Vicious pack of dogs attack pensioner and teen

A PENSIONER and a young schoolgirl were viciously attacked by a pack of dogs in Horton Road, near Port Alfred High School, recently, landing them both in hospital.

The first attack occurred on December 5 at around 6.15pm, when Settlers Park resident Desmond Wright's leisurely late afternoon stroll turned into a nightmare as he was charged and surrounded by a pack of dogs that proceeded to attack him, tearing at his legs and arms. One dog managed to bite him across his back.

"I cannot remember if it was four or five dogs,” said Wright. "Due to the influence of my father when I was a boy, I remained perfectly calm and did not get scared when they attacked. I think that may have saved my life. Still, I wish I'd have had a stick.”

Bloody and weakened after the attack, Wright made his way to his friend's house at nearby Sunset Park, Richard Francis.

"I couldn't believe he had managed to beat the dogs off,” said Francis, who immediately drove his friend to the Port Alfred hospital to enable his wounds to be treated.

"The owner of the dogs, who identified himself to us as an off-duty policeman, offered to pay for all medical expenses but refused to sign a hastily prepared statement we had written on a piece of paper admitting the dogs were his,” said Francis.

Later, after Wright's injuries had been treated and he was in the Settlers Park Frail Care Centre, he received a visit from Captain Hansie Slabbert of the Port Alfred police accompanied by Mike Millard of MultiSecurity who informed him of his right to press charges should he choose to do so.

"I don't want to take any action at this point,” said Wright, "but they told me I could do this later if I wanted to.”

The following Saturday (December 8) at around 7pm a young pupil of Port Alfred High School  Catherine Bakaqana, was walking with her mother in the same area when five dogs attacked her.  She too was rushed to Port Alfred Hospital where she spent some time recuperating.

The Port Alfred police issued a statement regarding a dog attack on a man and a woman but, when asked for clarification, media liaison officer Lieutenant Luvuyo Mjekula responded that the police were unable to confirm the identity of the dogs' owner as no charges had been laid by any party.

He did confirm, however, that the animals did not belong to the police but were privately owned.

Mjekula also confirmed the police were sent to both victims and to inform them of their right to press charges against the dogs' owner.

Steve Venter, chairman of the Port Alfred SPCA, confirmed that five dogs, described as a "canine cross”, were brought to their offices shortly after the second attack to be euthanized as their owner "could not control them”.

- ROB KNOWLES