We don’t agree that pitbulls should be banned, but ownership should only be permitted after a thorough investigation by experts like the National SPCA.
Picture: iStock
Few subjects polarise opinion among animal lovers like pitbull terriers. Those who want them banned call them psycho killing machines, while loving owners believe how you care for them influences how they behave.
The topic has flared again with the conviction for culpable homicide last week of a Free State woman, Keabetswe Moroane, after her pitbull mauled an 8-year-old to death. Moroane, who was found to have been negligent in allowing the dog to escape, was a rare conviction.
ALSO READ: Bloemfontein woman convicted after her pitbull kills neighbour’s child
Given the lethality of a pitbull dog in a killing frenzy, there are those who argue that keeping one is the same as owning a gun and leaving it lying around. Owners and animal experts argue how a dog is kept and treated influences its behaviour and many pitbulls live peacefully with caring families.
Sadly, though, it is a sign of the times in South Africa that pitbull ownership and even illegal breeding is growing – the dogs are used in dog fighting for money, or as protectors of homes, while some are acquired as tokens of machismo.
We don’t agree that pitbulls should be banned, but ownership should only be permitted after a thorough investigation by experts like the National SPCA.
ALSO READ: Man in critical condition after being attacked by a pit bull
