Girl Dies After Dog Bite While Playing in Yard; Dog Owner Sentenced
Nhamo Zhou, a 50-year-old resident of Vurayayi Village, has been sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison for culpable homicide by the Zvishavane Magistrates’ Court.
The incident occurred on October 20, 2025, when a female dog owned by Zhou bit a young girl while she was playing alone in her yard.
The child’s mother acted quickly, chasing the dog away and noticing that her daughter had a deep cut above her left eye. Zhou’s wife was informed and helped with the child’s medical expenses.
Tragically, on November 2, 2025, the girl began to show alarming symptoms, including vomiting and frothing at the mouth. She was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
A post-mortem revealed that the cause of death was acute cardiorespiratory failure due to rabies.
Zhou was arrested after he could not provide a vaccination card for his dog.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) is reminding dog owners to manage their pets responsibly to prevent such tragic incidents.
