Durban - Neighbours have told how they watched helplessly, unable to prevent the killing of a 32-year-old woman who was “almost ripped apart” by her father’s pet dogs in Pietermaritzburg.
Mpho Mokoena was attacked by two adult Rottweilers and a bull mastiff in her backyard in Braithwaite Road, Montrose, just after 11am on Monday.
ER24’s Russel Meiring said paramedics were unable to immediately come to Mokoena’s aid as the dogs refused to move away from her bloodied body.
“Efforts were made in removing the dogs as well as chasing them away. Unfortunately, all of these efforts proved unsuccessful and two of the three dogs had to be put down by the police in order to get her (Mokoena) medical assistance,” he said.
Emergency personnel eventually climbed over the palisade fence to help her, but she had already died from extensive injuries.
Neighbours on Monday told of their shock at the incident, and described the dogs as “aggressive and troublesome”.
Helen Campbell, who spoke to the Daily News, said she had been watching television at her home when she heard a woman’s “piercing screams”.
“I ran out and saw people gathered at the gate. When I got there I saw these dogs pulling at Mpho’s flesh. Her clothes were shredded and she was bleeding all over. I could see that her head and neck were almost ripped apart. The worst part was being so helpless. Somebody tried throwing stones and sticks at the dogs to stop them but they just became more aggressive. It is something that will haunt me for the rest of my life,” the shaken Campbell said.
One neighbour, who declined to be named, revealed that the dogs had killed another dog in the area recently, and had also attacked their owner’s gardener a few weeks before Monday’s tragedy.
“These were not pets, they were just dangerous and volatile,” the neighbour said.
It was neighbours who alerted emergency services and police to the gruesome scene.
It is believed that Mokoena was home alone at the time of the attack. She lived at the house with her parents and 3-year-old son. He was at creche when the incident occurred.
According to a police official who attended the scene, they had at first tried to drug the dogs with meat laced with sedatives to try to calm them so they could get to Mokoena.
However, he said the dogs were in a “hyped-up” state and looked “wild-eyed and ready to attack anyone and anything”.
The two Rottweilers were shot when they approached the fence to attack the police.
The bull mastiff was later also put down on the instructions of Mokoena’s father.
Mokoena’s family was too distraught to speak to the Daily News.
An inquest docket has been opened at the Townhill police station.
Daily News