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Jogger in Austria: Deadly dog attack (symbolic image)
Photo: HELMUT FOHRINGER / picture alliance / HELMUT FOHRINGER / APA / picturedesk.com
In Austria, a woman was bitten to death by a dog while jogging. According to the police, the American Staffordshire Terrier moved away from its owner in Naarn in the province of Upper Austria and attacked the running woman. Unlike in many German provinces, the keeping of this dog breed in Upper Austria is not associated with any special requirements.
According to police, the fatal incident occurred in the morning near the dog owner's home in Naarn near Linz. The jogger was so badly injured by the American Staffordshire Terrier that she died at the scene of the attack. The owner tried to drag her dog away and suffered serious injuries herself. However, she managed to bring her animal back into the house and alert emergency services, a police spokeswoman told the dpa news agency.
The dog owner was taken to the University Hospital in Linz. According to the police, it was not possible to question the woman for the time being. Therefore, the exact sequence of events is not yet clear. The identity and age of the two women were not initially disclosed.
Dog not classified as conspicuous
In three Austrian provinces, a permit or a dog license test is required for the keeping of potentially dangerous breeds such as the American Staffordshire Terrier. Upper Austria is not one of them: all dog owners have to complete a course there. However, authorities in Upper Austria can order that individual animals are only allowed to go out in public with a muzzle and leash if they are conspicuous by aggressiveness.
The American Staffordshire Terrier of Naarn had not been classified as conspicuous, said the mayor of Naarn, Martin Gaisberger, the dpa. After the fatal incident, however, the municipality announced that it would prohibit the owner from keeping the animal and take the dog from her.
In Germany, it is generally forbidden to import American Staffordshire Terriers. The keeping of these so-called fighting dogs is only permitted in most German states with the permission of authorities. In Brandenburg and Bremen, on the other hand, this breed may not be kept at all.