Cape Town - A Kuils River woman who received horrific injuries after being attacked by a pit bull on Thursday afternoon, is receiving treatment.
Members of a medical response team from security firm Titanium Securitas responded to the call about the attack in Penhill Estate and said they had found the woman in a serious condition.
“Our medical team found the patient had been bitten multiple times all over her body and unfortunately sustained gruesome injuries including her skin being ripped off her head,” it said.
The team stabilised the patient on the scene after administering Advanced Life Support Intervention before taking her to a nearby Hospital for further urgent care.
Reached for comment, police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said the matter had not been reported to Kleinvlei SAPS and they had no record of the incident.
Cape of Good Hope SPCA spokesperson Marisol Gutierrez said: “It is sad indeed to hear of this incident. The SPCA Inspectorate was not made aware of it.”
There has been widespread media coverage recently on dog attacks against humans, with pit bull terriers being blamed for many, but not all the attacks.
Following another vicious dog attack last month, the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation put out a petition calling for a ban on pit bulls as domestic pets and said it was engaging with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) on the issue.
The petition wants all pit bulls to be castrated/sterilised which would prevent the current rate of uncontrolled breeding.
The petition also calls for stronger regulations for the keeping of pit bulls (and other power-breed animals) requiring owners to have permits to keep such animals.
The NSPCA, whose mandate is the prevention of cruelty to animals and promoting good animal care, responded by saying that while at first glance, the petition may have appeared to be outrageous, especially to pit bull owners, the petition actually advocated for the protection of people and responsible pet ownership.
They said the petition should not result in the demonising of pit bulls, but rather finding a humane and cohesive way forward to protect humans and animals that become victims of attacks.
They said they remained committed to the protection of all animals against any cruelty and suffering.
“Too often, pit bulls are acquired by irresponsible people to portray an image of ‘power’, for dog fighting, breeding and/ or for security purposes.
“These dogs are incited and trained to become aggressive, and very quickly the animal becomes high risk.
“If you are in possession of an aggressive animal, by law, you are compelled to ensure that the animal is kept within the confines of your property and in a manner that meets the needs of the animals in terms of the Animals Protection Act and the Five Freedoms.”