Dad protects son (4) by shooting guard dog
A dog kept as a guard on an industrial premises in the city was shot after attacking a 4-year-old child outside the business premises on Saturday.
POLOKWANE – The four-year-old Otto Langenhoven was accompanying his father, Pieter, on his month-end trip to customers in Ladine and Futura.
“On my way out of one of the businesses, while talking to my client, my son was playing on the grass on the other side of the car when I heard him scream,” Langenhoven told Review.
He ran over to the toddler, to find a dog standing over him with the child’s hand still in its mouth.
“All I could think of was to free my son.”
Langenhoven then shot the dog with a .22 calibre rifle. The dog did not die instantly and Langenhoven had to apply other measures to put it out of its misery.
“It was not something I would do at any other time but all I could think of was my son and saving him,” he told Review.
Langenhoven rushed his son to a doctor in Ladanna who treated the boy. He then contacted the dog’s owner to inform him of what happened.
“I knew the dog because it was often running around in the industrial area. I am not sure if the dog has bitten other people.”
The owner of the dog, Patric Ledwaba, did not want to comment on the matter except for saying that the dog was running free as he struggled to contain it within the business premises.
He agreed to pay Langenhoven’s doctor bill and did not plan on taking the matter further. According to the Polokwane SPCA’s inspector, Hendrik de Kock, even though it is not advisable to shoot an animal, in these circumstances he understands why Langenhoven did what he did.
“The best thing in this situation would be to contact the SPCA, however, it is understandable that the man acted in the interest of his son. As long as the dog was not suffering and was put down, the man should not be facing any legal repercussions,” he said.
The SPCA will collect roaming dogs once they are reported.
Langenhoven said even though he feels he has the right to open a case against the owner of the dog, he did not plan on pursuing the matter.
