A group of schoolchildren narrowly escaped serious injury yesterday when a roaming dog, described as a pit bull, attacked them on the East Bank Demerara Public Road.
Antwone Stevens, four, of Old Road, Peter’s Hall, was bitten on the right foot when the dog pounced on him.

Kerron Aaron, also four, sustained minor injuries to his head and bruises on left elbow when the dog also attacked him.
He was saved from further injury when his cousin, Ayesha Primo, repeatedly struck the animal with a lunch kit.
Both children received tetanus injections at the Georgetown Public Hospital but were not admitted.
The attack occurred while the children were on their way to the Eccles Nursery School.
Kaieteur News has confirmed that the animal belongs to a Peter’s Hall businesswoman.
A shaken Ayesha Primo said that she was walking with her son, Antwone, and six other children on the East Bank Demerara public road when she saw the pit bull approaching.
Ms. Primo said that before she could retreat, the animal had pounced on her cousin, Kerron Aaron, and had grabbed him by the head. At the time, the child was wearing a cap and it is believed that this saved him from serious injury.
Primo said that she began to hit the dog with a lunch-pack, and the pit bull eventually let go, but then leapt on her son, biting him on the right leg.
The woman said that a passing motorcyclist came to her rescue, but when he revved his bike to scare off the dog, the animal turned on him too.
Fortunately, a policeman in a vehicle also drove up and attempted to shoot the dog.
At the point, the animal retreated and ran north up the public road.
Primo said after the commotion had died down, she and other relatives went to a Peter’s Hall family who owns the animal.

Chinese-murders

However, she alleged that the family members were hostile to them, and they eventually reported the incident at the Providence Police Station.
Two women who are reportedly employees of the dog owner alleged that they had offered to pay for the children’s medical treatment.
However, they alleged that Primo and her relatives “created a racket” at the premises.  
“Fair enough, a child was involved but fortunately it was not serious,” one of the women said.
According to the employees, the businesswoman who owns the animal is overseas. She declined to comment further.
The incident comes in the wake of two recent pit bull attacks, in which a security guard was mauled to death and a destitute badly injured.

Saturday, May 24, 2008