Brakkie saves boy from pit bull: Teen lucky to be alive after dog ‘breaks free from chain’, attacks
Residents of Scottsdene have hailed a brakkie a hero after it saved a little boy from a pit bull attack.
Zavier “Mannetjies” Assur, 13, was bitten by the brown pit bull called Oral on Saturday and suffered bite wounds to both his legs.
Neighbours heard his chilling screams for help and found the large brown dog sitting on the boy’s chest.
The terrified boy managed to protect his face and neck with his arms, and that’s when Sheba ran up to the hond and barked to distract it.
The attack occurred in front of the home of Natasha Wence of Park Lane in Scottsdene.
“When I heard him scream, I ran out and saw the dog sitting on top of him. It looked like he had supernatural powers as he kept that dog from ripping out his throat.
“People tried everything to get the dog off him. And then Sheba forced open the gate and came running out of the yard and charged at the pit bull,” she said.
“Mannetjies managed to jump up and ran a few metres but then he collapsed.
“The people immediately rushed him to Kraaifontein day hospital.
“This is a busy road because the shop is right here. If that dog attacked a smaller child, they would not have been able to defend themselves.”
Music tutor Tommy Jooste from Scottsdene says Zavier was just leaving after a training session.
“I give Zavier guitar lessons. Luckily the dog didn’t bite his hands, otherwise his dreams of a future in music would have gone up in smoke,” he added.
“We think the neighbour’s dog should get a medal because she distracted the pit bull that was sitting on Zavier’s chest.”
Zavier’s aunt Mary Casper, 35, says Oral’s owner came to the hospital to apologise.
“She offered to pay the medical bills. They don’t know how the dog escaped from the yard.”
She says Zavier, a Grade 7 pupil and one of the top students at Cavaleiria Primera, is very traumatised and has been having nightmares about the incident.
When the Daily Voice spoke to Oral’s owner, Grace Jordaan, she claimed the dog broke free from its chain because children were teasing him.
“The children told me themselves that they tease Oral and that is why he charged the boy.
“I’ve had Oral for more than a year and I plan to buy a thicker chain and also put up a ‘beware of the dog’ board,” Grace explained.
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