Pet dog sees off gunmen

EAST LONDON -- A nondescript dog named Ricki, acquired from the SPCA, yesterday saved the life of 63-year-old Amalinda widow Celeste Shellard by chasing off gun-toting intruders.

Shellard lives alone in Amalinda and has been plagued by a group of armed burglars who have been terrorising her for the past month.

"I live in fear of my life, I walk around with a gun and my dogs," the perky pensioner said.

Yesterday they broke in again and fired several shots at Shellard.

Ricki, of undetermined breed, attacked the man who was holding a gun to Shellard's head, causing him to flee.

"I was shooting and they were shooting at me. It looked like a cowboy movie," Shellard said.

She said the police dog unit was called in but could not follow the spoor of the attackers. This was the fourth time intruders had struck.

"Each time it has been the same people, with loaded guns," Shellard claimed. The break-ins had usually occurred between 8 and 9am after people had left for work.

The nearest police station is Cambridge and police take about half an hour to get to Amalinda, she said.

"When Ricki was rescued from a squatter camp, she had mange, wire around her mouth and neck and a piece of wood tied to her leg," Shellard said.

Ricki is about a year and eight months old and has been very good with Shellard's cats.

Ricki bites the attackers but her best move is a rugby tackle.

According to Shellard, Ricki jumps up at the attacker, putting her legs around him and causing panic. "SPCA dogs are the best. Twice Ricki has saved my life," Shellard said. Crime in the neighbourhood was rife, she added.

A neighbour's domestic worker had also been raped.

Shellard said although she had opened a number of cases, the police had been unable to apprehend the criminals. -- DDR