A pit bull has mauled an eight-year-old boy to death in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province, South Africa, This is the latest killing of a child by the breed in recent months.
The grade 3 learner identified as Olebogeng Mosime, had been playing in his yard in Vista Park at around 2pm on Saturday, November 12, 2022 when the dog belonging to his neighbour absconded from its enclosure, jumped over the fence and attacked him.
Police spokesperson Lt-Col Thabo Covane, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday, said the dog attacked the child, who was playing alone. It bit him severely on the neck and chest, thus inflicting serious injuries on the boy.
The boy was declared dead upon the arrival of the Police and paramedics were summoned to the scene.
An inquest docket has since been opened at the Mangaung police station
The Bloemfontein the Society for The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals( SPCA )said the neighbour’s two other dogs had been removed and were in the care of the SPCA for safekeeping.
“The Bloemfontein SPCA sends its utmost condolences to the child’s family and will keep them in our thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time. It went further to plead with pet owners, to surrender dogs that could pose a threat to the community.
“The Bloemfontein SPCA will also make collection services available to any owner that does not have the means to take aggressive animals to the SPCA directly. The loss of life, any life, is tragic and in a preventive measure, we would like to plead with the public that aggressive animals should be surrendered to the Bloemfontein society so that similar incidents do not occur and that even at the end of an aggressive animal’s life it is treated with dignity and respect.
After several vicious, deadly attacks there have been mounting calls to ban the breed for domestic purposes.
Last month, an online petition calling for an end to ownership of pit bulls was launched.
“It is time that the South African government takes decisive steps and imposes a complete ban on the ownership of pit bulls as domestic animals. Such a move would prevent further attacks and unnecessary deaths, ordinarily the child died due to an incidence that could be avoided.