Neighbor in hospital

Dog attack: owner must now hand in “Xena”

Sissi K. points to the spot where her partner was attacked by the neighbor's dog. Terrier "Xena" had jumped over the fence and is said to have escaped once before.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Christa Blümel, zVg)

After a terrier bit off the thumb of a woman from southern Styria (46), the municipality of Tillmitsch has now banned the owner from keeping the dog. "Safety can no longer be guaranteed", says the mayor.

Almost two weeks ago, there was a shocking dog attack in the southern Styrian municipality of Tillmitsch: A 46-year-old woman had just returned to her home from a run. Suddenly, completely out of nowhere, she was attacked by a neighbor's dog that had jumped over a fence.

The Styrian woman was seriously injured on both forearms - the Staffordshire terrier even bit off the woman's thumb on her right hand. It was reattached in a complex emergency operation at Graz Regional Hospital.

Dog must be removed within five working days
Not only the bite victim and her partner are shocked, but the dog's owners also no longer understand the world. "Xena" had never been "sharpened up" and had always been a lovely family dog. However, it is clear to both sides that the dog cannot stay with the family as usual after this incident. Initially, the authorities ordered a ten-day quarantine for "Xena".

Now the municipality of Tillmitsch has issued a notice stating that the owner is no longer allowed to keep the terrier and must hand her in, as Mayor Walter Novak confirms: "Now that something has happened for the second time, safety can no longer be guaranteed with this dog."

The owner must surrender the animal within five working days. "We are in the process of evaluating what the best solution is, after all we are dealing with a living being," says Novak. However, the owner can keep the second dog, also a terrier. This dog is older and calmer and poses no risk.