2024-03-14 03:55:28
Published14. March 2024, 04:55
Canton of Bern: He mightn’t control his brother’s pit bull
A dog attacks a smaller Chihuahua and bites him to death. The man who looked following the dog has now been convicted.
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Last summer, an American Pit Bull Terrier bit the neighbor’s Chihuahua to death.
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The dog owner was fined for this. In addition, dogs are now required to be on a leash and muzzled.
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A lawyer confirms: Owners are initially “automatically” liable for all damage caused by the animal.
In the end, Buddy* was dead. A Bernese man was fined 500 francs following the dog Shadow* attacked and bit his neighbor’s Chihuahua to death.
According to the penalty order, the accused was looking following his brother’s dog and “disregarding his duty and failing to keep it under control”. The dog was able to run out of the apartment unattended and attack the neighbor’s dog in the stairwell. The defendant was unable to get Shadow to let go of the neighbor’s dog. In the end, any help came too late for the bite victim. The case was reported to the veterinary office.
Buddy died in his owner’s arms
What is not clear from the penalty notice is that the dog owner’s 14-year-old daughter saw everything. “To this day I can’t believe what happened,” says the dog owner (41) when asked by 20 Minutes. Her 14-year-old daughter came home from a walk that day when her neighbor opened the door and Shadow suddenly jumped out.
“My daughter took him straight to the vet, but he died in her arms. She takes that with her to this day. She loved this dog very much. If she sees a bigger dog today, it reminds her of what happened.”
“We knew that the dog was very aggressive,” said the 41-year-old. It is an American Pitbull Terrier that has repeatedly attracted attention due to its aggressive behavior. “Unfortunately, no one ever did anything until our Chihuahua was attacked,” she said.
Owners responsible for their dogs
“In principle, the owner is responsible for ensuring that his animal does not cause any damage,” explains lawyer Daniela Fischer when asked by 20 Minutes. First of all, people are “automatically” liable for all damage caused by the animal. Unless you can prove that the animal was properly cared for and supervised and the damage would have occurred anyway.
However, according to the penalty order, this was not the case.
“Strict leash and muzzle requirement”
Dog bite incidents are usually reported to the veterinary office, which then takes the necessary measures. “These can ultimately lead to euthanasia of the animal,” said the lawyer. In order for those affected to receive compensation, they would have to file a claim for damages with a civil judge.
When contacted by 20 Minutes, the Bern Veterinary Office confirmed that it was aware of the case. The dog was required to be kept on a strict leash and muzzle outside of the private living area.
*Names changed by editors.
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