City of Cape Town calls for calm, amid dog attacks

The City of Cape Town and the Cape Animal Welfare Forum have called for calm following tensions over pitbull attacks.

This comes after the latest incident saw residents taking matters into their own hands following three pit bulls attacking a young girl in Gatesville, Athlone, on Sunday.

PICTURE: Pixabay



The City’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, emphasized the aggressiveness of the dog depends on how they raised by their owners and added that the city has condemned the community`s retaliation attack on the dogs.

“The real problem is how dogs are raised and trained by their owners, but also inter-breeding which affects the temperament of a dog. Furthermore, this issue is not pit-bull specific. The incident in Athlone this week where members of the community killed three pit-bulls following an attack on a child has to be condemned in the strongest terms.”

“Firstly, animal owners have a responsibility to ensure that their dogs do not pose a threat to anyone and are kept within their properties, but it is also illegal to harm or torture an animal. If anyone has concerns about a dangerous animal, they must report it to the SPCA or Law Enforcement so that urgent action can be taken. We cannot have a situation where people take the law into their own hands in this manner,” he reiterated.

The City said its Law Enforcement Animal Control Unit is investigating the attack of the young girl.

 

By Lulama Klassen

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