An elderly couple and their dogs fought back against farm attackers in Broederstroom on Thursday night and escaped unharmed after they were attacked outside their house. The couple is now desperately trying to find one of their dogs that has since disappeared.

Jill (76) and John (76) Heinrich were outside their house on the farm around 19:45 when they were attacked by three or more men.

“I was feeding a feral cat colony I am looking after and my two dogs were with me as usual. Suddenly they started barking madly and I immediately knew there was someone. I looked up and saw a man watching me. I called the dogs and ran to the kitchen but the dogs went for the man. I screamed for my husband who grabbed a big stick and went towards the man. More men appeared and one came after me,” Jill told Kormorant.

John attacked the men with a stick and one fired a shot. Jill managed to get to the kitchen and close the glass door before grabbing the panic button. “The one coming after me had a firearm and he pointed it at me through the glass door. He then charged full force for the door and it shattered, but he had seen me pressing the panic button and I think that made him turn back. John had in the mean time been fighting off the others. The dogs were also in the fight. There was a lot of screaming and barking going on. After the man saw me with the panic button, they all fled,” she said.

Officers of SRU HiRisk security services were on the scene soon after. “John had sustained bruises and scratches, but he is okay. I am taking him to the doctor this morning.”

It is suspected that the attackers had been in the house even before Jill and John saw them, as two computers and a notepad are missing.

While security services were still on the scene, they received an alert for another attack on a nearby farm where farm workers were attacked by presumably the same gang. The workers raised the alarm and the attackers were scared off by security services arriving. The attackers shot at security officers while fleeing.

Police were on the scene and are investigating the attacks.

Jill and John are now desperately looking for their dog that has been missing since the attack. “He is a black-and-tan Basset cross with a heavy body and short legs and has recently been groomed. I am worried that he was shot and is maybe lying wounded somewhere. We would be grateful if members of the community near Estate D’Afrique would be on the lookout for him. We are desperately trying to find him.”

If anyone has seen the dog, called Baxter, contact 072 681 5556.