Dogfight: Outrage after dog allegedly bites learner at school

An uncle of a grade 2 learner at Epundi Combined School in Odayafingwa village in the Ohangwena Region is furious about the school management's handling of an incident in which his eight-year-old nephew was allegedly bitten on school premises by a dog owned by a staff member.

Erastus Kleopas, the family representative of the learner, claims he has had to fork out money to pay for the child’s transport to and from the hospital for rabies shots.

Kleopas said he also fears that the rabies treatment, five shots over a period of time, will hamper the child’s academic performance.

The incident reportedly took place on 17 October, and according to interviews conducted by Namibian Sun, the victim allegedly stepped on the dog, which responded by allegedly biting him on the thigh.

Since the incident, the boy has, according to the uncle, been visiting Oshakati State Hospital for rabies injections – a total of five are required. The dog, named ‘Chief,’ belongs to a staff member at the school.

The dog's owner said this week she has agreed to cover the costs following the incident but denied that the dog bit the child, saying it was a mere scratch.

Not a bite

School principal, Magnus Angula, has, however, refuted the allegations that the dog poses a danger to learners, stating that this was the first incident of its kind in his more than 12 years as principal.

He added that Chief is a harmless dog. Moreover, the principal noted that while he was not present during the incident, the dog reportedly did not bite the child but grazed him.

“I was told that the learner stepped on the dog and the dog scratched him. There was no blood. However, as a precaution, first aid was conducted, and subsequently the guardian of the child and the owner of the dog made a verbal agreement, which is that the dog owner will cater for the transport cost to the hospital.”

The dog has reportedly followed its owner from home to school for over four years, and has reportedly continued to do so following the incident.

Angula added that a number of dogs, either belonging to learners or members of the community, do enter the school due to a poorly maintained fence.

Cost to family

“The child is now going through multiple injections to avoid rabies infection,” Kleopas alleged, adding that the trips to the hospital have placed a financial burden on the family.

Kleopas claimed the child is also missing classes due to hospital visits.

“The injection visits make him miss classes, which poses implications for his performance at the end of the semester. Furthermore, we fear about the safety of the children while at school since the school grounds pose a threat and danger to the children."

Members of the community claim that the dog's owner has been coming to school with her dog since 2010, when she transferred from another school as a cleaner.

"She's a permanent staff member at the school. We felt that the school has neglected the act about domestic and endangered animals in public spaces,” Kleopas claimed.

Kleopas added that even without a proper fence at the school, it is the responsibility of pet owners to train their animals not to follow them to work or into public areas.

No pets allowed

Ohangwena education director Isak Hamatwi said pets are not allowed at school.

Hamatwi said school authorities must always ensure the safety of learners and teachers.