UPDATE: Dog attack victim still unafraid of dogs
Despite Tyler's 25-minute tussle with the dog, he says he cannot solely blame the dog and that he remains unafraid of dogs.
AMANZIMTOTI local, Tyler Lourens (22) sustained injuries to his arms and leg after he was bitten by his neighbour’s bull terrier who entered his property on Thursday afternoon, 2 November.
Despite his 25-minute tussle with the dog, he says he cannot solely blame the dog and that he remains unafraid of dogs.
Read the first story here: Amanzimtoti man hospitalised after dog attack
“I was on my bike, about to leave my yard when the dog came running up the garden,” said Tyler. “We assume that it had jumped over the wall.”
The neighbour’s bull-terrier pulled the 22-year-old off his bike and Tyler spent about 25 minutes trying to restrain the dog from attacking him. In the process he had his arms and leg bitten. The fight ended when the dog was put down. Its body was collected by Amanzimtoti SPCA the following day and tested for rabies.
Despite the trauma Tyler experienced, he admits that he is not the slightest bit afraid of dogs.
“It’s not entirely the dog’s fault,” he said. “It has a lot to do with the dog’s upbringing.”
Tyler dismisses with the stereotypical idea that powerbreed dogs are killers.
“My girlfriend has a bull terrier and I love it still. It’s never hurt me or acted out of the ordinary. This experience hasn’t changed the way I think or feel about dogs, especially powerbreeds,” he said.
Whether it be the sound of his motorbike, the powerbreed’s inborn temperament or ownership issues, Tyler won’t allow one highly traumatic experience to alter his feelings toward dogs.
He thanked ER24, CCPO, his uncle Clint Lourens and Amanzimtoti SPCA’s Tracey Girling for all their assistance in the wake of the dog attack.
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