Durban - “It was just chance, I came past at the right time.”
That’s how SPCA Kloof and Highway field officer Philani Nzama described his rescue of Ntombizonke Ndlovu, 72, who was being attacked by dogs in a road in Savannah Park, Pinetown.
But as it turned out, his quick action saved Ndlovu from a terrible death, because the dog attacking her was later found to be rabid.
It prevented other potential injury or infection in the area, as well as raising the alarm over the importance of rabies vaccinations.
The rescue was a relief for Ndlovu’s desperate family, who turned to social media to try to find her when she did not return home.
This week Kloof and SPCA manager Barbara Patrick said on March 2 Nzama was returning from a call out in the Savannah Park area when he came across the attack taking place in the road.
“He saw a lady being viciously attacked by three dogs while people stood and watched, no-one was trying to help the lady,” said Patrick.
“Field officer Nzama immediately stopped his vehicle and ran to assist this lady.
“Using his control pole to scare off the dogs, he managed to free the lady who lay on the ground, severely injured with the bone on her arm exposed, and her open wounds were bleeding profusely.
“The dogs ran back to their home and their owner arrived at the scene,” said Patrick.
She said Nzama “gently picked up the injured lady”, placed her in the owner’s car and she was taken to hospital.
An SPCA team returned to the house later that day to collect the dogs, which were later humanely euthanised and their bodies were sent to the state vet for rabies testing.
On March 7, the state vet confirmed that one of the dogs tested positive for rabies.
“We would like to thank field officer Philani Nzama who showed immense bravery and risked being attacked to save this lady.
“Thank you, we saw how devastated you were when you arrived back at our SPCA after this traumatic event,” said Patrick.
After visiting Ndlovu in hospital on Thursday, Nzama said: “I was scared as well but I had to do it.
“I scared the dogs off and they were coming for me.
“I picked her up and she was bleeding a lot.
“It was just chance I came there at the right time,” he said, adding that the injured woman told him she did not have a cellphone and could not remember any family contact numbers.
That created another twist to the story as Ndlovu’s family spent a week frantically searching for their missing mother ‒ only managing to track her down to a Durban hospital on Wednesday this week.
On Thursday night, her daughter Soneni Ndlovu told the Independent on Saturday that her mother left home last Wednesday to look for work in the Savannah Park area and did not return.
“She did not come home and we looked for her everywhere.
“I posted on social media that she was missing and we were looking for her,” said Ndlovu.
The post was shared on different WhatsApp groups and Ndlovu received word that her mother was in hospital after a dog attack.
“My mom told me about one guy who came to help her at the attack, he’s a man of God.
“I’m very happy she was found, but also very worried about her injuries, they are very bad,” said Ndlovu, confirming her mother was badly mauled along one arm, as well as suffering other injuries.
The owner of the dogs, who did not wish to be named, denied that three dogs were involved in the attack, saying only one dog escaped from the property and attacked the woman.
“It happened so fast. I had been sleeping and my mother-in-law came to call me.
“It was the first time the dog had got off his chain and jumped over the wall.
“As soon as I shouted, the dog ran back inside the property.
“The SPCA officer was standing there.
“There was only one dog in the attack, my dogs were always tied up in the yard.
“This was such a sad thing to have happened to the injured lady and for my dogs,” he said, confirming his three dogs were later euthanised.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's statistics, there were 54 reported cases of animals with rabies in the province this year, as of the beginning of last week.
Two involved goats, two were cattle and the remainder were dogs.
The SPCA has urged people to make sure all pets are vaccinated against rabies, as well as exercising caution when approaching stray animals.
This includes pets who are kept in a secured property because even just one rabid dog encountering and fighting with other dogs through a fence can pass on rabies.
Yesterday Patrick said: “We cannot help but think about the far reaching consequences of the rabid dog, who else it could have been in contact with, bitten and infected had we not taken action.”
If bitten or scratched by a stray animal, immediately wash the area well and flush under running water and immediately seek medical attention.
If scratched or bitten by an animal with no proof of vaccination, immediate treatment for rabies will be required. Rabies is fatal if not treated.
If you would like to assist Ntombizonke Ndlovu or for more information, email: [email protected].
Independent on Saturday