How family of three escaped surprise pitbull attack

A FAMILY of three including a 15-year-old boy had a narrow escape when their pitbull turned on them during an attack earlier this week. 

The pitbull attacked the mother and her two sons. None of the Durban family members wanted to be identified or their injuries photographed following Monday’s attack. 

The 15-year-old boy managed to escape after he pried the dog's jaws open with his hands when it locked onto his leg after biting two other family members.

Recounting the moments, a family member said he was in the room when he heard his brother scream. He rushed outside to find the dog had bitten his mother and brother outside the front door. He said that he pulled them inside the house and closed the gate but the dog pushed his head through a gap in the gate and gripped him on the leg.

“He was jumping from one to another, trying to get a grip on them. I pulled them in, and before I could close the door, he came through the gate. I punched the dog in an attempt to get him off my leg, but that did not work. I am not sure where I got the strength from, but I gripped either side of his jaw and pulled it open to release my leg,” he said. 

The family were bitten on their hands and legs. They contacted the neighbourhood watch for help, with several private security companies rushing to their assistance. The dog was pepper-sprayed to subdue it, allowing the family to get out of the property. The SPCA had removed the dog and the family were taken to hospital.  

Garrith Jamieson, ALS Paramedics spokesperson, said that in a separate incident, five dogs attacked a man in his garden on Sunday. 

“The man had sustained multiple bites to his entire body and was in a critical condition,” he said. 

In October 2025, an elderly woman from Wentworth was attacked by two pit bulls while walking home.

The SPCA reported that in January 2024, a 60-year-old Durban man had to be stabilised by paramedics and hospitalised after he was bitten multiple times by his boerboel. Less than a month earlier, a one-year-old baby was badly bitten by the family’s pitbull.

The SPCA stated that while most dog attacks involve unfamiliar dogs, there are cases of family pets turning on their owners. 

“Children under the age of six are more likely to suffer serious injuries from a dog attack as they will be bitten on the head, face and neck. Older children and adults are more likely to be bitten on the legs, arms and hands,” the SPCA stated. 

Cape Times