspector Jaco Pieterse told IOL that the public should contact the SPCA in the event of an aggressive dog. He said the dog would be taken away immediately.

Pieterse cautioned people against taking matters into their own hands and said no animal deserves to be subjected to brutality.

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Citizens call for pit bull owners to be held responsible for attacks:

Rashaad Jakoet said:

“These dogs cannot be trusted in the hands of the general public. Most seem naive and incapable of responsible ownership.”

Beryl Steyn-Jardine commented:

“People who own these dogs should be held responsible for these dog attacks. I believe that the owners of these dogs should be prosecuted when their dogs kill or attack people.”

Ashley George wrote:

“The owners should also be held accountable. Very sad to see these attacks. The law needs to also be applied regarding the conditions animals are kept.”

Wesley Swartz posted:

“It’s not the breed that’s the problem, it’s the owners that are the problem.”

Adept Carpenters added:

“And the government is still quiet about it.”

Another child killed in pit bull attack in East London, SA demands arrests: “You own the dog, you do the time”

Briefly News also reported South Africans are up in arms after another toddler was mauled to death in a pit bull attack in East London. Citizens are calling for the owner of the controversial dog breed to be held liable for the child’s death.

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Pit Bull Federation SA calls for by-laws to regulate ownership of controversial animals following another attack

According to TimesLIVE, the incident occurred in Cambridge on Wednesday evening, 23 November. The young child is believed to have been only one year old at the time of their tragic passing.

This is the latest in a string of tragic pit bull attacks that have claimed countless lives of young children. South African citizens are fed up and want authorities to take action.

Source: Briefly News