An incident in Athlone last week in which a child was attacked by three pit bulls resulted in local members of the community setting the three pit bulls alight after torturing them.
While investigations by the City of Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope SPCA are continuing, the issue of animal welfare and public safety continues to rage on, particularly in the context of more attacks in other parts of the country.
“We are committed to ensuring that we do not see a repeat of the events earlier this week, and that is why the City is working closely with the SPCA and the Cape Animal Welfare Forum to find solutions, but also to raise the level of understanding and awareness around animal welfare and the responsibility of dog owners towards public safety.”
“Our Animal Control Unit statistics show a clear increase in the number of dogs impounded over the course of this year, but also dog fighting complaints and dockets for investigation into attacks on other animals or people. We reiterate the point that the problem lies with the people in whose care these dogs find themselves,” said City Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
Here’s the stats:
| Dogs impounded | 806 |
| Fines | 384 |
| Operations | 321 |
| Compliance notices | 318 |
| Dog fighting complaints | 216 |
| Dockets compiled for attacks on animals/people | 153 |
The Athlone incident investigation
The City’s Animal Control Unit is in the process of compiling a docket pertaining to the attack on the young girl for the Directorate for Public Prosecutions to make a determination on the way forward.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA continues its investigation into the brutal killing of the three dogs by the community.
The SPCA is offering a R5000 reward for information that can lead to the positive identification, arrest, and prosecution of the persons involved in the attack on the dogs, in accordance with the Animal Protection Act.
Among the provisions of the Act, “any person who: (a) overloads, overdrives, overrides, ill-treats, neglects, infuriates, tortures, kicks, goads, or terrifies any animal shall, subject to the provisions of this Act and any other law, be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding R40 000 and/or imprisonment without the option of a fine”.
Also read:
Two off-leash dogs confiscated after killing 19 endangered penguins
Picture: Unsplash
