KNYSNA NEWS - A dog attack in one of Knysna's informal areas has left an 11-year-old boy in a very serious condition.
Thehano Daman from Joodsekamp was, according to his mother Melonie Daman, on his way to friends on Human Rights Day (Wednesday 21 March) when two pit bulls suddenly came out of bushes nearby and attacked him so severely that he has a long road to recovery ahead of him.
Knysna Animal Welfare Society (KAWS) office manager Retha Havenga has since confirmed that both dogs were immediately put down after their owner was told that "this should never have happened and could never happen again".
A case has also since been opened against the dogs' owner.
Knysna police spokesperson Sergeant Chris Spies has confirmed that the boy's mother laid a charge on Saturday 24 March. "A case of assault with intention to commit grievous bodily harm was opened," he says. The matter is now being investigated by Knysna police.
Dragged and ripped
Daman recounts her son's ordeal: "He told me they dragged him along the ground and bit him so badly that chunks of his right leg and left thigh/buttock were ripped out. They even tried going for his face but Thehano said he was able to keep them away, although he does have a bite mark on his cheek," says Daman.
The Knysna-Plett Herald has photos depicting Thehano's injuries, but these are so graphically gruesome that they are not suitable for publication.
Daman says two boys had come to call her that day and told her of Thehano's attack.
"The community had already called the ambulance by that time and I waited for them by the side of the road. When we got to Thehano he was lying on his back. He told me, through his own tears, that I shouldn't cry and that I should be strong," she recalls.
After being stabilised at Knysna Provincial Hospital he was transferred to George Hospital.
The current state of 11-year-old Thehano Daman's legs after being attacked by two pit bulls on 21 March.
Two operations already, more to come
In George, says Daman, the brave little boy had two operations to remove dead and possibly infected skin and tissue and to clean the wounds before being taken to the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in Cape Town on Monday 26 March for further treatment.
According to Daman her son is currently in a lot of pain, but he is being a "hero" through it all.
Thehano Daman from Joodsekamp is currently in the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in Cape Town where he will undergo further surgery.
"The doctors told me they will be using skin from elsewhere on Thehano's body to cover his wounds. Thehano will still have to undergo some big operations," she says.
"I am going through a lot of pain having to watch my son suffer like this. He is a fighter and I won't leave the matter as it is. These dog owners must pay for what happened. Their yard isn't even properly enclosed," she says.
These claims will form part of the police investigation.
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