Bloemfontein incident shows pit bulls are lethal weapons

Another month, another horrific killing of a human being by what are probably the most dangerous of all domestic pets – pit bull dogs.

Four of the dogs savaged a 28-year-old woman to death in Bloemfontein, which is horrific enough in itself, but the real tragedy is that the animals were owned by her boyfriend, who has since been arrested.

The immediate thoughts which spring to mind are: who needs four pit bulls?

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And, how, if she was the owner’s girlfriend, did they turn on her?

The answer to the first is that many owners of these animals do so out of some macho need to look tough.

The second is that pit bulls are pack animals and only subservient to the one they believe is the alpha male… generally the owner.

Anyone else can be perceived as a threat, even close family members. And therein lies the real problem: pit bulls were bred for dog fighting.

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They do not back down. When they attack, they want to kill. We hear the argument that it is not the dog’s fault.

That, though, doesn’t change the fact they are lethal weapons. We must have the debate on whether they should be banned – and how to remove them safely from society.