A three-year-old boy identified as Keketso Saule, has been mauled to death by two pit bulls in a neighbour's yard in Hennenman in the Free State

A three-year-old boy identified as Keketso Saule, has been mauled to death by two pit bulls in a neighbour's yard in Hennenman in the Free State, South Africa,

The boy was playing with other children at a house in Sekoti Mpate Phomolong at around 08:15 on Sunday, November 20, 2022, when he was attacked by the two dogs, said Free State police spokesperson, Captain Stephen Thakeng.

"These dogs bit him until he died in the yard. The angry residents wanted to kill both dogs and attack the owner of these two pit bulls, Members of Welkom Public Order Policing were summoned to the scene and removed the owner to a safe place," he said.

The mob turned on SPCA staff who responded to the

incident, said Virginia SPCA's Ernest Khakhau.

"We had to vacate the place because we were attacked. We left one dog there. The other dog had managed to escape, and we removed that dog, which has been euthanised," Khakhau said.

"We can confirm that the staff of SPCA was attacked by

angry residents, but nobody got injured. Members of

Welkom Public Order Policing and Hennenman SAPS

managed to rescue them,"

He added that locals attacked the dog that was left behind, hitting it with garden spades and stones before setting the animal alight.

The latest attack comes days after the funeral of an 8-year-old boy in Mangaung, who was mauled to death by a neighbour's pit bull last week Saturday.

The dog mauled him at his parents' home in Bloemfontein,

when it managed to break through a palisade fence. The

dog dragged him by his throat, killing him,

Police have opened an inquest case for investigation following the latest attack, added Thakeng.

An inquest docket has been registered for further investigation.