Floyd Metsileng has been mauled to death by a pit bull.
- A pit bull mauled a 39-year-old man in a tavern early Saturday morning.
- It is understood that the tavern owner had closed up for the night and released his dogs onto the property.
- Police say a customer apparently returned to the tavern and was attacked.
A pit bull bludgeoned a 39-year-old man to death early Saturday morning in Mogwase, near Rustenburg in the northwest.
Police spokeswoman Lt. Col. Amanda Funani said Floyd Metsileng was a patron of the tavern.
“When the time came to close the tavern, the owner did so. He allegedly alerted people to leave, closed [the tavern] and left the premises. It is alleged that the owner released the dogs from him, as he normally does, after closing [the tavern],” she said.
Metsileng was alleged to have returned to the tavern, Funani said.
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“He climbed on the wall and a dog [a pit bull] attacked him. The ambulance and the police were called. The man was certified dead at the scene. We registered an investigation. The police are still investigating,” he said.
She had no further details at this stage.
The Rustenburg Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said that when they arrived on scene, the pitbulls’ owner turned over both dogs to the organization.
NSPCA Special Investigations Unit spokesman Nazareth Appalsamy confirmed to News24 that two dogs have since been euthanized.
“It is unfortunate that we have to deal with another pit bull mutilation incident. SPCA policy is that we do not rehom aggressive animals, so we had no choice but to euthanize the dogs,” Appalsamy said.
According to the organization, the attack was caught on camera as the tavern had CCTV installed.
“While there are more and more dog attacks, we encourage victims and family members of victims to report such attacks.” [dog] attacks on their nearest police station,” Appalsamy added.
The NSPCA said they are advising dog owners to take extra care around their animals over the festive period so that further dog attacks can be prevented.
This is the latest in a series of fatal pit bull attacks across the country.
Earlier this week, News24 reported that a 37-year-old mother was mauled to death by three pit bulls in the small coastal town of Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape.
His body was found on the side of a road.
The Sizwe Kupelo Foundation started a petition to ban pit bulls and has since gained more than 130,000 signatures.
