A businessman who survived a 13-minute mauling by two pit bulls early Monday morning says that the animals should be put to sleep immediately since they are a threat to anyone who goes near them.
Legal action is a route that the injured man is planning to take, but at present he is hospitalized and has to undergo a second operation to repair the wounds on both hands.
Just after 5 am 57-year-old Lennox Wade, who is a gold miner and a furniture manufacturer of 3051 North Ruimveldt, was attacked by two pit bulls while jogging in the vicinity of Well Road in North Ruimveldt.
After about fifteen minutes of calling for help a woman living nearby threw a bucket of water on the ferocious animals.
He was later rushed to the Georgetown Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery and was admitted.
Yesterday when Stabroek News visited, Wade was lying in pain. Both of his hands were bandaged and still bleeding. He had countless bite marks, some huge, on his legs, feet, neck and back.
Family members and friends flocked his bedside and some of them stared at him in utter disbelief.
His wife Sharon Wade told Stabroek News that the owners of the dogs have accepted responsibility for the animals. She said that when she spoke with them, they said they would put in an appearance at the hospital but up to when this newspaper left the persons had not shown up.
The attack
Wade said that he jogs regularly and on Monday morning he got up early to do just that. Wade recounted that he was running along Sloth Street approaching Well Road when he observed two pit bulls on the road in front of a yard.
He said that he thought nothing of it, nor was he scared but as he was passing the animals pounced on him.
“First one came at me and I snatched him and started to choke but the other one started mauling at my hand so I had no alternative but to loose the one that I was choking,” Wade recounted.
According to the injured man, the dogs were between 50-60 pounds each.
He said that the dogs snapped at both of his hands as he tried his best to fight them off.
Wade said that at the time no one was around. “I attempted to get away from them. I was kicking, cuffing, doing everything possible,” he recalled.
Bleeding, Wade managed to reach a gate nearby and he started shouting for help. He said that two persons looked out and in urgency he pleaded with them to let him in. He said that he even tried jumping over but the dogs held onto his legs and feet.
He said that the persons refused to open the gate for him because they were probably scared.
Wade said that he managed to shout out his telephone number and his wife was called and informed about what was taking place.
He added that after three minutes of pleading for the gate to be opened, a woman came and threw a bucket of water on the animals who then ran off. Wade said that he was under attack for about 13 minutes.
He said that while he was being attacked another jogger passed him and said “is good for you. They should kill ya s…”
The man said that his wife and niece came shortly after and took him to the hospital.
Wade told this newspaper that he believes that the animals should be put to sleep because the incident could have been worse if he hadn’t put up a fight. He said who knows what would have happened if a child had been attacked.
The owner of the animals, this newspaper understands, lives a stone’s throw away from where the incident occurred but was not at home at the time.
Stabroek News was told that the bones on both of Wade’s hands are exposed. His right hand is lifeless.
The newspaper was also told that police visited the injured man yesterday afternoon and spoke with him but no statement was taken.
