MOSSEL BAY NEWS - A two-year-old pit bull from Mossel Bay recently received a new 'leash' on life and a brand-new name after a close shave with death - no less than a bullet to the chest.
Originally named Meisie, the pit bull was given her new name, Bullet, by her owner, Ext 8 resident Melvin Steenberg, after she was shot during a police raid at his house in Skool Street on 26 June.
After being treated for the wound, and almost two weeks of recovery time at the Garden Route SPCA's Mossel Bay branch, Bullet and Steenberg were reunited on 8 July, amid a flurry of cuddles, kisses, tail wagging and some playtime.
Steenberg spoke to Mossel Bay Advertiser about the day Bullet was shot. He said Bullet was indoors with him that morning when the police suddenly raided his house.
He alleged one of the officers shot Bullet right by the door as he was entering. He suspects the officer might have been scared of her when he saw her, but that she had merely gone up to him to see who was in the house, and the officer probably thought she had wanted to bite him.
Steenberg said after the shooting, the police called the Garden Route SPCA's Mossel Bay branch so they could pick her up and rush her in for treatment.
"I was so scared for her. My nerves were all over the place while I was waiting for the SPCA to come and fetch her," Steenberg said.
An inspector for the branch, Thembinkosi Malinga, told the Advertiser he and his fellow inspector, Mariaan Wentzel, had received a call from the police that a dog had been shot in Skool Street and that it was still alive, but needed urgent assistance.
Malinga said when he and Wentzel arrived, they spoke to the officers about the incident. He said the officers claimed Bullet had been aggressive, and in an act of defence, he had fired a shot at her.
Malinga said the bullet seemed to have entered the dog's chest and exited out the ribcage. "The owner brought the dog out to us in his arms. She showed no signs of aggression. I examined the wound and didn't really see any blood."
Malinga and Wentzel rushed Bullet back to the SPCA and lay her on the operating table of veterinarian
Dr Suzanne Muller. "At first glance, it didn't seem so bad. There wasn't a lot of blood and she was breathing fine. She did not seem too distressed, either," she said.
It was when Bullet had an endotracheal tube (a tube inserted into the windpipe) inserted that Muller noticed a few drops of blood coming from it. "This indicated there was some trauma to her lungs," she said.
Muller said luckily, the bullet had not penetrated the lungs, but there was perhaps a bit of bruising from its force when it travelled through the chest.
She said, however, that she cleaned up the wound, placed a pressure bandage on Bullet and gave her some medication. Bullet had to be monitored by the branch's staff for several days to ensure she was recovering well.
"She did so, and fast," said Muller.
Malinga said Steenberg had walked to the SPCA to check on Bullet a day or so later, and when he learnt she would be OK, he was elated.
"He even left the branch with a bit of a skip in his step," Malinga said.
"When it was time to return Bullet home, I called him to let him know we were on our way. He said he was at work at the time, but that he would rush over. He ran from his work in Heiderand all the way back to his home - he did not even catch a taxi!
"The reunion was beautiful. It is so rewarding to see an owner and their dog so connected. It was very special."
Steenberg said he was grateful for the SPCA and all its help.
He added that he was thankful to the police for calling the SPCA and said he was not angry or upset with them.
No comment had been received from the police by the time of going to press.
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