Dog fight has owners snarling

11 November 2016 - 09:02 By APHIWE DEKLERK

A lawyer says she is living in fear after a beach fight between her dog and two others led to verbal assaults and threats. Françoise Lempereur has laid charges of harassment, intimidation and crimen injuria against Shaun Hoddy, accusing him of calling her a "f**king b*tch" and threatening to "break her f**king neck".Lempereur's pitbull, Jude, attacked Hoddy's two dogs at Sea Point beach on Sunday.In an affidavit she has given to the police, Lempereur claims a "mob" of men pushed her, put objects in her pitbull's anus and eyes, pulled his limbs and choked him.She alleges Jude was injured and that after the fight ended, when someone poured water on the dogs to break them up, Hoddy followed her, shouting obscenities and photographing her."I was terrified and went to my ex-husband's house for help," Lempereur said.Hoddy wrote about the incident on the Atlantic Seaboard Crime Watch Facebook page, where a number of group members criticised Lempereur, calling for the dog to be taken away from her.Group member Francoise Brand claimed there had been more than 10 similar incidents involving Lempereur and her dog.Another user, Alan Lavine, said: "I have witnessed such an attack by the stadium."The dog was shaking a pug in its mouth and was not letting go. I had to kick it in the ribs a few times. It gave me some satisfaction."Portia Rayners wrote that Lempereur should be barred from owning a dog.In his post, Hoddy said the incident was traumatic and Lempereur showed no remorse."Both dogs have bites and the one is very traumatised. Thank heavens we stopped it," he said.Hoddy denied yesterday that he threatened Lempereur physically, but admitted to swearing at her.He also denied that there was a "mob" that hurt her dog, saying a friend put his finger in its anus in a bid to stop the attack."I did say to her she is a f***ing b**ch for doing this [walking away after the incident], but I never said anything else," he said...

There’s never been a more important time to support independent media.

From World War 1 to present-day cosmopolitan South Africa and beyond, the Sunday Times has been a pillar in covering the stories that matter to you.

For just R80 you can become a premium member (digital access) and support a publication that has played an important political and social role in South Africa for over a century of Sundays. You can cancel anytime.

Already subscribed? Sign in below.



Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.