Neighbours differ after pitbull attack

A war of words has erupted between Buffalo Flats neighbours after a pitbull attack earlier this month. 

Cino Diplock claimed he had been visiting his neighbour’s son at their house when their pitbull attacked him.

According to Diplock, the dog ran up to him and lunged forward, locking its jaws on the area below his elbow.

The man said he tried in vain to get it off, eventually screaming for help.

The neighbour’s son allegedly came running out of the house to assist but could not remove the dog from his arm.

A few minutes later, dog owner Nicholas Strydom came out of the house and, after several punches, managed to remove the pitbul from Diplock’s arm.

The dog managed to rip off a piece of flesh before going for his buttocks.

“The father and son tried to get it off me again but it wouldn’t let go. At some point they were pulling the dog up and down the street and my body was going with it,” Diplock said.

“Eventually the dog let go and it went for the father’s leg before turning on the son. As soon as it was off me, I vomited then ran straight home to try and get some help.”

Diplock said his mother rushed him to Frere Hospital where he has since been receiving treatment.

“The wound was so deep the doctor said he couldn’t stitch it up. Not only do I have to have the dressing changed every day but I also have to go and do a skin graft for my back.”

Diplock has since opened a case against the dog owner. Police confirmed that a case was being investigated.

When contacted for comment, Strydom admitted that his dog had attacked Diplock and said because of the incident, he had contacted the SPCA to put the dog down.

He added that the dog must have been antagonised in some way prior to the attack.

“That boy has known that dog since it was a puppy and it has never done anything to him before. It’s never attacked anyone. The dog also didn’t attack him when he came in but only when he came out. I think he must have kicked the dog or something.”

SPCA operations manager Lionel Taylor confirmed that Strydom had contacted them.

Taylor said the dog would first be sedated and then taken to the SPCA where it would be put down.

“Not once has that family come here to check on me or to take me to the doctor. I want them to reimburse me for the torn T-shirt and to apologise to me because I could have died,” he said.

Strydom, however, said he had apologised and stated that he kept his dogs in the back yard to prevent incidents of this kind from happening.

“I even have a warning sign on my gate so people know what to expect when they come in. I have taken all the necessary precautions to keep this kind of thing from happening because I've heard that this breed is very temperamental.”