Cape Town - The owner of the pitbull who attacked a mentally challenged teen, ripping off his ear, insists his dog is “a harmless family pet”.
Nazeem Moyce of Ruyterwacht says the only reason Sheeba bit the 17-year-old boy at all, was because the dog had seen him make his two-year-old son frightened.
The teen had been walking on the pavement in Jan van Riebeeck Avenue and played with the toddler at their open gate when Sheeba charged at him.
Moyce, a mechanic, says he was busy working under a car in the road when he heard shouting.
When he came out, he saw the boy bleeding and told his dog to go inside the yard.
He says a neighbour told him the boy had clapped his hands and shouted “ba!” at his son, and he says Sheeba thought this was a threat and attacked.
'Doesn't attack': Owner says pit bull Sheeba wanted to protect his son
When the Daily Voice visited the family on Thursday, the dog showed no signs of aggression.
“I am really sorry that the boy was hurt and I feel really bad, but Sheeba thought he was hurting my son,” says Moyce.
“It’s what happens in a family. Siblings protect each other.
"When I saw what had happened, I immediately told her to go inside. She listened.
“I did not have to close the gate because she does not attack people.”
Aware
He says he is aware of the case opened at the police station and officers had been to his home.
“They explained a case was opened and said the dog would have to be taken away, but I am not letting her go without a fight,” says Moyce.
“She is part of my family and the most timid girl. My son pulls and tugs her around by the tail and she just licks him. My dog is not vicious, she only wanted to protect my boy.”
On Saturday, Annemarie Coetzee had been walking home with her two sons, when her eldest, who she says has the mentality of a four-year-old, started to play with a little boy in front of Moyce’s house.
Annemarie says her son is still in a lot of pain, but the reattachment had been successful.
“I don’t want the dog killed or anything, but the owner must take responsibility. The dog attacked my son and needs to go for training. The owner must pay a fine as well,” she says.
The SPCA said the incident needs to be reported to Law Enforcement “to facilitate the removal of the dog from what appears to be a very irresponsible pet owner”.
On Thursday Wayne Dyason of City Law Enforcement says the matter is “currently under investigation”.