Australia: Deadly South African Boerboel that left a 10-year-old girl fighting for life in hospital with wounds to her head, neck and groin is put down after savage attack

AUSTRALIA -- A family's deadly dog which mauled a 10-year-old girl has been put down after a savage attack left the girl fighting for her life.

Two unregistered dogs were seized by council officers after the girl was left with shocking injuries from her own pet in the Melbourne suburb of Berwick on Sunday.

In a statement on Monday evening, the City of Casey Council confirmed a South African Boerboel had been 'destroyed' with the owner's permission.

The council said: 'The dog believed to be responsible for the attack has been identified as a South African Boerboel, while the second dog has been identified as a Bull Mastiff. Neither dogs were registered with the City of Casey.'

The council on Monday revealed they have previously issued four infringements to the dogs' owner.

Officers were called to the same home in December after the family's other dog, a Bull Mastiff, acted aggressively towards a passer-by.

But the incident wasn't considered severe enough to seize the dog from its owners, who were slapped with a fine.

The council said the previous infringements imposed on the family were for biting a person, the dog being 'at large' at night and failing to register two dogs.

Earlier, hero neighbors described the moment they saved the girl who was 'thrown around like a rag doll' as she was viciously mauled by her own dog.

 

 

 

Dr Liz Walker, Chief Executive of the RSPCA, described the attack as a 'tragic and devastating event', but urged the family to consider having the dog euthanized.

'This is a discussion for the family and the council. But It would have to be something they would seriously consider,' Dr Walker told the broadcaster.

The girl remains in hospital and is lucky to be alive, according to neighbors who helped saved her.

Jimmy Baird was at home watching television with his wife when they heard screaming from a nearby house.

'A young girl came out saying her sister was being attacked by the dog,' he said.

Mr Baird and another neighbor ran to the home where they found the terrified girl banging on a door trying to get away from the dog.

'We tried to get the door open. As I opened the door, this massive head was coming through the door frothing at the mouth. It was obviously going to go us,' Mr Baird told Nine Network on Monday.

The men went around to the side of the house and distracted the dog, allowing the girl to escape.

'I'm glad we were there because the young girl probably wouldn't have survived,' Mr Baird said.

Another neighbor told 3AW their mother and their mother's boyfriend were at the gym when the dog attacked.

The neighbors said the mother seemed more concerned about her pets than her daughters.

"Not once was there, 'Where's my daughter? How is she?' It was just... [about] the dogs", said one neighbor.

 

 

She was covered in dirt, leaves, blood, yeah, just in shock

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said dog owners need to take responsibility for their animals.

'If you own an animal then it is your primary responsibility to make sure that you have control of that animal and that it doesn't pose a risk to others,' Andrews said.

Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the matter would be handled by the local council but added the incident served as a reminder for people to keep control of their dogs.

'Whether they're in your backyard or out on the street, it doesn't absolve your responsibility of keeping your animals under control,' Mr Ashton said.

Note: Neither of these Boerboels attacked the little girl, but
I'm posting so you get an idea how big these dogs are.

(Daily Mail - March 5, 2018)

South Africa: Elderly man has "lost half his face; his eye, ear nose and mouth were all bitten off" by neighbor's Pit Bulls; his wife and daughter also attacked

SOUTH AFRICA -- An Albers-ville, Port Shepstone, father is in a critical condition and his wife and daughter are recovering from being mauled by three dogs in the driveway of their Pelican Drive home.

Appal Naidoo, 82, underwent reconstructive surgery and is in the trauma unit of the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital.

They were mauled two weeks ago after a neighbor’s two pit bull dogs and a boerboel mix attacked, having jumped over a fence to roam the street.

His daughter Shanda, 48, and wife Kanna, 79, heard him scream and ran out to help. They were also severely injured, with Shanda bitten 24 times. Both were discharged from hospital last Saturday.

Another daughter, Lalitha Sadasivah, said her father was a well-known florist in Port Shepstone.

“He normally starts his day early and was busy with his morning routine between 4am and 5am. He’s in the habit of cleaning the yard after waking up and was doing this when attacked,” said Sadasivah.

She said it was heart-breaking that her elderly parents and sister had to suffer such an experience.

“His face was disfigured because of the attack. He had to undergo several operations. He had a broken jaw, broken limbs and many other injuries. The right side of his nose was bitten off,” said a distraught Sadasivah.

She said her mother and sister had both been psychologically affected and the family was praying for a speedy recovery.

One of the dogs involved int he attack

She said her family had lived in the area for 40 years and had good relations with the community.

“Some people who had been on their way to work that morning stopped to help when my family was attacked. We would like to thank them for their assistance,” she said.

The family’s elderly dog tried to protect them during the attack, resulting in the dog having to be euthanased by the local SPCA.

She said the dogs were taken away by the local SPCA and she hoped all dog owners would learn from this.

“Dog owners need to be more responsible, especially when they have dogs like pit bulls. It could happen to anyone and as there is a school nearby something could have happened to children walking home.

“Given this ordeal, we urge dog owners to please be more responsible. We wouldn’t want anyone to have to go through what we did,” said Sadasivah.

Note: The original story said it was 2 Pit Bulls and a South African Boerboel mix. Now they're saying it was 2 Pit Bulls and a Dalmatian.

UPDATE:
The Albersville man who was mauled in a vicious attack by two Pit bulls and a Dalmatian on Wednesday is awaiting surgery.

A reliable source has indicated that Mr Appal Naidoo has “lost half his face; his eye, ear, nose and mouth were all bitten off” in the savage attack.

The doctors at Albert Luthuli have cleaned up his wounds and placed him on a ventilator. “They want his organs to rest before the surgery,” the source added. “The doctors are going to try to take skin from his leg to graft on his face. His arm was also badly damaged.”

Kanna is said to be out of surgery and is recovering. Shanda had to go back into surgery as her wounds were more severe than initially thought.

(Sunday Tribune - January 12, 2018)

(September 2017) South Africa: Toddler receives 70 stitches after attack by Boerboel

SOUTH AFRICA -- A two-year-old toddler is being treated at Netcare Montana Hospital after she was attacked by a dog in Brits.

It is alleged the toddler, Charlaine Guarini, who will turn three on Friday, was attacked by a Boerboel on Monday, Rekord North reported.

The dog pushed Guarini to the ground and grabbed her by her face.

She was rushed to the provincial hospital in Brits, where after she was transported to hospital.

She received 70 stitches.

Guarini was treated at the hospital and had been released on Thursday.

Note: Neither of these Boerboels attacked the little girl, but

I'm posting so you get an idea how giant these dogs are.

(Citizen.co.za - Sept 15, 2017)

North Carolina: Jane Egle, 59, mauled to death by her Boerboel (South African Mastiff)

NORTH CAROLINA -- A North Carolina woman was attacked and killed by her 'beloved' dog inside her home on Monday.

Jane Egle, 59, was found dead by Buncombe County deputies who responded to a 911 call shortly after 5pm about an aggressive dog.

 

Authorities say the dog, a Boerboel (also known as the South African Mastiff), would not let rescue workers inside the home located near Bent Creek Forest.

 

Egle, who was believed to have bred Boerboels, was found unconscious with what appeared to be animal bites, police said.

Egle's LinkedIn account says: Owner Jane Egle, "Beloved Boerboels". 
October 2012 – Present (4 years 8 months) Asheville, North Carolina Area. 
Breeding and Training Boerboels (South African Mastiffs)

 

 

Deputies told the Citizen-Times that the Boerboel was killed after it wouldn't allow anyone inside.

'After multiple attempts, the dog was finally immobilized and subdued, and deputies were able to remove the dog from the residence,' Natalie Bailey, the Sheriff's Office spokeswoman told the Citizen-Times.

Investigators said they spoke with a relative at the residence and learned the dog had a history of aggressive behavior.

As of Friday, investigators said Egle's exact cause of death had not been determined.

Egle's Facebook and Instagram page shows several photos of Boerboel puppies and adults, whom she called her 'beloved' animals.

In some of the photos, Egle's three children are petting and playing with the dogs.

She also had a website that was developed in 2016 to advertise a litter of Boerboel puppies.

The county's Animal Services Division said seven other dogs were found at the residence and taken to the Asheville Humane Society after the incident.

Six dogs were Boerboels, and one dog was a Great Pyrenees.

Meredith Riddick, communications manager for the humane society, told the Citizen-Times that two behavior analysts evaluated the Boerboels and determined they cannot be released to the community.

The dogs are set to be euthanized, but as of Friday the society hadn't set a date.

'They are dangerous and we don't want to put our staff at risk, so we are still determining the best way to do that,' she said.

Riddick said the Great Pyrenees will not be euthanized and is not a threat to the public.

Authorities said the investigation into Egle's death is ongoing.

 

  

(Daily Mail - May 6, 2017)

South Africa: Owner to pay up after Boerboels attack mother and baby

SOUTH AFRICA -- A Rooiwal, north of Pretoria, shop assistant will have to dig into her pocket after her two Boerboel dogs broke out of their enclosure and attacked a mother and her baby she was carrying on her back.

Joyce Makhubela claimed damages in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, from the shop assistant, only identified as S. Deyzel in the judgment.

The court found that Deyzel is 100% liable for the damages Makhubela can prove she suffered. This will be determined at a later stage.

Deyzel denied liability and said her two dogs - a male and a female - were domesticated pets and not aggressive. She said they were usually kept behind a fence at the back of the Rooiwal Supermarket.

But on the morning of January 13, 2013, they managed to get out, as there was an opening in the fence. According to her this was due to burglars who had broken open a container in the back yard.

She blamed the burglars for the dogs’ “unusual behavior” and said they were “freaked out” by the presence of the burglars sometime during that night.

Deyzel earlier testified that the dogs were about a year old. She kept them in a kennel during the day in the yard behind the supermarket. They were allowed to roam the yard, behind a 1.8m fence, during the night.

Deyzel said that when she left for home the previous night, everything was in order and the gate was locked. The next morning, when she reported for work, she noticed there was a gaping hole in the fence.

She said she was surprised to see the dogs roaming around outside the yard and she tried to call them back to their kennel, but they did not respond to her.

The male dog instead ran past her in the direction of a woman passing the premises, with a baby on her back.

The dog jumped on to Makhubela and started biting her. The shop owner tried in vain to pull the dog from the woman, but she managed to grab the baby from the mother.

Deyzel, meanwhile, pulled the dog from the woman by using a chair. She was adamant that one dog attacked Makhubela. She called an ambulance which took the mother and child to hospital.

Although there was no concrete evidence of thieves, Deyzel said this can be the only explanation for the hole in the fence and the container which was damaged. She said her dogs were loving and friendly and her only explanation for their behavior was that the burglars must have upset them. “They were either annoyed or excited by the burglars,” she told the court.

Makhubela testified that she was walking to the shop with her baby, when she noticed two dogs storming towards her. She tried to run away but she tripped and fell. According to her, the dogs attacked her and her child. Her version is that she shop owner sprayed something at the dogs and they ran away, and a taxi driver came to her aid.

Acting Judge N Nkosi said there were no evidence at all that the dogs were ”freaked-out” or “confused” by the burglars or whether there were earlier burglars at the premises.

“At the time of the attack the defendant was present and witnessed the attack. The burglars were nowhere to be seen,” the judge said.

He said the defendant was responsible for her dogs and thus liable to pay damages.

(Pretoria News - April 1, 2017)

South Africa: Bloody morning in Horison when Boerboel went on rampage

SOUTH AFRICA -- Kingfisher Street in Horison looked like a scene right out of Stephen King’s movie, Cujo, when a Boerboel managed to get out of its owner’s property and went on the rampage on the morning of 14 September.

It appears that the gate on the property encountered an obstruction when closing, which caused it to open again, leaving the front of the property exposed. The dog managed to get out of the property somehow.

His first victim was a woman walking past the house. Natasha Taljaard, who uses this road to drop her son off at school, said she saw the dog jump on the woman and start biting her.

“I drove my car onto the pavement and tried to get the dog off her by bumping into it. I managed to bump him off and then hooted for the people in whose driveway this happened to open the gate and get the woman inside and away from the dog. I could not get out of my car to help, because the dog wanted to attack me too,” a shaken Taljaard said.

Then a vehicle arrived and a woman got out, approached the dog and patted it.

“I thought it was the owner of the dog as she went up to it and patted its head. However, the next moment the dog turned on her as well and started biting her. I drove to where the woman was, told her to get into my car and took her back to her vehicle. She then drove off saying she was going to the hospital,” said Taljaard.

Henk van der Berg from the Honeyhills Neighborhood Watch said that the dog also tried to attack two cyclists but they got away by fending the dog off with their bicycles.

The dog also chased a scooter and bit another neighborhood patroller on his arm and hand. “I tried to get the dog to leave Bobby alone by cornering it with my tow truck, but he went underneath the truck and continued his attack.

I then took the tow hook, hit it against the road, and the dog stopped his attack and went to sit in front of one of the residents’ gates,” said Van der Berg.

The SPCA then arrived and Inspector Mike Allen and trainee inspector Michelle Kok captured the dog and took it to the SPCA in Roodepoort.

According to the ER24 spokeperson, Chitra Bodisang Harduth, their paramedics attended the scene. They found a man and a woman had sustained injuries.

“The man, who is believed to be in his 40s, sustained injuries to his hand, while the woman, who is believed to be 38 years of age, sustained injuries to her hands, left shoulder and head. The woman was transported to hospital for further treatment but the man declined to be taken to hospital,” she said.

The owner of the dog was contacted and informed about the incident. Bruce (surname withheld by request) said the dog is not aggressive and has never done anything like this before.

“He’s purely a guard dog,” said Bruce. “I have two daughters whose safety is of the utmost importance to me – I would not put their lives in danger. We usually keep the dog in the back, separated from the front of the property. I am sure something must have happened to agitate him.

My primary concern is the injured people and how I can assist. I do not like living in animosity with my neighbors,” he said.

Mandy Cattanach, the manager of the SPCA Roodepoort said the owners had already been to the SPCA to reclaim their dog, but she had asked them to leave it with the SPCA for 24 hours, for assessment purposes.

According to her, the two girls were playing around with the dog at the SPCA, and nothing happened.

“We need to determine what is wrong with it because it was very traumatized upon arrival. I cannot keep the dog for more than 24 hours and will probably give it back to the owner. This incident was not a violation of the Animal Protection Act, but it was a violation of the by-laws. I can only keep it if the Metro instructs me to because of an investigation,” Cattanach said.

(Roodepoort Record - Sept 14, 2016)

South Africa: Owner of two neglected Boerboels, that had to be euthanized, gets two-year probation sentence

SOUTH AFRICA -- A Roodepoort resident recently appeared in court on charges of animal cruelty.

Known only as Mr Radebe, the accused was found guilty on all charges, received a R1 000 fine and a two-year suspended sentence. He was also denied the right to own any animal for two years.

A male and female Boerboel was found on the owner’s premises by Senior SPCA Inspector Eric Taljaard in a very neglected condition. The inspector investigated the property, left two warnings for the owner and instructed him to take the dogs to the vet for treatment.

The owner told Taljaard to mind his own business and refused to heed the inspector’s advice, saying there was nothing wrong with his dogs.

A warrant was then obtained to remove the two dogs from the premises. When Taljaard went to confiscate the dogs, they were found in filthy cages with inadequate shelter and no water.

The dogs were both approximately six years old and both had severely infected pressure sores.

The female was found to be suffering from mammary cancer, a swollen cherry eye, bite wounds to her face and neck, and pressure sores on her hock, elbow and hip bones.

The male was found to have broken, worn-down teeth, pressure sores on the elbows, hock and hip bones, and fleshy masses covering his hip bones. Another growth that was found below his jaw on the right could have been caused by trauma or infection. There were numerous wart-like growths on the tip of his tail and the skin of the entire tail was thickening. His ears were infected and full of pus and there were also bite wounds on his neck and face.

Unfortunately, both dogs had to be euthanised due to their many injuries.

Mandy Cattanach, the manager of the Roodepoort SPCA says that although Radebe got away with a very light sentence, it seems that the court is at last taking animals cruelty cases more seriously.

(Roodepoort Record - June 20, 2016)

South Africa: “We will never own dogs again” says grieving dad

SOUTH AFRICA -- The father of the 32-year-old Mpho Mokoena who was attacked and killed by family dogs at their Pietermaritzburg home on Monday, says he can never again own dogs after what the family’s three pet dogs did to his beloved daughter.

Shadrack Mokoena who is an official at the department of education said he was driving to Impendle when he got a call to rush back home, Maritzburg Sun reported.

“At first I thought my home was burgled but then as I was rushing back home I got more calls informing me of the tragedy, that our family dogs had attacked and killed my daughter,” said Mokoena.

Mokoena points to the site where his daughter 
had been  mauled to death by their three dogs. 
Photo: Maritzburg Sun.

At his home in Braithewaite Road, Montrose, police and specialist animal handlers from the SPCA were confronted with the gruesome sight of the young woman’s savaged body. The family’s three dogs, two Rottweilers and a Boerboel, had turned on her when she had apparently gone outside to stop them barking at the neighbors.

From across the fence the neighbor’s domestic worker had witnessed the entire gory scene but could only scream helplessly as the dogs savaged the woman.

“My heart is broken, because I saw it happen, I don’t know how I’m going to sleep tonight. I saw her trying to grab hold of the hose pipe to chase the dogs away, but they were already on top of her ripping at her body. I cannot get the image out of my head. I hate all dogs now, I can’t trust them,” said the traumatised domestic worker.

Police and SPCA officials at the scene were themselves unable to enter the yard due to the dogs’ aggression and shot dead two of the animals. The third dog was later destroyed.

“When I got home after being told about the incident, already two dogs were shot dead. The police suggested the other dog to be killed and I agreed because I would not allow them to be part of the family after killing my daughter,” said Mokoena.

He said his daughter who was the mother of a young child, had helped raise the three dogs ever since they were puppies and that she was responsible for feeding them every day.

“Mpho had special needs. She went to Peterpan for 18 years and as a family we decided she stayed at home and looked after the house while we provide everything for her. We had the dogs as puppies and she fed them always. We’ve owned three sets of dogs in the past including a set of female Rottweilers. These dogs were no threat to the family and we always made sure that dogs were secured especially when the gardeners are around,” he said.

The father believes that the dogs turned on the Mpho after she shouted at them for their aggressiveness towards the neighbour.

He said his neighbors did everything possible to try and save his child by throwing stones at the animals and even trying to lure them away from the attack with pieces of meat.

(The Citizen - April 29, 2016)

Earlier:

• South Africa: Maritzburg woman mauled to death by 3 dogs

South Africa: Maritzburg woman mauled to death by 3 dogs

SOUTH AFRICA -- A KwaZulu-Natal woman was mauled to death by three dogs in the plush suburb of Montrose on Monday morning.

When paramedics and police officers arrived on the scene, they were unable to access the property because a pair of Rottweilers and a Boerbul were standing over the woman’s bloodied body.

After attempts to drug the dogs failed, police officers shot and killed the two Rottweilers and managed to corner the third dog, allowing medics to rush to the injured woman.  

ER24 spokesperson Russell Meiring confirmed that medics had been stranded outside the home.

"Emergency personnel were unable to approach the woman, as three dogs stood next to her body. Efforts were made in removing the dogs, as well as to chase them away. Unfortunately, all the efforts proved unsuccessful and two of the three dogs had to put down by the police. The third animal fled shortly after," he said.

"Paramedics climbed over the fence and immediately assessed the woman. Unfortunately, she had already succumbed to her multiple fatal injuries," he added.

It was not known what had caused the dogs to attack the woman, but authorities were on the scene for further investigations.

(News24 - April 25, 2016)

Surveillance video catches prowler getting attacked by South African Boerboel

SOUTH AFRICA -- This surveillance video, recorded December 3rd, shows a prowler who has climbed a privacy fence into a resident's yard. After poking around the side of the house a bit, it appears as though he is speaking to a dog, which can't be seen.

A few minutes later, the larger dog runs into view and attacks the prowler. You'll see that the bad guy doesn't immediately get away.

 

Watch this video and you'll see why, not only is it important to have surveillance video systems at your property, but also why it can be important (depending on where you live) to have a large dog to protect it. The smaller dogs mill around watching the action but do not appear to get involved. If this large dog had not been there, the thief could have stolen whatever he wanted, including the dogs. And what's to say that he was only looking to steal property? Maybe he would have broken into the home and raped or murdered the occupants?

Unfortunately, the article in the Middelburg Observer is not in English so I can't post the details. But suffice it to say, the prowler did not get away and you can pretty much ascertain that the article is calling the dog is a hero!

 

Keeping yourself safe
After you have viewed the video once, watch it again. But this time imagine yourself on the sidewalk or street minding your own business and this loose dog (which is described as a South African Boerboel) has come at you.

How will you react? If it hasn't bitten you yet, what - if anything - can you do to keep the dog from attacking? If the dog does attack, what are things you can do to minimize the damage and get away?

Certainly having a carry permit and a gun would be the obvious answer. But what about carrying a pocketknife? An umbrella may be an option, your backpack or bookbag or a walking stick... anything to put between you and the dog as a barrier.


(Middelburg Observer - Dec 3, 2015)

Residents Want ‘Dangerous’ Dog Removed From Pacific Palisades Neighborhood

CALIFORNIA --Residents of an upscale neighborhood in Pacific Palisades expressed anger Thursday that a “dangerous” Boerboel mastiff was still living on their street despite an order to have the dog removed.

The 150 pound dog had allegedly attacked several people living on Chautauqua Boulevard as recently as Tuesday, according to resident Winston Salser.

Another neighbor, Stewart Levine, filed a personal injury claim against the dog’s owner after allegedly being attacked while doing yoga.

The residents wanted action taken before someone else gets injured.
(KTLA - June 6, 2014)

Woman sues over dog attack

SOUTH AFRICA -- 79-year-old woman is suing a North West couple for R234 000 after she was attacked by their dogs four years ago, The Citizen reported on Friday.

In court papers, Hester Nel from Mooinooi said she had undergone emergency surgery after Gert and Maria van der Linde's male and female Boerboels attacked her in April 2009.

Nel sustained various deep lacerations and abrasions to her head, arms, hands, legs and feet, as well as numerous ligament injuries to her legs and feet, according to the newspaper.

She was first taken to a general practitioner, after which she was transferred to a private hospital where she had surgery. She was treated for five days.

Some of her wounds became septic and required further medical treatment.

According to the court papers, Nel had suffered disfiguring scars for which she needed reconstructive surgery. She also suffered from post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Nel alleged that the dogs either acted contrary to the nature of their class, or that the owners had been negligent.

The Van der Lindes denied any negligence and said Nel was to blame for the attack. They claimed Nel was warned about the dogs and told to phone before she entered the premises.

The civil claim was postponed in the North Gauteng High Court indefinitely.

(News24 - Aug 9, 2013)

'Surprise' witness expected in Jefferson dog trial

NEW JERSEY -- A municipal court trial on whether a Jefferson couple will be forced to forfeit their “potentially dangerous” African Boerboel dog will resume Feb. 21, with a defense lawyer expected to question a new witness he called a “surprise.”

A trial before Municipal Court Judge William Bowkley started Thursday evening after settlement talks broke down between dog owners Gary and Susan Kolb of Oak Ridge and Municipal Prosecutor James LaSala.

Susan Kolb

To avoid forfeiture and possible euthanization of their Boerboel, a female named Imani, the Kolbs said they found a Hackettstown-based kennel called Happy Tails Inn that was willing to take the animal. But LaSala objected, saying that Jefferson’s animal control officer wanted to inspect Happy Tails to ensure it was an appropriate facility for the mastiff-type dog but was met with hostility by the owner.

“We have concerns about the facility and (the owner’s) willingness to cooperate with our animal control officer,” LaSala said.

Imani has been the target of a proposed forfeiture for months, since the Kolbs were accused in October 2011 of walking both Imani and now-deceased Jumba, also an African Boerboel, without muzzles in Jefferson. The Kolbs adamantly deny the act, which is in alleged violation of a consent agreement they signed in Jersey City Municipal Court in 2011.

Li He and Xiangwei Liu, show the injuries that their baby, Joyce, received
when Susan Kolb's two South African Boerboels, reportedly unleashed,
knocked down Liu's mother who was carrying her, after a hearing at
the Jersey City Municipal Court, Tuesday, February 3, 2009.

While living in Jersey City -- where the dogs allegedly attacked four people, including biting one man in the groin -- the Kolbs conceded that the Boerboels were “potentially dangerous.”

They relocated to a new home on Summerwalk Circle, and a Jefferson police officer on Oct. 18, 2011, caught them walking the dogs in public around 6:15 a.m. without muzzles. The township quickly impounded both animals and subsequently sought forfeiture and possible humane destruction.

LaSala said Thursday he has investigated multiple possible facilities out-of-state and none are willing to take the Boerboel. When a pact couldn’t be reached on how much more time to give the Kolbs to find a new home for Imani, the trial started.

Jefferson Officer Bryan Christie testified that he saw the couple walking their dogs on Oct. 18, 2011, and questioned why they were not muzzled. One of the Kolbs responded, he said, by saying they were “afraid of bears in the area.” He said that Gary Kolb then showed an object that Christie said could have been a muzzle but it was not on the face of one of the dogs.

Kolb's two South African Boerboels

Robert Dunn, a lawyer for the Kolbs, then asked for the trial to be adjourned when LaSala called Summerwalk Circle resident Steve Post, a Little Falls police officer, to testify. Dunn said he never heard of Post, though LaSala said Post’s name was mentioned to a previous lawyer for the Kolbs.

Post testified that in 2011, he saw the Kolbs walking the dogs and he called the police department “to advise the dogs were walking out on the street.” He said the dogs did not have muzzles and he overheard one of the Kolbs tell a police officer who approached them: “The muzzles are too hard to put on.”

Dunn said that Post’s appearance was “a complete surprise” and he wanted a chance to check out his story. The judge said the trial would resume on Feb. 21.

Susan Kolb, who said she has collected on a petition nearly 10,000 signatures from people around the world who want to help save Imani, said she firmly believes the township wants to euthanize her pet.

“This case is about breed hysteria, breed prejudice. That’s what this case is about,” she said.

If she really loved her pets, she wouldn't have let them
keep attacking people.

The surviving Boerboel currently is being held in the township pound. To date, the Kolbs have reimbursed the township about $5,000 of more than $12,000 it has paid to feed and shelter Imani and Jumba, before his death.

While the forfeiture action is a civil matter, the Kolbs also are being criminally prosecuted in Superior Court, Morristown, for alleged violation of the Jersey City court order governing the dogs.

A Superior Court judge Thursday morning heard arguments on whether to dismiss the indictment against the couple and said she expects to issue a written ruling.

(Daily Record - Feb 8, 2013)

Earlier:

• Jefferson couple have week to consider deal to forfeit dogs that have allegedly attacked people