Organisations call for calm as owners surrender their pets

PIT bull owners around the country who treat their dogs as cherished members of the family have been left with the difficult decision to either surrender their pets to animal welfares or have them possibly face a violent and torturous death.

The Animal Welfare Society of South Africa (AWS) confirmed it had received adult pit bulls and eight puppies, which were surrendered for safety this week.

It called for calm, stating that no legislation had been made calling for the breed to be surrendered or banned.

Headlines began following the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation petition, which now has over 100 00 signatures, to have pit bulls banned as domestic pets following the death of a 10-year-old boy from Gqeberha who was attacked by two pit bulls.

The National SPCA’s Keshvi Nair said although it could not say how many pit bulls had been surrendered, it had been swamped by owners bringing their animals to its centres.

Nair said as the number of surrendered dogs increases, there was a concern for the effects this wouold have on animal organisations.

“There is an urgent need for government intervention with regard to this issue, failing which humans and animals could be harmed at an even greater scale,” she said.

AWS spokesperson Allan Perrins said by Thursday evening it had begun receiving calls from owners.

“Since news broke of the ill-considered petition, that in our opinion is doomed to failure, we have admitted a few pit bulls, including an emaciated bitch and eight young puppies, all voluntarily surrendered by their owners due to safety considerations and fear of violent reprisal. Responsible pit bull owners have absolutely no reason to be concerned about their dogs being confiscated or removed against their will.

“There are no laws that prohibit the ownership of any specific breed of dog, including pit bulls, and no talk of breed-specific legislation that may effectively outlaw the breed,” he said.

Gigi Roper, is a pit bull owner and the founder of Help a Paw. Her daughter rescued a pit bull, now fondly named Razor, from a dog fighting ring in Khayelitsha and she is now part of their family.

“It is a bloodbath of unwanted pit bulls and no one has space for them. The SPCA will start to collect unwanted dogs tomorrow and any that are found unwanted on the streets.

“Razor has become the most incredible loving dog in all other aspects and I love her dearly. The amount of pit bulls that will be euthanased in the next few weeks will break the strongest of people in the welfare organisations and the people who have to do it,” she said.

The killing of three pit bulls that were also set alight by residents in Gatesville, Athlone, after the dogs attacked a young girl who had to be hospitalised for her injuries, has gripped owners with fear.

Marisol Gutierrez, manager of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA in Grassy Park, said not just pit bulls were being surrendered, but other breeds too.

“It is because of the terrible events over last weekend, when dogs were beaten and set alight.

“Over three days, we collected around five cats and 50 dogs, of which only 10 were pit bull-type dogs. It’s sad when we get calls from dog owners who love their animals but are too afraid to keep them in case they are targeted by community members,” she said.

Mayco member for Safety and Security JP Smith said the City of Cape Town’s Cape Animal Welfare Forum reported that between July 2021 and July 2022, 806 dogs were impounded, they received 216 complaints of dog fights and filed 153 dockets for attacks on animals and people.

He said the SPCA was now offering a R5 000 reward for information that could lead to the positive identification of persons involved in the attack in which pit bulls were killed and set alight.

The City’s Animal Control Unit has also been brought into the investigation and is compiling a docket for the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

This followed an urgent meeting between the City of Cape Town and two animal welfare organisations to discuss amendments to the Animal Keeping By-Law.

“The real problem is how dogs are raised and trained by their owners, but also interbreeding, which affects the temperament of a dog. The issue is not pit bull-specific,” Smith said.

Ciel-Marie Kock of Indelicate Pit Bulls said the problem was not the breed, but the management: “Pit bulls are not the problem. People who misuse and misunderstand the breed are.”