Durban - A friendship that lasted 20 years turned sour after a Pietermaritzburg man insisted his former fishing buddy put down his vicious pit bull terriers.
Farouk Mohamed, 74, was recently mauled by the dogs and has since been unable to use his left hand.
His wants the two dogs to be euthanised, saying one had also attacked their owner’s mother last week.
Abdullah Dawood, the owner of the pit bulls, said while he felt bad for his old friend, his call was “unfair”.
“What can I do? I never had dogs before this,” he told POST. “These dogs are here to protect us. Our area isn’t that safe, so we need them. What justice are you going to get by putting the dogs down? How will it benefit him if they are put down?”
Mohamed, an interior designer, said he was attacked on July 30 when he had gone to Dawood’s house to ask about their fishing trip that weekend.
“Normally I would walk in when the gate was open because it would mean the dogs were tied in the back. So I saw the gate unlocked and went inside. Next thing I saw two dogs on either side of me and the male dog jumped straight for my neck. Luckily I was sharp. I put my hands up and I had a thick jacket on, but I fell to the ground and the dog went for my arm,” he said.
Mohamed said he screamed for help for what felt like 10 minutes until Dawood’s son came to his rescue and took the dogs away. They also took him to hospital.
Picture: Supplied
“When we got to the hospital, I had to have an emergency operation on my left arm. I even needed a rabies injection because we didn’t have the dogs’ vaccination sheet,” he said.
“I have little feeling in my arm and can’t use it, which frustrates me because I can’t do my work with one hand. I can’t even lay material and cut it or put on a buttoned shirt because I only have one good hand.”
He said he could not open a case at the police station because he was told he had been “trespassing” when attacked.
But he insists Dawood’s dogs be put down to ensure they do not attack anyone else.
“The dogs attack everyone. They attacked me, three other people and even Dawood’s mother. They are vicious and need to be put down.”
Mohamed said his doctor told him that if his arm did not improve within six months, he might need to be operated on again. He said that since the attack, he had battled to sleep and had nightmares of the pit bulls attacking him.
Dawood described the attack as an unfortunate incident that resulted in him losing a great friend.
“Our dogs are secluded in the back yard. We let them out at night and when we feed them. That day it was their feeding time and someone had just come into the driveway, so the gate was not locked. I don’t know why Farouk used the gate. He usually comes through the front door. Fortunately, my son was at home to stop the dogs,” he said.
Dawood said he was keeping his distance until things were sorted out.
“Everyone is upset now and you don’t go into the lion’s den when it is angry. I see him at the mosque now and again, but I feel terrible that this incident has soured our relationship.”
Asked whether one of his dogs had attacked his mother, Dawood admitted she had been bitten on the hand last week.