The male pit bull that mauled a toddler to death in East London on Wednesday has been euthanized.
Senior Inspector and General Manager of the SPCA in the Metro Andries Venter says the dog will now be tested for rabies.
He says the pit bull was attacked by two other dogs on Saturday and it is suspected that the animal's sudden aggression could have been a result of a rabies transfer.
Venter told Algoa FM News that the dog had to be euthanized as they need to extract brain tissue to do the test which can not be done while the animal is alive.
He says the SPCA removed five dogs in the area following the attack and they have all been euthanized to be tested for rabies.
Venter says if any of the tests come back positive the entire area would have to be attended to by a State veterinarian to assist in vaccinations and other preventative programs to ensure it does not spread any further.
He says there is however a backlog at the state lab and therefore the results could take anywhere from two weeks to three months.
If positive, then rabies would confirm the reason for the attack, but if the test is negative then Police can proceed with a charge of possible culpable homicide or even child neglect against the owners and parents.
On Wednesday the toddler became the third child to be mauled to death by a pit bull this month.
