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A Gqeberha dog owner has pleaded with the municipality to spare the lives of his five pit bulls despite the fact that they bit three people last month.
One of those victims was Luke Harwich who nearly lost his leg in the attack that took place on the 17th of June in front of his mother's complex in Montrose Road.
A spokesperson for the Metro Mamela Ndamase confirmed to Algoa FM News that the Marawu family asked for the matter to be reconsidered and asked for representations to be made.
She says once this request is made then it would be procedurally correct to allow for this process to occur.
Ndamase said a site visit was conducted on Tuesday, a day after the deadline to euthanize the animals had expired.
She says the Metro is now processing the matter in a holistic manner as the owners are in the process of making representations that might be considered.
Ndamase says there is no truth to the rumour that an agreement was reached with the dog owners.
She says all avenues will be considered, however, by-laws will be applied.
If needed, Mamela says other law enforcement agencies will be involved.
Besides failing to abide by an instruction to euthanize the dogs the family was also charged for contravening four other municipal bylaws.
These include failing to comply with the municipal determination relating to the keeping of animals; failing to exercise control over animals in a manner which causes damage to property; keeping more than two dogs on-premises without consent from the municipality and keeping a dog which interferes with the comfort, convenience, peace or quiet of neighbours by barking, yelping, howling or whining.
Algoa FM News approached one of the victims, Harwich, who referred us to his legal representative.
Wilma Espag van der Bank from Lessing Heyns & van der Bank attorneys in Gqeberha said her clients had laid a charge with the police and currently there is no negotiation between her clients and the Marawu family.
She added that dangerous dogs should be kept from public spaces so that people would not have to fear another attack.
Espag van der Bank said the fate of the dogs would be a result of the outcome of an investigation involving police, SPCA and the municipality.
Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said usually if a dog owner does not comply with an instruction to euthanize an animal, a court order is obtained by the Municipality.
She said police will only deal with the criminal aspects of the case.
