Trial against owner

Nasty neighborhood dispute leads to dog attack

The neighbors filmed the attack by the shepherd dogs (symbolic image).

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Dimid - stock.adobe.com)

Fearing attacks by the defendant's German shepherd dogs, a couple from Lower Austria bought a bodycam and filmed all the walks they made with their little dogs for months. In the end, they actually brought the 61-year-old owner of the aggressive guard dogs, with whom they have been at loggerheads for 30 years, to court. 

The situation seems frightening. A man riding his bike along country lanes and letting his two German Shepherds run in front of him without a lead and, according to witnesses, sometimes without a muzzle. "The dogs run straight at you when you meet them," describes a 20-year-old who was injured during one of these "encounters". Just like his Jack Russell terrier.

"Mr. G.'s dog had my dog's head in its mouth. That's when I intervened," he recalls.

Walk at 5 o'clock as a point of contention
The incident is only a side issue in the trial at Wiener Neustadt Regional Court on Wednesday. It is primarily about a neighborly dispute that has been simmering for 30 years. The dogs are also at the center of it. The neighboring couple must pass the defendant's property when walking their three small dogs. "For years, we've been barked at a lot when we walk past. The German shepherd throws himself against the fence and is extremely aggressive," explains the self-employed IT worker. The couple make their first round at 5 o'clock in the morning.

The defendant wakes up to "the huge noise" caused by his own sheepdogs. This annoys the Lower Austrian, who keeps the dogs in a kennel. Which is why he ran out in April and shouted: "Keep the peace at night. Next time I'll smash your face in," he shouted at his neighbor. According to the public prosecutor, this was coercion. 

The accused owner of the German shepherd dogs

(Bild: A. Richter, Krone KREATIV)

Bodycam records walks
Just a few minutes later, the trial reveals that the defendant himself regularly takes his dogs for a walk before 6 am. Or rather, he rides. He accompanies the free-roaming dogs on his bike, which, according to him, "always wear a muzzle".

Now the story becomes explosive. Because the neighbors bought a bodycam out of fear of Mr G. and his German shepherds and have been filming all their walks since the previous year: "Because we wanted to protect ourselves due to the incidents," explains the neighbor as a witness. An attack does indeed follow, which is - at least partially - captured on camera.

He insulted us and chased after us with his sheepdogs. My husband fell because the dog attacked him.

Auszüge aus dem abgesetzten Notruf nach der Attacke. Aufgezeichnet von der Bodycam.

The video shows the encounter between the small dogs and the German shepherds, you can hear loud barking and a neighbor calling for help. Then an emergency call is recorded, which the couple made: "He insulted us and followed us with his sheepdogs," the agitated neighbor calls into her cell phone, "The dogs attacked us. My husband fell because the dog attacked him," we hear before the rescue team arrives. "It was all faked. You are faking false facts", the accused 61-year-old pleads not guilty. 

Three months suspended
There are also arguments during the trial: "Why don't you leave at 6 o'clock? Why are you leaving at 5? I don't want to," the defendant shouts at the witness. "Why should I change my life? An hour a day is stolen from us. My dogs don't make noise when we go for a walk, yours do," the neighbor replies.

After the argument, the judge sentenced the shepherd-owner to three months' conditional imprisonment. "There were an insane number of incidents with your dogs," says Ms. Rat in the reasons for the sentence. Not legally binding.