Woman attacked by family pet
According to staff from a local business in Pascal Circle, the woman walked onto the property and startled Boesman, a pit bull belonging to the owners.
Plastic surgery might be needed for a woman who was mauled by a family pet on Tuesday afternoon.
According to staff from a local business in Pascal Circle, the woman walked onto the property and startled Boesman, a pit bull belonging to the owners.
Responding to the perceived threat, Boesman attacked. Owners of the pit bull, Tom and Tracy Hatting, said the woman’s terrified screams further provoked Boesman to attack with more ferocity.
By the time workers restrained Boesman, a part of her ear had been torn off. Paramedics arrived on the scene and stabilised the woman, commenting on Wednesday morning she was in hospital, recovering from her physical and emotional wounds.
In the wake of the attack, Boesman was euthanised. Mr Hatting made the decision to have their beloved dog put down, saying he did not want to take a chance with the lives of his family. “The problem is, if he did it, he might do it again,” explained Elize van Rooyen, SPCA inspector.
However, the devastated Mr and Mrs Hatting were bewildered by the attack, describing their pit bull as a family pet. “Boesman has always been a loving dog. Our five-year-old daughter grew up with him.”
Mr Hatting made it clear Boesman was neither aggressive nor crazy, but admitted the attack had opened his eyes. “This was the first incident ever, we’ve never had problems before.”
Mrs Hatting added she hoped people would not dislike pit bulls because of this. “An incident like this cannot be blamed on the breed of the dog. A dog is your companion and he will protect you,” added Mrs van Rooyen.
Even though the woman posed no threat to the business or the owners, Boesman was probably acting on animal instinct to protect his family; a practical example proving the theory of Pavlov’s dog.
Like the dinner bell in Pavlov’s experiment, the bell at the entrance to the business is believed to identified a stranger as a friend.
For all business owners who keep dogs on the premises, Mrs van Rooyen advised them to keep gates locked and to take necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their customers.
