Woman seriously injured

Rottweiler attack: “Cries for help could be heard far and wide”

Police markings and red stains on the ground bear witness to the terrible incident at the Gratwein cemetery.

(Bild: Scheriau Erwin)

The shock in Gratwein runs deep. While walking her dog, a woman in the market town north of Graz was attacked and seriously injured by a friend's Rottweiler. There were no eyewitnesses, but there were some earwitnesses.

Occasionally, walkers stroll through the secluded alley that leads directly past the cemetery. Some have their dogs with them on this spring-like Saturday - it's a popular walking route. Just hours earlier, a fight for survival had taken place here in the dark, in which a 34-year-old woman from the Graz area was seriously injured.

Conflict with another dog, then Rottweiler bit
She had been walking the two dogs of a distant relative - a Rottweiler and a mongrel - both on a lead and muzzled. As far as can be reconstructed so far, the eight-year-old Rottweiler briefly clashed with the dog of another walker, who then moved on.

The 60-kilo colossus could no longer be calmed down and lunged at the 34-year-old woman. The strap of the muzzle apparently broke and the dog literally bit into the woman's lower body. She had to fight for her life for several minutes.

Several earwitnesses called the emergency services
Even though there are no direct neighbors at this location: The woman's barking and cries for help could be heard for miles around. "I immediately suspected that something bad had happened and dialed 133," says a man who lives a good 300 meters away in the alley. He wasn't the only one: shortly after 8 p.m., the police received several emergency calls, confirms spokesman Markus Lamb.

A patrol was on the scene in no time and the fight was still going on. After the Rottweiler could not be stopped from attacking by either a siren or pepper spray, the police officers reached for their service weapons and shot the animal as soon as the situation allowed, without endangering the woman. She had suffered bleeding bite wounds to her legs, hips and stomach and was taken to Graz Regional Hospital.

Owner was known to the authorities
The 45-year-old owner of the dogs was not present on the fateful evening. Her Rottweiler had already brought her to court three years ago after it had attacked the five-year-old daughter of a friend and seriously injured her thighs and groin. The owner got off with a fine at the time. She was allowed to keep the dog ...