Home » Entertainment » There are hundreds of dog attacks every year. The family of actor Jan Hrušínský also paid them

There are hundreds of dog attacks every year. The family of actor Jan Hrušínský also paid them

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“Their owner was standing behind the fence staring at them when they attacked the cat. Not once did he try to call them back, to warn them, in short, to prevent them from the bloody feast,” the actor added.

The (pregnant) daughter and actress Kristýna tried to help the poor cat by jumping straight into the fight. In the end, she bravely chased away the three dogs, but the cat could no longer be helped.

There are hundreds of cases like this every year, including attacks on people. Last year, for example, doctors recorded more than 600 accidents requiring treatment (see table). At the same time, breeds that are popularly known as fighting dogs are perceived as the most frequent and most dangerous attackers – pit bull terriers, Staffordshire terriers, Dobermans or, for example, Rottweilers.

Such a master, such a dog

According to Hrušínský, a representative of such a breed was also behind the attack on the Jupík cat. According to Stanislav Beníšek, cynologist and court expert in the field of cynology, the attacks of these dogs are indeed the ones that dominate the courts the most. “Sure, a shih tzu or yorkshire may bite you, but they attack out of fear and never so fatally. In contrast, bull breeds, originally bred for attacking, are hardy and very energetic. Attacking a person or other animal it doesn’t have to be a short circuit, but also a manifestation of genetically determined behavior or the result of an overabundance of energy. They have the heart of a fighter,” notes Beníšek.

However, the responsibility lies with the owner. “Every dog, if they are bored and don’t have constant training, hurt and are angry. You can’t handle these breeds without the owner constantly working with the dog and giving them enough time to, as they say, get out. Unfortunately, reality often shows that people buy a breed they know nothing about and overestimate their own strengths,” notes the cynologist.

Attacks on humans

According to statistics from the Institute of Health Information and Statistics (ÚZIS), 629 people required medical attention last year after being attacked by a dog. This was less than a decade ago, when doctors recorded 1,117 injuries. However, this is still a large number. For example, it is five times higher than new cases of scarlet fever or comparable to newly diagnosed mononucleosis patients. The worst injuries are diagnosed in children under the age of four. “They are small in stature, so dogs often attack their heads and necks,” says the ÚZIS in its materials. In children under four years of age, head and neck injuries account for up to two-thirds of all dog bite injuries,” the manual states. So that the dog doesn’t bite, which the Institute issued. Some attacks in the past have resulted in death, after severe head injuries and bleeding from major neck arteries. The reason children are often hurt is their naivety and the carelessness with which they approach the dog when they try to touch it or force its attention. At the same time, they may not recognize the cues of a dog that doesn’t like attention.

Against the law

If there is a situation where a dog attacks a person or another dog or animal, it is basically always a violation of the civil code. It is a crime against civil coexistence and the victim can ask for compensation for damages. When questioned by Deník, Jan Hrušínský ruled out contacting the police. “We don’t want to deal with it anymore,” he summed up succinctly.

At the same time, the owner of the aggressor dog cannot expect much legal support. Paragraph 2933 of the Civil Code establishes that the owner of the dog is always responsible for the damage caused and has the obligation to compensate for any damage. According to forensic expert Stanislav Beníšek, dog attacks are sometimes qualified as criminal acts. “Most of the time as unintentional bodily harm. However, there have also been cases where it has been reclassified as intentional when it has been shown that the dog owner was angry at the victim,” he notes.


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Exceptions can only be made for animals used for the exercise of a profession or for sustenance or as an assistant for a disabled person. Even here, though, the courts are sometimes harsh. For example, in 2016, the Trutnov District Court ruled that the police dog handler was also guilty of causing bodily harm through negligence. During an off-duty walk, one of his dogs attacked a woman in the street.

The court fined the policeman three thousand crowns, as he had violated both the civil code and the instructions of the cynological service. “Allowed the free movement of two unmuzzled police dogs while walking them, while the guide dog attacked in a situation where the defendant could not properly follow and safely control it for a greater distance,” he justified the decision of the district court. The police officer eventually appealed to the Supreme Court, which reversed the lower court’s decision, but the court case continued for another four years.

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