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Boy mauled to death by pitbulls mourned

2015-06-29  Staff Report 2

Boy mauled to death by pitbulls mourned
Windhoek Alda Ochurus, the mother of Fred Savage (13), whose life was cut short on Saturday when a pack on pitbulls mauled him to death along Stockholm Street in Otjomuise says her son had a dream to become a lawyer. The boy, who was riding a bicycle in the company of other boys, was attacked in an unprovoked attack by two pit-bull dogs in Otjomuise’s Extension 4 suburb. The dogs were allegedly involved in a separate attack in which a construction worker also died, according to unconfirmed reports from bystanders. During the frenzied attack that has outraged many people on social network sites who called for the owner to be charged with murder, one motorist tried to come to the rescue of the boy but one of the dogs savaged him leaving his trousers in tatters. “On the day of the attack, Fred asked me whether I have seen his latest (school) results, and I was very happy that my child was doing very well in Mathematics,” said the grief-stricken Ochurus, a mother of 10 children, who lives in Aagste Laan informal settlement. She said the owner of the dogs knew his dogs very well. “He knew his dogs were extremely vicious, so for me this whole thing was done on purpose”, she said. Adding that, however, there is nothing she can do for now. Fred was a Grade Five learner at Aris Primary School just outside Windhoek on the route to Rehoboth in the Khomas Region, and he was out for the weekend that ended in tragedy. By yesterday, family members gathered at the family home in Khomasdal to mourn the tragic death of Fred who was described by family members as a boy who always knew what he wanted in life. “Fred was a very bright boy who always had the will for life. He would always discuss school matters with everyone he knew,” said his aunt Tusnelda Steenkamp. Steenkamp said the family still has to make funeral arrangements expected to take place this coming weekend at Usakos. The City Police managed to shoot one of the dogs on the spot and the other one escaped from the fence but it was later found in a nearby river bed and it was also destroyed. The owner of the dogs was unavailable for comment, as he was said to be travelling from Rundu yesterday. According to the mother, she said she cannot ascertain what would happen when they meet with the owner of the two dogs. She, however, appeared reconciliatory saying, “I will leave this in God’s hands.” By yesterday, thousands took to Facebook calling for the owner to be arrested and be charged with murder. Riundja Ali Kaakunga said civil action must be initiated against the owner, and also against the Windhoek City Council that allowed these vicious dogs to remain in town despite their record of savagery. Tomas Shaningwa said the City of Windhoek is ever telling people to keep their dogs indoors but this directive seems to have fallen on deaf ears. He said in his absence, the owner should have left someone to take charge of the two dogs. Deputy Commissioner of the Namibian Police Edwin Kanguatjivi could not determine whether a case or murder of culpable homicide will be opened against the dogs’ owner. “In this case, maybe he might be charged with capable homicide not murder…” explained Kanguatjivi, Speaking to New Era yesterday, chairperson of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Sylivia Breitenstein said people should not always run away when they see dogs rather they should stand still and avoid staring directly into the dogs’ eyes. “If a dog sees a running person, it perceives him/her as prey and thus goes after him/her to attack. If you scream they attack more, while when you stare it directly in the eyes it feels threatened and that prompts it to attack,” she said.
2015-06-29  Staff Report 2

Tags: Khomas
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