A 57-year-old man has lost feeling in his arm after he was viciously mauled by two pit bulls while on his way to work on Wednesday.

A machinist by trade, Perumal Naidoo, had just left his Arena Park home on the way to work when he noticed two pit bulls approaching him.

Naidoo said that as the two medium-sized, light brown, pit bulls approached him, he recognised that the dogs looked to have been well taken care of, with one even sporting a brown collar.

Naidoo’s daughter explained that without provocation, they then ran up to him and both violently attacked him.

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“They put him on the ground and gripped onto his hands and legs. He tried to fight them off but was unable to. This went on for more than five minutes. A car drove past and tried to assist by hooting, but they were scared to get out of the vehicle. My father said that he eventually had no more strength to fight back. His last resort was to take sand and rub it into one of their eyes, which prompted them to leave. He then crawled back down the road and passed out at one of the houses where he was assisted,” she said.

Naidoo was rushed to hospital and attended to at the emergency department.

“We drove past the area to see if we could locate these dogs, but we were unable to. They may have even come from somewhere else – we are not sure of their whereabouts or to whom they belong. We were unable to report this to the police station for this reason,” she added.

Due to the severity of the injuries, Naidoo has lost feeling in his arm, which was bitten, meaning that he cannot work and has lost his source of income.

“He is in a lot of pain. He is unable to move his fingers as they are numb and doctors have suspected nerve damage. He is traumatised and not able to sleep. The doctors have said that he has to go back to hospital if he does not regain feeling in the hand after two weeks. My dad is an independent person who likes to do things with his hands – this incident has left him frustrated as he is limited in what he does and can only use one arm. My concern is what if it was a child or an elderly person that could not defend themselves? Pit bull attacks are becoming more common in many areas, and a lot go unreported while victims suffer lifelong trauma. It is the responsibility of owners to ensure their dogs are kept locked, especially if you know your dogs are vicious and pose a threat to your community. I hope this article creates awareness and vigilance within the communities so it does not happen again,” she said.

Animal activist, Pat Naidoo, said that residents must report loitering dogs to the Metro Police.

“Members of the community must report loitering dogs to Metro as it is against the municipality by-law. Owners will be given a warning followed by a fine if they do not comply to keep their animals contained, and the animals can be removed. Substantiate your report with proof, such as in pictures with dates and times and confirmation from other residents. We urge residents to take dog bites seriously, irrespective of whether it’s a slight wound. The rabies jabs must be started immediately and follow-ups completed, as cases of rabies have been present in the surrounding area. Owners must take responsibility for keeping their dogs on their property and ensure they are vaccinated,” concluded Pat.

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Previously, officials from the Durban Metro Police Department met with members of the Kloof and Highway SPCA following a series of reported animal abuse cases.

Metro Police spokesperson, Colonel Boysie Zungu said, “Pet owners are reminded to keep their animals securely confined within their properties, ensure their pets can be identified through micro-chipping, and comply with all applicable municipal by-laws. By enforcing these regulations, the eThekwini Municipality aims to reduce incidents involving stray and dangerous animals, while creating safer communities for both residents and pets.”