Chadwin Ruiters with his father Theodore Cotton and mother Theresa Ruiters at Mitchell’s Plain District Hospital.
A 22-year-old Strandfontein man may lose a foot after he was mauled by two dogs in Bayview last month.
Chadwin Ruiters had walked past the two dogs which were lying down on the ground in Rotterdam Road en route to collect earphones from a friend on Sunday September 29 around noon.
On his way home, the dogs were up on their feet and attacked him.
His mother Theresa was in their Candian Street driveway, about four streets away, when someone drove up to her, showed her a photograph and she confirmed that it was Chadwin lying on the ground bleeding.
When they arrived at the scene, the ambulance was already there and she drove with Chadwin to Mitchell’s Plain District Hospital where he has been since.
Ms Ruiters said her son’s legs and arms had bite marks and were torn.
She said he is traumatised and cannot stop crying.
“I need counselling. I can’t sleep at night when I see a dog, I panic. We are all very traumatised,” she said.
Ms Ruiters said they were due to meet hospital personnel yesterday, Tuesday October 8, to discuss Chadwin’s injuries and treatment.
“They may amputate his left foot and get a prosthetic,” she said.
Monique Johnstone, spokeswoman for Western Cape Government Health and Wellness, said she could not divulge his medical condition due to patient and doctor confidentiality and that contact was made with the family.
She confirmed that Chadwin arrived at the hospital emergency centre with serious injuries.
“He was assessed by the doctor, and due to the nature of his injury, he was referred to orthopedics. Contact was made with the family regarding his condition, and his treatment plan, and they were encouraged to come and discuss his condition with our doctors,” she said.
His maternal uncle Joe Ruiters, with whom Chadwin, his mother and brother live, said his leg was severely damaged and might be amputated.
“He is in serious pain and is in a surgical ward,” he said.
Mr Ruiters said his sister was only called on Monday October 7 and that they would be at the hospital for an update.
He said they were turned away from Strandfontein SAPS and could not open a case.
They called law enforcement who said they would come around but did not.
Captain FC Van Wyk, SAPS Western Cape spokesman, said on Tuesday that if anyone is attacked by a dog, and the owner is known to the victim, he or she is entitled by law to go to the nearest police station and open a case against the owner of the dog.
Asked whether someone could be turned away from a police station on grounds that the dog involved in the alleged attack was loose, Captain Van Wyk responded: “A criminal case should have been opened. If you are the owner of a dog, you are liable for the dog, irrespective if the dog was loose or on a leash. If the dog was loose, the police will investigate why this was the case,” Captain Van Wyk said.
Law Enforcement spokesman Wayne Dyason said the incident was not reported to the City’s Animal Control Unit.
The unit had since been made aware of the matter.
He said SAPS deals with such cases in terms of the Animal Matters Amendment Act when someone is seriously injured in an attack.
In terms of the Animal Matters Amendment Act, which is a SAPS directive, the following applies:
(1) Any person as a result of whose negligence an animal causes injury to another person, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years.
(2) Whenever a person is convicted of an offence in terms of subsection (1), the court convicting him may in addition to any punishment imposed upon him in respect of that offence;
(a) make any order relating to the removal, custody, disposal or destruction of the animal concerned and the recovery of any costs incurred in connection therewith;
(b) declare the person convicted to be unfit, for a specified period, to own a certain kind of animal or an animal of a specific breed or to have it under his control or in his custody.
The City’s Animal Keeping By-Law refers to the seizure and removal of an animal;
The City must remove any animal seized or impounded in accordance with the provisions of the by-law.
Any animal seized and impounded in terms of this by-law, must be kept at the place designated by the City for at least 10 days to enable the owner or person in charge of the animal to claim it.