Three people mauled, pet dog killed in attack by pitbulls

Four people were injured, three of them seriously, and a pet dog was killed in a horrific attack by a pair of pitbulls in Jeffreys Bay.

The pitbulls escaped from a property in Kabeljous Road and killed a miniature Yorkshire terrier before turning on its 67-year-old owner and three people who came to their aid.

Peet Venter, a resident in the cul de sac at the northern end of the town, said the incident occurred at about 10.30am on Monday.

“The owner of the [two] terriers was crossing an open erf adjacent to the house where the pitbulls are when they got out,” Venter said.

“While trying to get them away from her dogs, she was bitten on the arms, shoulder and face. Her lip was torn.”

The woman’s screams alerted him and two other neighbours, who rushed outside.

“[One of the neighbours], a woman, was subsequently also bitten. One of the pitbulls broke her arm with its jaws.”

The other neighbour, Evan Drennan, 71, had waded into the thick of things and was trying to separate the terriers and their owner from the pitbulls when they went for him, Venter said.

“They mauled his arms and hands, face, all over.

“I’ve seen a few dog fights before but I’ve never seen a person being bitten like that. It was the worst I’ve ever seen.”

Venter was slightly injured but managed to pull the Yorkies’ owner to safety.

The pitbulls had, meanwhile, let go of Drennan and were savaging the one halfdead terrier, allowing him to get clear.

“The dogs then started moving away but they were in a very unpredictable state and I was worried they were going to attack someone else.

“So four of us followed them and managed to chase them back into their property.”

By that time, an ambulance, police, SMHart Security and SPCA officials were on scene.

The two women were taken to hospital in Port Elizabeth and Drennan was rushed to hospital in Humansdorp.

Venter said the owner of the pitbulls, a young woman, arrived later, and was shocked and horrified when confronted with what her dogs had done.

“Everyone was traumatised,” he said.

Drennan’s wife, Margaret, said her husband’s wounds were severe and the biggest concern was infection.

“So they had to scrub them clean and to do that they put him under anaesthetic.”

She said it was not their first encounter with the pitbulls.

“About three weeks ago, I was walking with my German Shepherd when they attacked us,” she said.

“It sends cold shivers down my spine when I think of it and when I see what happened today. The only thing that saved us that day was that my dog is much bigger than those little Yorkies.”

Her dog was, nevertheless, injured and had to be treated at the vet.

The Drennans took the bill to the pitbulls’ owner but have not yet received any payment.

SPCA trainee inspector Melanie Botha said they had been called to the scene by the security company and had removed the dogs.

The woman owner had subsequently visited the SPCA pound, she said.

“The owner of the dogs works out of town, but she requested that we put the dogs down and signed a form giving us permission to do that. So the dogs will be put to sleep.”

Botha said she could not reveal the owner’s name.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Majola Nkohli said police had opened a case of contravention of the Animal Matters Amendment Act related to “negligently allowing an animal to cause injury to another person”.