Desperate attempts to save pitbull victim.
THE owner of two pitbulls who mauled Haidee Pook to death said he lay on top of her to protect her from his marauding dogs when he realised he was powerless to stop the fatal attack.
His tattooed arms visibly scratched, Travis Wade, 28, a former cage fighter and bouncer who lives in a flatlet at his parent’s Baysville home, walked the Daily Dispatch through the path he claims the 45-year-old Pook took minutes before his pitbulls tore into her petite frame.
In his version of events, Wade said he had fetched Pook, a former nursing assistant, from her Beacon Bay home at about 9pm last Thursday night before collecting his friend Wayne Brundyn, 23, who lives with the family, from Hemingways Mall.
The trio arrived at the Baysville house just after 11pm.
He said while he parked his car in the driveway, Pook and Brundyn walked down an enclosed alleyway between the main house and garages which leads to both his flat door and a door to the backyard.
He said his eight-month-old pitbull puppy was in the alleyway and had startled Pook.
Instead of entering his flat, Pook and Brundyn went through the door leading to the backyard where Pook ran to the kitchen door of the main house and opened the lower part of the stable door.
His parents were not at home at the time.
Brundyn said he was holding the puppy between his knees and shouted at Pook not to open the kitchen door.
“The two dogs were inside and they don’t know her and so they attacked her,” said Wade.
“She has never met my dogs. She only knows the puppy. When she heard them coming she tried to close the security gate, but my male dog jumped against the gate and went at her. The female dog also joined in.”
Wade said he smashed a brick and a metal weight against the dogs and even managed to fling the male dog into the pool in a bid to stop the frenzied attack, but to no avail.
He said he had eventually become exhausted and lay on top of Pook’s brutalised body in an effort to keep his dogs off her, but the pitbulls savaged his arms to get at his friend.
Wade insisted his dogs were simply protecting their territory.
Brundyn said he had also tried to help Pook.
“I tried to help her. I tried pulling them off.
“I kept screaming for her to get away from the yard, but she had run through the kitchen door.”
Wade said he and Brundyn had attended counselling at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital since the horror attack because “it is stressful to see a friend die”.
Police have opened an inquest into Pook’s death. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Owner tells of deadly dog attack
THE owner of two pitbulls who mauled Haidee Pook to death said he lay on top of her to protect her from his marauding dogs when he realised he was powerless to stop the fatal attack.
His tattooed arms visibly scratched, Travis Wade, 28, a former cage fighter and bouncer who lives in a flatlet at his parent’s Baysville home, walked the Daily Dispatch through the path he claims the 45-year-old Pook took minutes before his pitbulls tore into her petite frame.
In his version of events, Wade said he had fetched Pook, a former nursing assistant, from her Beacon Bay home at about 9pm last Thursday night before collecting his friend Wayne Brundyn, 23, who lives with the family, from Hemingways Mall.
The trio arrived at the Baysville house just after 11pm.
He said while he parked his car in the driveway, Pook and Brundyn walked down an enclosed alleyway between the main house and garages which leads to both his flat door and a door to the backyard.
He said his eight-month-old pitbull puppy was in the alleyway and had startled Pook.
Instead of entering his flat, Pook and Brundyn went through the door leading to the backyard where Pook ran to the kitchen door of the main house and opened the lower part of the stable door.
His parents were not at home at the time.
Brundyn said he was holding the puppy between his knees and shouted at Pook not to open the kitchen door.
“The two dogs were inside and they don’t know her and so they attacked her,” said Wade.
“She has never met my dogs. She only knows the puppy. When she heard them coming she tried to close the security gate, but my male dog jumped against the gate and went at her. The female dog also joined in.”
Wade said he smashed a brick and a metal weight against the dogs and even managed to fling the male dog into the pool in a bid to stop the frenzied attack, but to no avail.
He said he had eventually become exhausted and lay on top of Pook’s brutalised body in an effort to keep his dogs off her, but the pitbulls savaged his arms to get at his friend.
Wade insisted his dogs were simply protecting their territory.
Brundyn said he had also tried to help Pook.
“I tried to help her. I tried pulling them off.
“I kept screaming for her to get away from the yard, but she had run through the kitchen door.”
Wade said he and Brundyn had attended counselling at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital since the horror attack because “it is stressful to see a friend die”.
Police have opened an inquest into Pook’s death. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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