Untrained dog strikes again, biting toddler

Gasna Isaacs with her one-year-old daughter, Shanoor. Picture: Supplied

Gasna Isaacs with her one-year-old daughter, Shanoor. Picture: Supplied

Published Aug 3, 2021

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A HELPLESS Bonteheuwel mother witnessed an untrained pitbull bite into her one-year-old daughter's leg.

According to the mother, Gasna Isaacs, the same pitbull bit an elderly woman in the community who has now lost her leg and is on life support in hospital.

“The community was very upset and furious about this incident because it had not been the first time the dog attacked someone. The dog was loose and was laying on our stoep until he started biting my mom. My mom picked up my daughter and then after that the dog started to bite my child while my mom was holding her.

“I then called my brother to come help, but then everything got out of hand and while he was trying his best the dog attacked him too.”

“We are left traumatised. Every time my daughter Shanoor hears a dog bark, she cries and that in itself is saddening,” said Isaacs.

Bonteheuwel councillor Angus McKenzie said the attack on community members by the pitbull was extremely tragic and could have been avoided because the owners must be held accountable and liable.

“While the dog has been put down by the SPCA after the matter was reported by myself, it raises more serious issues and concerns as to how dogs are being treated, reared and trained.

“The owners must be held accountable and liable as the conditions this dog was raised in and whether or not the dog was trained is the responsibility of the owner. Owners have to take into consideration the environment in which they have animals and therefore must ensure their animals are correctly handled to avoid these incidents.

“The community is hugely frustrated but more concerning is the little or no response from the SAPS after charges were laid. This speaks to an even greater frustration which further erodes the relationship between SAPS and the community,” said McKenzie.

Cape of Good Hope (CoGH) SPCA spokesperson Belinda Abraham said that although pitbulls were wonderful companions they did come with a great deal of responsibility that a lot of owners failed to understand.

“Dogs bite but power breed owners need to accept their dog is powerful and historically has a genetic predisposition to arouse physiologically very quickly to extreme levels and has a propensity for animal aggression. For this reason, owners must take responsibility for their animal to live safely in society. Responsible pet ownership includes understanding the needs of a specific breed, inherent aggression levels and being able to control the dog at all times.

“The City’s recently formed anti-dog fighting task team has a mandate to tackle dogfighting and deal with canine attacks on people and animals. For immediate action, the public should report free-roaming or aggressive animals by calling 107 or 021 480 7700 (from a landline),” said Abraham.

Weekend Argus

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