Boy (3) in ICU after dog attack
Three-year-old Luke Flemming is still recovering in an ICU unit in the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, after he was viciously attacked by at least two dogs.
Luke lost his left ear, has damaged lips, had both cheeks ripped open and sustained lacerations to his back and neck.
He was mauled by the Jack Russell at his Northmead home on Wednesday, last week.
The boy’s father, Gary Flemming, said he was at the back of his yard when the domestic worker ran up to him, shouting “Something is wrong with Luke”.
He ran outside and saw two of the dogs on his son.
”He was face down on the floor and the two dogs were on him,” said Flemming.
”I grabbed him and ran away with him.
”Initially, when I looked, I saw no damage because he was lying face down.
”It looked like he was trying protect himself.”
The father said he thought his son was dead, as the child was barely responsive when he got to his side.
Flemming took Luke to the Tambo Memorial Hospital immediately after the attack, from where he was later transferred to the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.
The father has has no idea for how long the dogs had been attacking his son, or the reason for it.
The domestic worker apparently saw how a third Jack Russell on the property, who is pregnant, was trying to protect Luke from the attack.
The boy underwent an eight-hour reconstructive surgery on the day of the attack.
He is breathing on his own but is being fed through a tube.
Doctors will now wait for the swelling to go down before they attempt skin grafts on Luke.
In a year’s time, they will take cartilage from his rib to reconstruct his ear.
The two dogs, and a sausage dog, were taken to the SPCA after the attack.
It is always the dogs fault is it not – has any one asked what the kid did not provoke?? Poor dogs
We will never know what happened will we. Hope the poor little boy recovers 100%.
Ai shame the boy will be in my prayers.
what are you trying to achieve by using such an image, its not very sensitive and respectful? unless you are trying to go for shock factor and become like daily sun. this is not the way to do things!!! media should learn to exercise some caution.
Courtney i know where you are coming from. But do you have kids? Because its extrramly difficult to constantly leep them watch especially age of 3. Little kids are curious and dont know better. ! It is what it is. And what happened is terrible my prayers and thoughts are with the little one and i hope all goes well and he has a speedy recovery. maybe the parents or who ever was meant to be watching him should know better to keep a closer eye on the child. Its difficult i know but its tough being a parent
I have all ways had dogs and never had a problem, so many people don’t know the first thing about raising animals properly and they never get them vaccinated which is a danger in its self!!
Bring back animal licences only people who know what they are doing and are financially capable of taking care of pets should be allowed to own them!!!
When is society going to realize these dogs are not meant to exist with people. They all need to be killed off, death to the people that love these killing beasts. They always attack unprovoked too.
jano, these are Jack Russel Terriers, in case you didn’t know.
secondly, for every one dog that attacks, there are millions saving lives
We’ve known Luke and his family since 2012, Luke stole our hearts from the start … And honestly speaking his ‘parents’ never really cared, they chose boose over their kids they don’t deserve to be called parents! Yes, its difficult keeping a close eye on little children his age, but you don’t just wonder around and leave your kid unsupervised (just for interest sake, where was the other two children, Taylor and Jordan? The three of them always played together) Luke, my angel, my big boy we love you endlessly we have faith in your recovery and that God will work miricals, our prayers are with you bog boy get well soon!* lots of love *i think CPS should investigate a little deeper into this incident* I have a few good pictures of little Luke, how we still remember him and will still see him as, no matter what happens