Two women from the South African coastal city of Durban were attacked by a pair of Pit Bulls. The Two women were walking their dogs on a Bluff beach when they were attacked by the Pit Bulls.
Debby Jessop-Hogg and another unnamed woman spent the night in a hospital and are now recovering from surgery. The two women were walking their spaniels on the beach in Durban on Friday Morning when the incident took place. The two pit bulls ran out of nowhere and attacked the two women and their dogs. One of the two dogs, named Abbi Gail, was bit on the lip by the pit bulls. Another dog, named Milli Mo, ran away after the incident and is still missing.
Debby’s sister, June Hessop, said that this has been a stressful situation for Debby and her family. Speaking with IOL, Debby said as follows.
“Everyone is still very stressed and tired and hot from the worry about my sister and from the search for the dog. Everyone is still out searching for Milli Mo and we hope to find her soon we would like people to keep an eye out for her.”
Ceron Lennox, a spokeswoman for Paramedics Rescue Care, gave details on the women’s injuries, saying that both women had sustained bites on their shins. Lennox added that the two women were first stabilized at the scene of the attack before being transported to a hospital.
“The one injured dog was taken to a vet nearby for treatment. A second dog is still missing as it ran away from the attack. The two pitbulls ran away.”
Pit bulls were created by breeding bulldogs and terriers together. They were meant to be fighting dogs for blood sport, and as such were selectively bred to be aggressive and vicious. Today, a few hundred years later, such games are illegal, but the breed lives on, and with a bad reputation. Many people argue that pit bulls are not vicious breeds by birth and it is the owners of these dogs that lead them into becoming vicious. While it is true with any large/working breed of dogs that an inexperienced owner can lead it to becoming aggressive and vicious, incidents of aggression from pit bulls are more commonly reported than with other breeds, possibly owing to a bad reputation.
The United Kennel Club describes the characteristics of the pit bull as the following.
“The essential characteristics of the Pit Bull Terrier are strength, confidence, and zest for life. This breed is eager to please and brimming over with enthusiasm. PBTs make excellent family companions and have always been noted for their love of children. Because most PBTs exhibit some level of dog aggression and because of its powerful physique, the PBT requires an owner who will carefully socialize and obedience train the dog. The breed’s natural agility makes it one of the most capable canine climbers so good fencing is a must for this breed. The PBT is not the best choice for a guard dog since they are extremely friendly, even with strangers. Aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable. This breed does very well in performance events because of its high level of intelligence and its willingness to work.”
While many pit bulls are gentle and happy family dogs, incidents such as these have led to several countries around the world and some states in the U.S. to impose restrictions and in some cases outright bans on the ownership of the breed.
[Featured Image by Audrey Lohkamp/Shutterstock]
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