Bulldog tears apart poodle in Brabant, owner denies but is seriously screwed | Domestic

The tragedy happened on Sunday, February 19, 2023, in the Designer Outlet shopping center in Roosendaal in Brabant. A woman was shopping there with her family, along with their leashed miniature poodle. At some point they came across a man walking around with his dog: a large animal, muscular and with a large broad head, very similar to an American bulldog.

Out of nowhere, the bulldog lost his patience and charged at the poodle. His owner fell as a result and was dragged away by the animal. He tried to prevent the dog from biting the poodle, but was unable to do so. The poodle was seriously injured and had to be rushed to the veterinary clinic. The daughter of the family also lost a bracelet in all the commotion and was left with a bleeding hand. She had to go to the doctor’s office, where she received a tetanus shot and antibiotics.

Things didn’t look good in the clinic. The poodle could no longer stand on its hind legs and was therefore given pain-relieving medication. X-rays were also taken. Nowadays that can easily cost several hundred euros. The dog didn’t do much better afterward, so the family went to another clinic for additional tests. Here X-rays were taken again. This showed that the animal might not survive.

The family wanted to do everything they could to save the animal, so she went to a faculty of veterinary medicine at Ghent University. Bruises in the chest, a broken rib, a collapsed lung and, after shaving bald, abrasions from teeth marks were found there. The poodle was admitted to intensive care for a crucial operation.

During that operation, the doctors also found large bruises on the liver. To stop this, a chest tube was placed, a tube that removes air or fluid from the chest cavity. It did not lead to any improvement. Another day later the animal suffered a cardiac arrest, which would prove fatal. Doctors started resuscitation, but could no longer do anything.

The family, devastated by grief, was left with a hefty bill of 10,000 euros. The mother felt that this was not her fault, but that of the bulldog’s owner. She took him to court, but the owner did not show up at the first hearing. He showed up at the second hearing and denied that his dog had bitten the other. That is against my better judgment, according to the judge. There are images of the incident and the medical records of the practitioners show clear bite wounds, as can be read in the verdict.

The costs incurred include the veterinary treatments, the cremation, the urn, the new dog, the medical treatment of her daughter and the lost bracelet, the travel costs, and the loss of income. ‘The various items have not been disputed, nor has the total amount. The judge therefore ruled that the amount of more than 10,000 euros was awarded. Furthermore, the owner must pay legal costs of more than 1,100 euros.

Dangerous dogs have been a topic of discussion for some time. Outgoing Agriculture Minister Piet Adema is investigating whether it is possible to ban dangerous dogs without a pedigree. Such a ban now applies in France. The minister wants to spare pedigree dogs, because these dogs are better supervised. The minister mainly sees problems with dogs from breed groups that are bred for vigilance and independence. These are often large, strong dogs that can bite heavily with their powerful jaws.

According to Adema, the problem largely lies with the owners. They often do not recognize the signals that dogs are about to bite, for example because they are afraid or stressed. People also regularly have the wrong expectations of their dogs. For example, it can become a problem if someone who is looking for a companion dog brings home a sheepdog that wants to be put to work hard.

It is currently not known how many biting incidents occur per year. Municipalities must do this according to the ANP mandatory keeping, but not all of them do so. That is why Adema wants to set up a national reporting point where all biting incidents are registered.

Dogs can receive an injection after a biting incident if the public prosecutor decides to do so. It can sometimes take months for this to happen, as owners can appeal such a decision.