Durban - An Eastern Cape woman said she had to put her fingers in her dog's nose to stop his attack on a toddler.
On Wednesday, a one-year-old child was attacked by a pit bull in Cambridge.
Speaking to eNCA, Noleen Fourie said the toddler and his mother were seated outside Fourie's home when the attack occurred.
"We were sitting outside enjoying the sun and she was busy feeding him cake and the dogs on the other side started to bark. My dog couldn't see the other dogs but he could hear them," Fourie said.
She said her dog then dragged the child to the gate.
"I ran there. I jumped on him and stuck my fingers up his nose and he let the child go. But he had already bitten the child in the neck," Fourie said.
She said the child had been to her house at least 10 times before and previously when the toddler would approach the dog, it would move away.
Fourie said while her dog had never been aggressive towards people before, it has killed two other dogs on a farm after they came onto her property.
The SPCA in the area confirmed that the dog has since been put down.
It is unclear if the woman has been charged. Police spokesperson, Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana, said an inquest has been opened.
In the Free State, an owner was charged after his dog mauled a child. He has since been released on bail.
The recent attacks have led to petitions, unions and some political parties calling on the government to implement legalisation around the ownership of power breeds.
The National Council of SPCAs expressed concern at the number of dogs surrendered to its sites around the country.
"The SPCA does not receive funding from the government. In addition to the vital work that SPCAs are already providing to their communities on limited resources, we are faced with dealing with this issue alone as well," the NSPCA said in a statement.
"The NSPCA has formally addressed the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Land Reform to enquire what their plan and strategy to address this national issue is, given that this is their responsibility," NSPCA public relations officer, Keshvi Nair, said.
She said there is an urgent need for government intervention with regard to this issue, failing which humans and animals could be harmed on an even greater scale.
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