Dog shot dead on Beach walk
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What was supposed to be a fun early morning walk on the beach for a dog and its owner turned into a nightmare.
Wynand van Niekerk and his friend, Steven Potgieter, had just finished walking Van Niekerk's dog, a boerboel named Fromel, on the beach near Beachwood Country Club, in Durban North, when the unthinkable happened.
As they were leaving the car park, another man arrived at the beach with his dog, an Alsatian.
"Fromel jumped out of the bakkie and there was an altercation between the two dogs," said Van Niekerk.
Van Niekerk said the owner of the Alsatian then took out his gun and shot Fromel. Twice.
"We pleaded with him to put the gun away," said a clearly upset Van Niekerk, who is from Gillitts. "We were too scared to come between him and the dog, fearing that he would shoot us too, but he just took his gun out and shot my dog."
Local resident Trevor Heath, who was walking his daschund on the beach, said it was "an alarming sight" to see the man shoot the dog. "I had passed Wynand and his friend walking their dog a few minutes before and the boerboel did not appear to be aggressive towards my dog. It is pretty normal for dogs to have an altercation and I see one almost every Saturday, but I have never seen anyone shoot somebody else's dog," he said.
Heath said he could not understand why the man had to shoot the dog, when it had already sought shelter under the owner's bakkie.
He said the man did not appear to show any remorse after shooting the dog.
"However when the police arrived he said he was sorry for what he had done."
Wynand said that his dog was not violent. "Fromel got along with everyone and he was on my bed last night," he said.
"Clearly this guy was not afraid of my dog, because he chased it and Fromel hid under my bakkie. Even when we apologised and pleaded nicely for him to put his gun away, he didn't, and when he shot him, I just couldn't believe it."
An angry Potgieter said that people like him should not have a gun licence. "If he can easily shoot a dog, then what will stop him from doing worse?" he asked.
Heath also asked the same question. "People who do that are a danger to society. The situation had been defused, so was there really a need for him to shoot the dog in cold blood? This is why there needs to be a tighter law to determine who is eligible to carry a gun."
Wynand called his wife Carla. When she arrived she burst into tears at the sight that met her.
"He was such a sweet dog and never gave us any trouble," she said. "It is going to be difficult coming to terms with our loss."
They left Fromel at the SPCA in Kloof for the vet to do an autopsy and take out the bullet for evidence.
Durban North police said that both parties came to give their statements, and the alleged shooter was not arrested because further investigation needed to be done. Measures to track down the alleged shooter, whose name is known to the Tribune, were unsuccessful.
As they were leaving the car park, another man arrived at the beach with his dog, an Alsatian.
"Fromel jumped out of the bakkie and there was an altercation between the two dogs," said Van Niekerk.
Van Niekerk said the owner of the Alsatian then took out his gun and shot Fromel. Twice.
"We pleaded with him to put the gun away," said a clearly upset Van Niekerk, who is from Gillitts. "We were too scared to come between him and the dog, fearing that he would shoot us too, but he just took his gun out and shot my dog."
Local resident Trevor Heath, who was walking his daschund on the beach, said it was "an alarming sight" to see the man shoot the dog. "I had passed Wynand and his friend walking their dog a few minutes before and the boerboel did not appear to be aggressive towards my dog. It is pretty normal for dogs to have an altercation and I see one almost every Saturday, but I have never seen anyone shoot somebody else's dog," he said.
Heath said he could not understand why the man had to shoot the dog, when it had already sought shelter under the owner's bakkie.
He said the man did not appear to show any remorse after shooting the dog.
"However when the police arrived he said he was sorry for what he had done."
Wynand said that his dog was not violent. "Fromel got along with everyone and he was on my bed last night," he said.
"Clearly this guy was not afraid of my dog, because he chased it and Fromel hid under my bakkie. Even when we apologised and pleaded nicely for him to put his gun away, he didn't, and when he shot him, I just couldn't believe it."
An angry Potgieter said that people like him should not have a gun licence. "If he can easily shoot a dog, then what will stop him from doing worse?" he asked.
Heath also asked the same question. "People who do that are a danger to society. The situation had been defused, so was there really a need for him to shoot the dog in cold blood? This is why there needs to be a tighter law to determine who is eligible to carry a gun."
Wynand called his wife Carla. When she arrived she burst into tears at the sight that met her.
"He was such a sweet dog and never gave us any trouble," she said. "It is going to be difficult coming to terms with our loss."
They left Fromel at the SPCA in Kloof for the vet to do an autopsy and take out the bullet for evidence.
Durban North police said that both parties came to give their statements, and the alleged shooter was not arrested because further investigation needed to be done. Measures to track down the alleged shooter, whose name is known to the Tribune, were unsuccessful.
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This article was originally published on page 1 of The Sunday Tribune on March 21, 2010
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