Information from our legal team  The principle is that the owner of a domestic animal is responsible to ensure that their pets are kept in such a manner that it does not cause a nuisance or danger to surrounding neighbours and members of the public. Pitbull owners, as all owners of domestic animals, must safeguard their premises in order to ensure that the animal cannot gain access to surrounding neighbours and/or the street area. Body Corporates and/or Trustees of Complexes and/or Estates cannot change rules unilaterally and can only do so by following due processes. If an owner was allowed to keep big dogs the status quo should remain. In the light of the media attention given to dog attacks currently and where it was claimed that the Pit Bull breed was to be held responsible people responded with panic and uninformed decisions were taken and attempts were made to enforce these decisions. Dog owners cannot be forced to get rid of there Pit Bulls and if you encounter a situation of this nature kindly contact the following people or organisations for assistance: PBFSA – management@pbfsa.co.za NSPCA- nspca@nspca.co.za

The PBFSA urges all owners and caring members of society to remain calm and not lend their ears to those who will now start fear mongering. As per the article in the Herald, the petition to ban pit bulls has been handed in. What does this mean, well just that, the petition has been submitted. It does NOT mean the breed is banned, it does not mean your dogs can be taken away. it is every citizens right to petition, we live in a democratic country, this also means that this can be countered. Right now there is no reason to react in an illogical manner. Public participation is vital, fill in the survey, from our side we have worked within the law and have been guided by an advocate an attorneys. If you or your dog are threatened the SAPS must get involved. Keep your dogs safe.

As released to the Herald The Pit Bull Federation of South Africa remains firm on its stance that a breed ban will not work and will exacerbate the problem of dog maulings and fatalities in South Africa. Various case studies have proven that breed bans have no affect on the number of attacks by dogs. These studies were done in first world countries with a working justice and law enforcement system. To further our stance, it would be impossible to positively identify a dog as a pit bull without taking DNA and comparing the dogs DNA to an established DNA profile, which we do not have in South Africa. This would lead to discrimination against dogs who may very well have no pit bull in them. The dog mauling crisis we face in South Africa is not unique to South Africa, globally dog attacks on people are not taken seriously by law enforcement and justice systems. Every country has laws pertaining to dog bites and ownership of dogs, yet when tragedy strikes the response from those mandated to enforce these laws are at the very most luke warm. This is further complicated by a media machine that chooses sensation over lives, turning victims into the stars in their own tragedy. Instead of questioning why those in power are not enforcing laws, the media has villainised the dogs and not those solely responsible for the horror inflicted on victims and their families. This needs to stop. Lives should never take back seat to a sensationist story. The PBFSA has identified the problems that lead us to this point. Banning the pit bull will only open the door for a black market trade, dishonest identification of dogs, and for those keeping them for security, the next potentially dangerous dog will take its place. It will never end the problem A broken and dysfunctional law enforcement system whos role players do not know who is tasked to enforce the Animals Matters Amendment Act brush victims off and give those who cause carnage a get out of jail free card. No accountability got us here. So where to from here. Education. We have established that dog owners from all groups in society do not understand the laws, they do not understand basic dog behaviour and body language and the care needed to meet all dogs needs. The PBFSA has partnered up with various professionals to begin educating the public not just on pit bulls but dog ownership We will endeavor to find a viable solution that benefits all in society and empowers dog owners to make responsible choices, that makes society aware of its rights and obligations and that creates a safe world for children and dogs. This problem has never been a dog problem. It has been an accountability and law enforcement problem.

Durban Attack We have been made aware of the attack in Durban, and we are aware that certain media houses have jumped onto the pit bull bandwagon yet again. The SAPS have stated publicly that the breed is in fact unknown. ( https://www.facebook.com/126000862453/posts/10160570072977454/) Should you encounter any media report stating it was a pit bull, we ask you to screenshot the article with the journalists name, along with a screenshot to the link above, and then lodge a formal complaint at the Press Council ( details in the photo below). There is no longer place for sensationalist tabloid reporting that unleashes mayhem on society. The media have a duty to report accurately and fairly, and it is the duty and responsibility of the journalist to report facts. Dog bites are not taken seriously because the victims story becomes clickbait, and the real issues get lost along the way. No more.