An eight-month-old baby has died after being mauled by her father’s black Rottweiler in Glen View, Harare, while two other people attacked by the same dog are being treated for serious head injuries at Sally Mugabe Hospital.
The baby, Tayana Nyandoro, was bitten on the head and died at the scene during the attack in the Riverside area of Glen View 7 on Thursday.
Her mother, Rosemary Madzinga, 43, was holding Tayana when the dog began attacking people in the family yard. Madzinga had been seated at home nursing her daughter when she saw her former housemaid, Varaidzo Gumboreshumba, 26, passing by.
She called Gumboreshumba into the yard. As soon as the former housemaid entered, the Rottweiler attacked her. The assault drew the attention of neighbours. A two-year-old boy, Kupakwashe Gambo, was among those who gathered to watch what was happening before the dog turned on him as well.
Gumboreshumba and Kupakwashe suffered severe injuries to their heads. They were taken to Sally Mugabe Hospital, where their condition was described as serious. The dog then attacked baby Tayana, biting her on the head while she was in her mother’s arms. She died on the spot.
Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector Luckmore Chakanza confirmed the case and said the dog’s owner, John Nyandoro, 48, had been arrested and was facing a culpable homicide charge.
“Police arrested a Glen View man in connection with the sudden death of a baby due to a vicious dog bite and injuries sustained by two other people. The now deceased was bitten on the head and died on the spot,” Insp Chakanza said.
He said police records showed that the dog had been vaccinated on 13 May, with the vaccination valid for one year. The vaccination record did not prevent the attack, which left one child dead and two other victims in hospital.
“The injured parties were referred to Sally Mugabe Hospital for treatment,” Insp Chakanza said.
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals inspectors attended the scene and recommended that the dog be put down.
The Glen View attack is the latest in a series of fatal and serious dog attacks recorded in Zimbabwe this year. The incidents have involved household pets, dogs allowed to roam and animals described by residents as a danger in their neighbourhoods.
On 22 August, a 39-year-old man was mauled to death by dogs at an open ground near Plot 104 in Sabonabona, Eiffel Flats, Kadoma. Police said the man’s body was later found at the scene with his clothes torn apart and multiple dog-bite injuries.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the man was “mauled to death by dogs at an open ground near Plot 104, Sabonabona, Eiffel Flats, Kadoma on August 22, 2026, at around 7 pm.
“The victim’s body was later discovered at the scene, naked, with clothes torn apart and with multiple dog-bite injuries. The ZRP urges dog owners to ensure that their dogs are properly secured at all times and to comply with relevant local authority by-laws governing the keeping and control of dogs.”
A relative, Agness Kubenda, said Machera had spent the day with the family before he went outside during the night. In the morning, the family found that the gate was open and began looking for him.
“We spent the day well with him (Samuel)… in the evening he came to me asking for matches and I refused to give him because we are members of Vapostori and we do not condone such acts, so my younger sister ended up giving in. So, I suspect that he was bitten by the dogs when he went out for a smoke because that was the last time I saw him, as I had gone to sleep. In the morning, when I woke up, I noticed that the gate was open and looked for him, but I could not find him.
“That is when I went back inside the house to check if someone had left early in the morning. That is when my 22-year-old son came to alert me that babamunini Samuel was mauled by dogs. Initially, I didn’t think it was that serious (but) when we arrived where he was, we saw his lifeless body.”
The Bluff Hill attack was preceded by complaints from residents about dogs escaping or roaming outside the property. In one account from the area, a neighbour said, “In 2023 they chased my kids. Last year they killed another dog. Owner was rude when we pleaded with him. His dogs move around as a pack at night and cause real terror. They have killed people’s cats, dogs and chickens.”
The latest attacks have coincided with continuing concern over dog bites and rabies exposure. Health surveillance figures recorded 619 dog-bite cases in one week in January, with no deaths reported during that week. In Bulawayo, 76 dog-bite cases were recorded in January, while authorities also confirmed a rabies case.
SPCA animal inspector Allison Sibanda has urged victims to report attacks to the police and seek medical attention. He said police documentation could help victims obtain anti-rabies treatment and allow authorities to request the removal of dangerous dogs.
“One is supposed to report to the police when they get bitten by a dog. After reporting to the police, the police will give the person a letter to go to the clinic and to get an anti rabies vaccine. If the dogs are too vicious and people do not want those dogs in their community the person who has been bitten can also report to the police then the police will write a letter to SPCA to remove those dogs in the area or in any other premises,” Sibanda said.
He also said dogs should not be taken outside without a leash and that owners were required to keep them within secure properties.
“One is not allowed to walk around with their dog without a leash outside their premises, that’s an offence under the city council bylaws. You’re not allowed to keep a dog without a secure property,” he said.
For the Nyandoro family, those warnings came too late. A routine visit by a former housemaid, a gathering of concerned neighbours and a mother nursing her baby became a deadly attack within moments. Tayana is the youngest known victim in the recent series of fatal dog attacks, while Gumboreshumba and Kupakwashe remain in hospital after suffering serious injuries.
Police investigations into the Glen View case are continuing, while SPCA inspectors have recommended that the Rottweiler be put down.