Cape Town – A 37-year-old mother from Benoni was attacked by their family dog, Zeus, a cross between a bull terrier and a Great Dane, on August 29.
The incident also involved her 11-year-old son, Brayden, IOL reported.
Linda Venter and Brayden were in their backyard when Zeus suddenly attacked Brayden.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Philip Stoneman, who is Linda’s brother-in-law and a chaplain for Trauma Support SA, recounted receiving a frantic phone call from Linda’s 14-year-old son, Brendan, on the day of the incident.
“He phoned me in a panic stating that his mother was having a heart attack and that I must get the paramedics. I immediately asked for assistance over our radio, giving the address.
“While responding to this address, my son phoned Brendan back who (then) told him that Zeus was attacking his mother and not letting her go. My wife had just been there, having dropped off Brendan a few minutes earlier,” the report quoted Stoneman as saying.
“As we can ascertain, Linda was in the back garden hanging up the washing while Brayden (11)was playing rugby, as has been the norm.”
Stoneman said the dog went to attack Brayden.
“It is unclear why, and Linda tried to protect her son. She used her right arm to protect her throat and tried to fight off the dog,” he said.
Neighbours intervened to rescue Brayden, and first responders arrived shortly after to airlift Linda to the hospital in critical condition.
She was placed in an induced coma and subsequently lost her right arm due to the severity of her injuries.
Brayden, who sustained injuries to his arms, legs, and head, was discharged from the hospital.
The dog, which had been with the family for over four years and had not displayed any prior aggression, was euthanised by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in Benoni on the same day, The South African reported.
The report said that Linda’s husband, Marius, had faced the heart-wrenching task of commuting between two hospitals daily to be with his wife and son during this challenging time.
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Picture: Facebook/@Philip-Stoneman
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
