Boerboel dogs maul girl (6) to death

In another spine chilling incident, two vicious Boerboel dogs mauled a six-year-old girl to death on Wednesday at the family's rented home in Matsheumhlophe suburb. This is the second incident in Bulawayo where dogs have killed people following the death of Mr John Gavhera of Selbourne Park who was mauled by his two Boerboels after they reportedly mistook him for an intruder in May this year.

 In the latest fatal incident, the girl, Moleen Ndlovu was home alone in a cottage which her parents are renting in Matsheumhlophe when the two dogs owned by the landlord ripped her neck which led to her death at around 7AM. While dogs are meant to protect people, dog trainers and experts have warned that some of the breeds can be aggressive to people including their owners.

Some of the breeds considered to be aggressive and dangerous include Boerboels, Pit Bulls and Rottweilers, among others. Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident yesterday.

He urged residents to build kennels for their dogs. "Investigations are being instituted into a case of sudden death where 6-year-old Moleen Ndlovu was bitten by dogs to death. The case occurred in Matsheumhlophe suburb, Bulawayo and the dogs belong to the house owner whilst Moleen Ndlovu is a daughter of a tenant at the same house," said Insp Ncube.

"On the 24th of August 2022 at around 7AM hours, the now deceased left the cottage going to the main house intending to check whether there was electricity. The cottage is about 100m from the main house and there is a gate demarcating the cottage and the main house. The owner of the house heard the now deceased screaming and she looked out through the window and saw their two Boerboel dogs attacking her."

Insp Ncube said the owner of the house failed to restrain the dogs when she went out of the main house. "One of the dogs released the deceased but the other one resisted and dragged her for about 10 metres and left her dead."

The father of the girl Mr Josiah Ndlovu told Chronicle's sister paper, B-Metro that his daughter died when he was not home.

"As usual we had left her at home at around 06.30am yesterday (Wednesday) and went to work," he said.

Mr Ndlovu said while he was at his workplace, he received a shock call from his landlady and he sensed that something was wrong at the other end of the call. "I heard people in the background and it quickly occurred to me that there was something bad that had happened. I tried to ask but they could not tell me and she only said I have to return home because something bad had happened at home, then I had to return home," he said.

"When I got home I found that my child had died. They told me that the dogs bit her in the neck and ripped it open. My landlady and another woman tried to restrain them but they failed as the dogs continued attacking her."

Mr Ndlovu was at a loss for words as to why the dogs attacked her since she used to play with them. "To me it's a shock as to why they turned on her because she has been playing with them and they knew her. It's a shock how they mauled her to death," he said.

Recently, the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) animal welfare officer Mrs Berry Oosthuizen said pet lovers should not keep aggressive dogs without understanding their behaviour and temperament. "Dogs that usually attack people are Boerboels largely because most dog keepers don't understand this type of breed. These dogs are not a breed that is supposed to be locked in small cages or kept in small properties because this is what makes them aggressive," she said.

"They get frustrated and this is why they end up biting people. No dogs are born aggressive, but are only made aggressive by people who don't properly understand them. Educating the public on how to keep dogs properly is what is needed."

The officer in charge of the ZRP Bulawayo Canine Section, Inspector Mzimkhulu Ncube recently told Chronicle that boerboels easily forget and they are very dangerous and hostile, particularly to children. "We actually prefer dogs that we train so that we achieve what we want, which is why we have Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds in the police service. Boerboels and Pit Bulls forget easily, which is why we don't keep them," he said.

"In most cases, these are the same dogs which attack people in homes because they are jealous. These dogs once they form a bond with their owner, they become aggressive and attack anyone who gets closer to him or her."