The Rottweilers, who the couple said were off their leashes, attacked as pack and bit Tess several times on her stomach and upper thigh. She sustained two deep bite wounds and three smaller wounds to her belly.
Despite several frantic attempts by Dave, who kicked the dogs several times and hit them with a chuckit (dog ball throwing stick), the three dogs did not let up in their frenetic attack which lasted for 30 seconds.
The incident occurred on Umhlanga Beach, between Bronze Beach and the lagoon.
“I’d seen the woman and her three Rottweilers before, normally one on a lead with the other two roaming. And we never had a problem. But on Tuesday I could see all three of them off the leash approaching Tess and I.
“Suddenly they took off as a pack and they were on her in an instant. She was howling and she went on to her back in a submissive position but the Rottweilers kept attacking. I was screaming at the owner to control her dogs but she did nothing to help,” Dave said.
The local retiree broke the plastic chuckit stick on the dogs in trying to get them off Tess. He also kicked the dogs several times but to no avail.
“Tess then took off down the beach, with one of the Rottweilers in pursuit, so I chased after her and didn’t have the time to find out who the woman was. She eventually outran the attacking dog who went back to the owner, who continued her walk along the beach.
“When I reached Tess, she had sustained puncture wounds to her stomach and thigh. She’s been to the vet three times who have cleaned out the wounds and put her on an antibiotic,” he said.
Anne was on the promenade at the time did not witness her dog being attacked. She said however that she was glad that Tess wasn’t fatally injured, but said she wanted to warn other dog owners of the danger posed by the Rottweilers.
“Our concern then was to get her to the vet as soon as possible, but we have laid complaints with UIP and asked the lifeguards to log the incident. We have subsequently discovered that there have been at least two other incidents involving those dogs and the owner has already been warned by Ezemvelo to keep them on a lead. She ignores everyone.
“If Tess were a smaller dog, she would be dead. We take her for a walk along the beach everyday and she’s had to stay inside for the past few days,” Anne said.
(Northglen News - Oct 20, 2014)
