Dogs maul their Mitchells Plain owner to death

Calls for stricter controls on dangerous dogs have reignited after a woman in Michells Plain was tragically mauled to death by her dogs on 3 February.

Police confirmed that SAPS were called to a property following a complaint about a dog attack.

Officers were informed that the victim had been attacked by her own two dogs, believed to be pitbulls, in her backyard.

The victim was identified as 44-year-old Faziela Swartz, who later died in the hospital as a result of injuries sustained in the attack.

Belinda Abraham of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA explained that incidents like this are often preventable and that any dog can become aggressive under certain circumstances.

Factors such as genetics, breeding, upbringing, training, and socialisation play a big role in shaping a dog’s behaviour.

She added that the informal breeding of powerful dogs without the necessary expertise continues to have dire consequences.

“A lot of the problem is how people are coming to own pit bulls. There is far too much informal breeding where people are purposefully breeding these dogs for aggression.”

Stanley Jacobs, a former powerbreed owner, said that, unfortunately, many dogs are set up for failure from the outset.

“Over the years, many people want a pitbull, and the wrong people got these breeds in their hands. This stopped me from owning this breed, because it is getting a bad reputation.

“Pitbulls were never bred to be guard dogs. They were bred to be animal aggressive, so you can’t really train genetics, it's in the dog's genes.”

Abraham stressed the importance of responsible dog ownership, which includes proper, positive reinforcement training and socialisation.

She suggested that a register for pitbull owners and stricter controls over breeding would be a more effective approach than breed-specific legislation.

“With that great power comes great responsibility. You need to know that you are 100% responsible. You need to be able to know and understand the needs of the breed and to cater for those to prevent incidents like this.”

To listen to Quintas and Jacobs in conversation with CapeTalk’s Lester Kiewit, use the audio player below: