Three pit bull terriers were beaten, stoned and set alight in Gatesville, Cape Town, by residents after the dogs mauled a girl. This is how Twitter reacted:

2022-11-24 -

@Mammontoken

Now turn your attention to the owners who cannot control their dogs. It wasn’t the animals’ fault. They do not know better. The owner should have been watching their animals. @Ezildalerm

This is barbaric. Regardless of what happened, no living being deserves to be tortured like this.

@Dedreebasson

It’s not the dogs, it’s the owners. Seriously, dogs are like children. If you raise them wrong, the end results will show. If you raise them right, he will be the child you want him to be. Stop blaming the pet and start punishing the owners.

@bosslady_sally

I do not believe that all of these stories are true. Media is causing a witch-hunt on this breed of dog and what people are doing now is inhumane. Whose dogs were these? Can we get the owners to give their stories please.

@Guwat

A child died, people, from being mauled by these dogs, and people are worried more about how these dogs were killed instead of a human life being taken. Goes to show how certain communities will rather save an animal shelter than to contribute to saving a life.

@Bronwengien_ca

More children in SA die at the hands of humans than pit bulls. A mother literally killed four of her children with a sledge hammer... and these people are focusing on the pit bull? Please... get real! Humans are the problem, not a dog breed.

@Shabnam_baran

It always happens in the poor areas where people want to own the breed but can’t understand that all dogs are dangerous and have to be kept in a secured yard. These people are barbarians for doing this to the dogs.