Animal

Pit bull attack victim to have maul wounds treated on her first birthday


Ghasna and Shanoor Isaacs. (Supplied)


Ghasna and Shanoor Isaacs. (Supplied)

  • Shanoor Isaacs sustained serious injury to her leg when she was attacked by a pit bull last month.
  • The dog apparently charged onto their Bonteheuwel property, chasing after Shanoor and her granny.
  • It then rushed into their home, and attacked Shanoor, her granny and her uncle.

Little Shanoor Isaacs will spend her first birthday today (Wednesday) at the local day hospital, having her wound dressings changed after she was mauled by a pit bull in her own home.

Her mother, Ghasna Isaacs, is just grateful her daughter is alive.

Last month, she watched her then 11-month-old scream in terror as a dog charged into their Bonteheuwel home, lunged at her little limb, and left the child with gashes which are still healing.

“That day I thought my child was dead,” Ghasna told News24.

READ | Pit bull put down after attacking Bonteheuwel residents

“I saw it happening. I can still see it when I close my eyes – my child’s leg in that dog’s mouth.”

Shanoor had been on her granny’s arm on their property when the dog came charging into the yard.

“My mother ran inside and that dog followed. She tried to toss Shanoor to me and hide behind the couch, but the dog got hold of my daughter’s leg. It held on – even after my child got too tired to scream anymore, it didn’t let her go.”

Her brother, who had been home at the time, fought off the pit bull.

He and his mother were, however, bitten in the process.

Ghasna and Shanoor Isaacs. (Supplied)

Ghasna and Shanoor Isaacs. (Supplied)

She rushed her daughter to the trauma unit at the local day hospital.

“She is alright now. It’s getting a bit better and I take her there every four days to have her dressings changed. But she doesn’t want to stand on her leg or crawl because it hurts. She randomly screams ‘eina!’ because she knows something isn’t right.”

The dog, Bingo, was euthanised at the request of the owner after it attacked a woman last Monday.

The SPCA arrived at the scene and found locals, armed with pangas and stones, as Bingo hid between a structure and a fence, injured from being beaten, News24 previously reported.

The animal welfare organisation was told, at the time, that Bingo reportedly attacked at least three people.

READ | SPCA shines light on horrors of using ‘live bait’ in dog fighting

SPCA spokesperson, Belinda Abraham, warned that owners of pit bulls had added responsibility when it comes to their dogs because an attack was likely to have “devastating consequences because of their robust jaw string”.

One resident said Bingo would often roam the streets and attack people walking past. Another said the owner had been asked to keep his dog on the property, but was told it was “just protecting the area”.

Ghasna, however, wants to take the matter further.

She said police had been at the scene after the attack and she had gone to the station to report what happened. She also had a form detailing her daughter’s injuries.

“That dog’s owner must go to jail,” she argued.

“My child was on our property and was hurt and traumatised by what happened. She is now scared of noise and cries without reason. She is even afraid of our small dog, Optel, who is harmless and would never bite.

“She is scarred now.”



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