Relatives deny dog which mauled D’Abadie woman was ill-treated

Relatives of 56-year old Gaytrie Chanderpaul of D'Abadie, who was mauled to death by her Rottweiler on Tuesday afternoon, are dismissing speculation by members of the public that the dog was ill-treated.

The incident was witnessed by Chanderpaul’s ten-year-old granddaughter whose screams alerted family members who saw the dog holding on to Chanderpaul’s neck. The family is planning to get counselling for the child.

When Newsday visited the Andrews Lane home on Wednesday, her daughter Mandy Chanderpaul said the dog lived with the family for nine years.

“The dog is treated like family,” she said.

“He is not an aggressive dog. He was well fed – three square meals a day. He never acted this way, and this is why the family is more confused than anything.”

Chanderpaul was about to give the dog a treat when it attacked her around 6.30 pm. She routinely took the dog for an evening walk in the yard.

Mandy described the moment between finding her mother in the tight grip of the dog’s mouth to the time relatives managed to free her as “the most helpless feeling” she felt in her life.

“My hands were shaking trying to call the ambulance for help. It’s frustrating trying to get onto the ambulance. I kept getting a dial tone and when I finally got onto them, they said they’re somewhere in Santa Rosa.”

Mandy told Newsday the family was disappointed with the response time of the ambulance. She believes her mother would have survived if the ambulance arrived a few minutes earlier. She said by the time it got there, and by the way the paramedics looked at each other, she knew it was too late.

Chanderpaul was declared dead by the time she arrived at the Arima general hospital at around 7.45 pm.

“If they (ambulance) had come at least five minutes before I know it might have saved her life. She lost a lot of blood because the way he bit her was directly to her throat.

“It just happened so fast, we tried and we are disappointed that no one came when they heard our screams,” Mandy said.

Another relative told Newsday one of his fingers split in two and another finger was injured while trying to get the woman out of the dog’s grip.

Mandy said the entire family is having a hard time coming to terms with Chanderpaul’s death, particularly her other daughter living in Florida who is hoping she would be granted an exemption to return to attend her mother’s funeral.

Chanderpaul was described as helpful, kind, and hardworking.

The dog remains in his kennel while police of the Northern Division continue investigations.