Pit bull kills farm worker
A pit bull has been euthanised after a vicious attack that left a farm worker dead, the second fatal dog attack in the Garden Route in recent weeks.
Plettenberg Bay police confirmed this week that a man was killed during the attack at Jakkalskraal in Kranshoek on the outskirts of town.
Police spokesperson Captain Marlene Pieterse said the 58-year-old man, Dawid Loff, had reported for duty at his employer’s farm on Tuesday, August 1, when the incident occurred.
“He entered the owner’s yard at about 09:00 where he was busy building a house. It is believed that the dog was tied up on the property when he arrived,” Pieterse said.
The dog, however, managed to break loose from its chains and attack the worker, she said.
“He sustained open wounds to his neck and scratch marks on his back. He died on the scene.”
Pieterse said KwaNokuthula police has opened an inquest docket and is investigating the matter.
Family of the man, who were still too shocked to speak about the incident, did say that they believed it had not been the first time the dog had killed, claiming it had attacked several cows in recent months too.
Plettenberg Bay Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) inspector Tracy van der Byl confirmed that the owner of the dog brought the animal to a vet following the attack to have it euthanised. She said the owner did so of his own accord.
CONCORDIA ATTACK
In the July 27 edition of the Knysna-Plett Herald (KPH) it was reported that 55-yearold Nonzwakazi Martens (not Matiwane as previously stated) was collecting wood in the bushes near her home in Concordia on June 29 when she was bitten by dogs.
According to Knysna police spokesperson Sergeant Chris Spies, Martens sustained multiple injuries and was transported to a hospital in Knysna by ambulance.
“The victim was transferred to George where she later died, and a postmortem to determine the cause of death was conducted,” he added.
Since publishing the story, new information was brought to KPH by a member of Martens’ family.
Cynthia Martens, the deceased’s sister, said that concerned members of the community had approached the person who they thought to be the owner of the dogs, after which this person admitted to owning the guilty dogs and that a payment towards Marten’s funeral would be made.
This payment was never made, and according to the deceased’s sister, the owner of the dogs has now also retracted his initial statement that his dogs were involved.
Spies said that members of the Knysna police attended a meeting with members of the community regarding the alleged incident.
INVESTIGATION ONGOING
“Information received from the community was followed-up and forms part of the investigation. The investigation into this matter has not been concluded yet. Some of the questions raised (from KPH) forms part of the investigation and cannot be dealt with through the media,” he said.
Knysna Animal Welfare Society manager Annelien Kitley also confirmed that no dogs have been sent to them to be euthanised in the last month, which should have been the case in an incident like this.
“In a case such as this, though, the owner of the attacking dog is to be held responsible and charged. If a dog is not tied up and ends up attacking another dog or a person the owner is responsible,” she said, adding that a dog’s aggression is very much dependent on its owner.
“It is not the dog itself that is aggressive or not, it is the way the owner treats them and raises them that determines that,” she said.
Her advice to avoid raising an aggressive dog was plain and simple: make sure where you are getting your dog from as inbreeding or sickness could have an influence on it, train your dog properly, and give it lots of love.
As soon as KPH has more information on this case it will be released to the public.
“He sustained open wounds to his neck and scratch marks on his back. He died on the scene.”