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A three-year-old boy was mauled to death by two dogs outside of a home in South Africa, according to local police. This tragic event led to a community beating and setting one of the dogs on fire.
When police arrived, a large group was gathered around the yard where the attack took place. According to Free State Central News, the young boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
Free State police spokesperson Captain Stephen Thakeng told Eyewitness News, “The angry residents wanted to kill both dogs and attack the owner of these two pit bulls. Members of Welkom Public Order Policing were summoned to the scene and removed the owner to a safe place,” he said.
Ernest Khakhau, a member of the National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), also told News24 that they were attacked by the crowd when they were attempting to remove the dogs from the scene.
*sensitive*
A 3-year-old boy has been mauled to death by a dog at Hennenman in the Free State. Police say he was bitten by the dog in his neighbour's yard. Preliminary observations reveal that the boy was bitten on the head.#sabcnews #sabcFS #pitbulls
🎥community pic.twitter.com/tQ0Bjexu44— Masiteng Makgala (@masitengmakgala) November 20, 2022
“We had to vacate the place because we were attacked. We left one dog there. The other dog had managed to escape, and we removed that dog, which has been euthanized,” Khakhau said.
This is an incredibly sad story, and our hearts go out to the family that lost their son, as well as the dogs. Today, pit bulls remain largely misunderstood because of irresponsible “owners”, sensationalist news stories, and the proliferation of myths. As a result, breed-specific legislation (BSL) has popped up in cities across the U.S. that either greatly restricts or completely bans pit bulls as pets.
The stigma that marks pit bulls has also contributed to their rise in U.S. shelters. One in four of all animals brought into shelters are pit bulls, and their average euthanasia rate hovers at 93 percent across the board.
However, if given the chance, pit bulls can be very loving companions, and in some communities, they have even become heroes, saving people and their guardians from harm.
Discover these top five reasons pit bulls are misunderstood, then help debunk these myths by telling your family, friends, and social media followers the real truth about pit bulls.
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Veronica you’re the epitome of what’s wrong with society when it comes to dogs in general! “I would say that at least HALF the reports I read about dog attacks are about pit bulls” Half the reports? You mean reporters sensationalizing a story to increase readership based on zero actual professional breed identification often from bystanders! Furthermore Pit bull is not a breed you informed puppet of media misinformation! – So I would never get one as a pet regardless how many people swear they are angels. there is something going on – they look like attackers anyway – What a stupid bigoted view point! Exactly what’s wrong with society as a whole! and it might be that is the problem. Is there something in the way people relate to them that makes them nasty ? No you’re the nasty one judging 6.5 Million dogs of various breeds based solely on phenotypical characteristics “ I think that they should stop the breeding of pitties because they are just not trusted.“ I think your mother should have swallowed I think you’re a bigoted puppet of misinformation and the world would have been better without you!
I would say that at least HALF the reports I read about dog attacks are about pit bulls – that has been the case for decades. So I would never get one as a pet regardless how many people swear they are angels. there is something going on – they look like attackers anyway – and it might be that is the problem. Is there something in the way people relate to them that makes them nasty ? That could be – dogs are very sensitive to what you are feeling, and they say to never show a dog you are scared of them. Well we have had a few dogs as pets, and only one was a bit dodgy, but that was a mix, so not a pitbull story, and it had been rescued from a nasty home, so who knows what they did to it. I think that they should stop the breeding of pitties because they are just not trusted. Not saying kill the existing pets, but require a fenced yard for any dog anyway – any dog can be a biter, and for a small child that could be fatal. We need to recognize these are animals first, and not be so silly about them !