Accidents
Jogger bitten to death by dog in Austria
A dirt road in Naarn. photo
© Fotokerschi.At/Taras Panchuk/APA/dpa
The dog owner tried to drag her terrier away from the jogger – but the attack ended fatally. One woman dies, one is seriously injured.
There is one in Austria Woman bitten to death by a dog while jogging. As the police announced, the American Staffordshire Terrier in Naarn in the state of Upper Austria ran away from his owner and attacked the woman who was running.
Unlike many German federal states, there are no special requirements for keeping this dog breed in Upper Austria.
According to police, the fatal incident occurred in the morning near the dog owner’s home in Naarn near Linz. The jogger was so badly injured by the American Staffordshire Terrier that she died at the scene of the attack. The owner tried to drag her dog away and suffered serious injuries herself. However, she managed to bring her animal back into the house and alert emergency services, a police spokeswoman told the German Press Agency.
Dog owner in clinic
The dog owner was taken to the university clinic in Linz. According to the police, it was not yet possible to question the woman. Therefore, the exact course of the incident is not yet clear. The identities and ages of the two women have not yet been released.
In three Austrian federal states, a permit or a dog license test is required to keep potentially dangerous breeds such as American Staffordshire Terriers. Upper Austria is not one of them: all dog owners there have to complete a course. However, authorities in Upper Austria can order that individual animals are only allowed to go out in public with a muzzle and a leash if they attract attention due to their aggressiveness.
The community will take the dog away from the owner
The American Staffordshire Terrier from Naarn was not classified as conspicuous, said the mayor of Naarn, Martin Gaisberger, to the dpa. However, after the fatal incident, the municipality announced that it would ban the owner from keeping the animal and take the dog away from her.
In Germany it is generally forbidden to import American Staffordshire Terriers. Keeping these so-called fighting dogs is only permitted in most German federal states with permission from the authorities. In Brandenburg and Bremen, however, this breed is not allowed to be kept at all.