Robbed of ‘breadwinner’ by killer dogs

A man who was attacked and killed by five dogs at Oshakati on Sunday morning was a family man who will be missed by his two children, his relatives said.

Ruben Abraham (44), a former Namibia Defence Force member, died at Oshakati State Hospital where he was admitted after the vicious attack - which took place while he was on his way home from work at Rubicon Security on Sunday.

The attack happened at Oshakati's Panama Tiles and Paint Wholesale, whose owner – Chinese national Huang Lingyan (42) - owns the dogs.

The dogs attacked another security guard yesterday, but Simon Jafet (25) lived to fight another day. The dogs were put down hours later, with the consent of the Oshana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

A breadwinner

Abraham's family gathered at Panama Tiles and Paint Wholesale on Monday to see the dogs they said “robbed them of a breadwinner”.

Abraham’s sister Ndateelela Nghipandulwa broke down in tears and recounted that her brother died in her arms. She said he was bleeding and in pain while waiting for assistance from one of the doctors at the hospital, who only arrived after he succumbed to his extensive injuries.

Nghipandulwa said Abraham had lost both ears in the attack, while his nose was also covered in wounds.

The skin on his arms and legs was ripped off, so much so that one could see the bones. His head was damaged in front and at back, while the 44-year-old was found naked after the dogs tore his clothes apart, she said.

Another sister, Albertina Nghipandulwa, said her brother died a painful death and they watched on helplessly.

What pains them the most is that while Abraham was attacked at 06:00 in the morning, he had not received proper medical care by 15:00.

“He fought a good fight, but the hospital let him down,” she said.

According to Albertina, Abraham told them he had to pretend to be dead and lie face down in the dirt before the dogs let him go.

“The trick worked and the dogs left him alone. He was discovered by a passer-by who called for help.”

Albertina said Abraham’s sickly mother was also in his care and he paid for all her medical bills.

The family has yet to meet to discuss possible legal action for compensation, she said.

For now, Huang has agreed to assist the family with funeral arrangements.

Put down

Initial reports said the five dogs were Pitbulls, but they were all Rottweiler and German Shepherd mixed breeds. The dogs were put down yesterday morning, a process which took three hours.

Huang broke down in tears as she watched on.

The decision to euthanise the animals was made by Oshana Region police regional crime investigations head, deputy commissioner Theophilus Kamati, after the second victim was attacked as he was walking home from work in the early morning hours.

Jafet was armed and shot at the dogs twice, which made them back off. One bit his right thigh, and he received medical attention at the Oshakati State Hospital before being released the same day.

After preliminary investigations have been completed, the police will make a decision on whether to arrest Huang to summon her to court, Kamati said.

He refuted claims that the police were slow to act after the Sunday attack, resulting in another attack on Monday morning.

He added that after Abraham’s attack, Huang closed a hole in the fence, but these efforts proved futile as the dogs managed to escape again.

“It is a very unfortunate incident. The police offer our deepest and sincere condolences to the victim’s family. Before Friday, we should have our preliminary investigations done and we can share more feedback with the public,” Kamati said.

Initially, a case of assault was opened with the police, but the charge has been changed to culpable homicide after Abraham died from his injuries.

Owners to blame

Animal welfare inspector at Oshana SPCA, Aktofel Malima, attributed the attacks to the way the owners raised the dogs.

He said although Rottweilers can be aggressive, they are also known to be highly protective.

“These dogs are usually intelligent. They are obedient. In this case, it is the manner in which they have been raised. It is not right to keep dogs locked up as they get stressed out,” he said.

Malima stressed that people who own dogs or plan to do so in future should ensure that their dogs interact with other people safely.

“Give attention to the dog. Take the dog for a walk. Teach the dog how to be at home and engage with people in the community as well.”

Malima said if the victim had been trespassing, the dogs would probably not have been put down.

But in cases where they escape their yard and launch attacks, they are not fit to coexist, he said.

“This is negligence on the owner [as] the dogs went out without supervision, which led to loss of a life,” he said.

Humans first

Oshana state veterinarian Herman Nelson said the decision to euthanise the dogs was made due to the imminent threat they posed to public safety.

“[It is unfortunate], but the life of a human being is more precious than a dog’s. Our duty is to end the lives of any dangerous animals humanely without causing any harm,” he said.

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