Johannesburg - Dogs are often referred to as man’s best friend, but what happens when dogs such as the American Pit Bull Terrier turn on humans? As with any other relationship, human and dog relations are not exempted from turning sour.
But Pit Bulls are the primary breed that always makes the headlines for severely injuring or mauling humans to death. This breed is more notorious for its viciousness and fearless nature rather than for being a harmless dog.
They are considered power-breed dogs, in general, that are bigger and stronger than other breeds and can cause a lot more damage than is seen in dog attack cases the majority of the time. Recently, numerous media reports about Pit Bulls mauling people have surfaced.
In February this year, 46-year-old Mlungisi Nketshisa was mauled by his employer's three Pit Bulls in Crystal Park, Benoni. The fatal attack occurred when Nketshisa went to resume his gardening work at his employer’s home. Neighbours tried to intervene, but it was already too late to save him.
These increasing incidents prompted the call for the ban of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed in South Africa. In 2017, the majority (76%–94%) of animal bite wounds in the country were caused by dogs. Now, with the ban looming, the biggest question on everybody’s lips is, who is the villain between the dog and its owner?
Pit Bull owners argue that the ban is uncalled for and not all dogs are savage. They hold the belief that a dog’s behaviour is a reflection of its owner.
“I do not see why a whole breed should be threatened when not all of them are the same. Like any other dog, if they are being brought up to be violent and vicious, then that is all they know. My dog is being brought up with love and affection, so that is all she shows,” said Simone Awvince.
Awvince has had her seven-month-old Pit Bull since it was two weeks old. She said her dog had not attacked anyone but took a vow to put her down should she pose a threat to people.
However, Tebogo Motaung, who supports the Pit Bull ban, said he did not understand why Pit Bull owners had to wait for their dogs to bite someone before they realise that, like any other animal, their dogs can be as dangerous.
“These dogs pose a threat to people and should not be allowed to be bred. The owners are just being stubborn. The sooner they see that these dogs are dangerous, the better,” Motaung said.
Public relations officer of the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA), Inspector Keshvi Nair, said Pit Bull owners had done a great job convincing the public that the problem lay with how owners nurtured their dogs, but that is just the easy way out. She argued that how owners nurture their dogs plays a role to a certain extent, but other factors influence a dog’s behaviour.
“We also need to accept that over and above training, the environment, the owner, genetics etc. plays a role in this as well. For hundreds of years, pit bulls were bred to fight and to be animal aggressive. They were intentionally bred to be more aggressive, have a very low threshold and get aroused easily. For this reason, we have advocated that only people with the relevant experience and expertise should keep these animals,” said Nair.
She explained that what is often forgotten when addressing dog attacks is that people are not the only victims. She said other animals also fall victim to these attacks when they are mauled to death, and there is also suffering on the side of the aggressive pit bulls. Nair said it was unfortunate that currently, there was no legislation to regulate the keeping and breeding of animals.
That is probably the biggest reason people find themselves in situations where they lose their loved ones and pets to dog attacks.
“There is no law prohibiting the breeding of animals for profit, nor is the law that dictates who may keep which breed of dog. It is a ‘free for all', and the animals are the first to suffer because of this.”
Lehanda Rheeder of the Pit Bull Federation of South Africa (PBFSA) echoed Nair's sentiments. She said owners needed to accept that their Pit Bull would probably get to a stage where regardless of how well it was bred and socialised, it would become animal aggressive and need to be split from people and other animals.
Rheeder said dog fighting contributed to Pit Bulls' barbarity in South Africa. And that in the townships, these dogs are also used for security, and dog fighters parade their dogs but have poor handling skills.
“We urge communities to discourage ownership of these dogs. Not only to prevent maulings but also to prevent other kinds of organised crime, such as stolen cars, drugs and weapons. It is also worth noting if you are caught fighting, your assets, such as your car and electronics, are seized. Minors caught fighting are charged and face house arrest. Adults face up to five years in prison. We have seen these sentences in South Africa,” she said.
Rheeder said blaming the dogs is the easy way out. She advised that people stop supporting backyard breeders and rescuers who claim things like it is how you raise the dog that makes it aggressive.
She emphasised that Pit Bulls were not the not type of dog for every household. It takes a certain kind of owner with knowledge of the breed, time and love for the species to keep them in a safe, stable environment.