Birdswood residents up in arms over ferocious dog
The dog has bitten two people in the past two months
NINE weeks after having been badly bitten by a ferocious dog, a Birdswood woman remains in excrutiating pain, having to receive medical treatment on a weekly basis for her deep wound, which haS turned septic.
And the dog that attacked her and her seven-year-old daughter when they were walking down Sand Plover Street, on Tuesday attacked and bit another person, which has raised questions by residents as to the future of the dog and why the municipality did not step in to remove the animal after the first incident.
Nine weeks ago the woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, was badly bitten when she stood between the dog and her daughter when the animal charged them after escaping from a property.
‘Had I not protected my daughter, the dog may well have bitten her and, judging by the size of my wound and amount of blood I lost, I hate to imagine how badly she would have been injured.
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‘I was lying on the ground in a large pool of blood until someone eventually came to help me.’
Once the owner of the dog was called to the scene, he took her to hospital and covered the initial cost of treatment.
However, her subsequent battle against sepsis has forced the woman, who has no medical aid, to pay for doctors’ consultations and medication in her ongoing treatment.
‘It has been nine weeks since I was bitten and on Tuesday the doctor said it would be about another six weeks before the infection would be completely gone and the wound can start to heal.’
While much of her wound is open, a large part of it is underneath the skin, into the muscle.
The infection has also affected her mouth, leaving her with no option but to have numerous teeth pulled.
She has opened a case at Richards Bay SAPS, but said she has not received any updates.
Richards Bay SAPS Communications Officer, Captain Debbie Ferreira, confirmed that a case of ‘keeping a ferocious animal on a residential property’ has been opened and detectives are investigating.
City of uMhlathuze by-law enforcers were on the scene after Tuesday’s incident scene, but at the time of going to print, a statement from the municipality had not been received.
Richards Bay SPCA confirmed that, as this was not a case of animal cruelty, they cannot intervene or remove the animal.
The ZO has received unconfirmed reports that the dog was removed, but not by authorities.
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