A dog that attacked several people in Bergen op Zoom must be put to sleep. That was decided by the subdistrict court on Thursday. Edith van Waal is happy with the verdict. She was seized by the Stafford. “These dogs should be banned,” she says.
Edith was scarred for life in May last year when the Stafford attacked her in front of her apartment complex. The dog came up to her, bit and didn’t let go. “It was a death throes. First he grabbed my leg. Then he went to my face and then he took my arms which I wrapped in front of it. I really thought my last hours had come,” says Edith. In the hospital she received ten stitches, because the skins were hanging on her body.
It wasn’t the first time the dog had attacked someone. In October 2021, he also attacked another victim. The owner of the dog was in court on Thursday for both incidents. He and his lawyer were not present in court.
“I’m afraid the pain will last for the rest of my life.”
The chance that the dog can still be re-educated turned out to be too small from a risk analysis. That is why the judge has ruled that he must be put to sleep. “It’s sad for the dog, but this is best to prevent more victims,” says Edith. She would prefer that the man is no longer allowed to have dogs at all. “Those dogs should be banned in the first place. They are unpredictable. Or only allowed with people who know how to raise them.”
The suspect must pay Edith 1465 euros in damages. He has eight months to do that. Edith has a hard head that the man will pay. “It’s a homeless stray who doesn’t have a penny to make,” she says. If that doesn’t happen, the Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB) will make a case for this. In addition, the owner of the dog must also pay compensation to the other victim. he will be fined 600 euros.
A year later, Edith is still reminded of the biting incident every day. “The wound has healed very badly and I still have nerve and tendon pain. I’m afraid it will be for the rest of my life.” She can no longer walk normally. “I’m always alert that I don’t come across any more of those dogs. If it does, I’ll take a detour.”
READ ALSO: Edith was bitten by Stafford: ‘There was a piece of skin hanging off my leg’