kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt
When death came stalking, 11-year-old Rachel Bhagwandeen pushed her younger brother Jaylon away from a raging American Bulldog, telling him to run away. It was a selfless act that cost Rachel her life as the pet, named Buddy, eventually mauled her to death inside her cousin’s home at Solomon Street, Vistabella, yesterday.
As undertakers removed Rachel’s bloodied corpse, her wailing mother, Seema Bhagwandeen, pleaded with relatives to allow her to take her daughter home.
Bhagwandeen, 41, and her family live at Fairview Park, Freeport, but would visit relatives in Vistabella every Thursday, when she takes her eldest son Jadon to lessons at Open Bible High School in San Fernando. Around 10.30 am, Bhagwandeen, Rachel, Jaylon and their uncle Mastry Sooklalsingh sat under the front house.
Sooklalsingh said when the relative, who owns Buddy and an America Bully, Budda, was leaving home, he told the children that he left the house open so they could watch television. Sooklalsingh said the dogs would usually be behind a barrier. However, around 11 am, they got loose and ran into the house, where the children were watching television.
Seema Bhagwandeen, mother of Rachel Bhagwandeen, 11, who was mauled to death by an American Bulldog while visiting her family at Solomon Street, Vistabella, yesterday.
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Bhagwandeen said she did not know the dogs were outside or when Rachel and Jaylon left. She said everything happened within the blink of an eye.
“She pushed out her brother, and he ran out and said, ‘Mommy, Rachel get bite up’. My big brother went there first and it attacked him. I went, and I tried to kick the dog. The dog just started to shake up my baby girl,” Bhagwandeen said.
She continued, “I hit the dog. I kicked the dog. My baby girl is gone, and I am seeing her stretching out, bawling mommy, mommy, mommy, and I cannot do anything.”
The dog’s owner was out getting scaffolding when he got a phone call informing him that Buddy was attacking Rachel. Only when he arrived home 10-15 minutes later did Buddy let go of Rachel. The relative lifted Rachel to secure her, but she was already dead.
“I do not know if the dog jumped the gate. I do not know what happened. I know it just ran straight into the bedroom and mauled her like she was a rag doll,” Bhagwandeen said.
Despite her grief, Bhagwandeen said she understood it was an accident, as she knew her nephew would never intentionally cause harm to her children. She said she thought the dogs knew Rachel because they visited every Thursday.
Accepting the death, she told reporters that her child was now with God.
Sharing his account, Sooklalsingh said his son walked across to the parlour in the front yard and noticed Buddy inside the house. When Sooklalsingh and Bhagwandeen heard Jaylon crying, they ran to the back and saw Buddy gnawing at Rachel’s face.
“I ran down to see if I could do anything but I could not because the dog was stronger than me. The dog left the child and tried to run me down, so I ran out the house,” Sooklalsingh said.
The dog returned to Rachel and continued mauling her head.
Sooklalsingh said the children never played with the dog, as even he was afraid of Buddy. He said Budda was calm and playful, but Buddy was aggressive and killed pigeons. However, it was the first time he had attacked anyone.
“When I bounced into that bedroom and saw that little child on the ground with the dog, tears started to run out of my eyes. I could not do anything. I was so scared of the dog too, and the dog would not let go. That dog only let go when the owner came.”
Sooklalsingh advised owners of dangerous dogs not to breed them as pets.
“Especially pit bulls and bullies. I tell people to keep those dogs away from their children. Do not mind they say they are pets. They are not pets. Those dogs are very vicious. They turn on their owners sometimes. I saw it in pictures, I saw it plenty of times in the news. Even rottweilers.”
Mark Sooklalsingh, the owner of the American Bulldog that attacked and killed his relative Rachel Bhagwandeen.
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His neighbour Rebecca Mohammed agreed. After witnessing the attack, Mohammed said those breeds of dogs are suitable for security firms but not as pets.
While Mohammed never had any incidents with the dogs, she said they got away occasionally and entered her yard. She said she had to be careful when going outside to wash or leave her home.
Crystal Bhagwandeen holds her head in anguish, after her sister Rachel Bhagwandeen was mauled to death by an American Bulldog while visiting her family at Solomon Street, Vistabella, yesterday.
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