Haifa: The pit bull dog killed the miniature schnauzer • A routine walk with the dog in the neighborhood ended in a horrific way

(haipo) - Lauren, a resident of Haifa, just went for a routine walk with her beloved dog Stewie. She did not imagine that the innocent and everyday trip would end with Stewie being severely attacked, an attack that resulted in his death.

The routine trip ended in tragedy

Lauren Bet Kedem, who lives in Haifa, still has trouble digesting what a difficult event she experienced with her beloved dog Stewie last Saturday (20/5/23).

Lauren, who moved to Haifa five years ago and chose to live in the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood after falling in love with the place, is used to going for walks in the neighborhood with her 10-year-old dog Stewie, a mixed terrier puppy that she adopted when he was about two months old from an animal cruelty association.

However, Lauren's routine trip with Stewie last Saturday ended in disaster and heartache that Lauren will have a hard time overcoming, when a pit bull type dog that was on the loose suddenly attacked little Stewie and simply tore him between its teeth, all this in front of a shocked Lauren and the eyes of the shocked neighbors, who rushed to the scene and tried With all their might to help and rescue Stewie from the teeth of the pit bull, without success.

Lauren painfully tells that this experience is a trauma, a shocking experience and the trauma will accompany everyone who was present, but most of all it will accompany Lauren who lost the sweet and pure production and who became a family member in the last 10 years.

Anyone who raises a dog knows and understands the emotion and connection that is created between the animal and its owner, the way in which it becomes a member of the family for all intents and purposes. The issue is even supported by studies done in recent years, according to which the loss of a pet may be so difficult that it will be comparable in intensity to the loss of a close person, such as a friend or family member. Lauren's deep grief and pain for little Stewie, whom she raised for 10 years, is felt even more strongly.

In a face-to-face conversation, she says:
"That day, when it happened, I called the police and the Haifa municipality. They did arrive quickly, but it was already too late, there was no one to save... the veterinary service in the municipality captured the attacking dog and put it in quarantine. They later informed me that the dog did not have a microchip and no one Apply for ownership of it. At the direction of the municipality, I filed a complaint with the police, in order for them to locate the dog's owner.

Before this happened, the attacking dog was tied to one of the vehicles on Allenby Street, but I don't know who the owner is and if they own the vehicle the dog was tied to. The owner of the vehicle apparently fled the scene.

Lauren would like to point out that there is a phenomenon in the Wadi Nisnas area, where people do not leash their dogs, as well as dogs that wander by their trunks, without any supervision. She says that only about a year ago she herself was bitten by a loose dog, and was hospitalized for two weeks because of it. In the same event, the dog's owners apologized, asked for her safety and even kept in touch with her for a while, so she also chose not to file a complaint against them.

At the same time, she wishes to emphasize that this is a serious phenomenon that requires treatment, and that she expects the police and the municipality to take care of it as soon as possible. "With all my love for dogs, after this horrific incident, I've already started to fear them..." says Lauren sadly.

The police have yet to respond.

As I recall, at the beginning of the year we brought up the issue of loose dogs in Chai Pa, this following many complaints received from residents of the Hadar area, who reported that there are people in the neighborhood who raise large dogs, and that they usually come with them to the playground on Ramban Street and release them from the leash, so that they can roam freely, that is Although not far from there, near the "Madatak", there is a garden designed for this where the dogs can be released.

The police informed then that the handling and enforcement of stray and loose dogs is carried out through the veterinary units and local authority inspectors, that in the event that a complaint is filed with the police, it is examined and treated as required. In addition, in October of last year, a woman was bitten by a pit bull in the Medatek garden.

Adopting and raising dogs and animals in general is undoubtedly a positive thing that deserves all encouragement and support, but it must be remembered that this requires responsibility on the part of the owner, which includes, among other things, ensuring that the required vaccinations, electronic chip, training and of course, in addition, concern for the physical and mental well-being of the dog itself. It is just as important to follow the law, which requires that dogs be released from the leash only in designated places.

What does the law say?

It is important to emphasize that according to the law regulating the supervision of dogs 2002, section 11(a), it is forbidden to allow a dog to leave the yard, but only with a leash that its owner holds, and that the length of the leash on which a dog is kept outside the yards of houses should not exceed 5 meters, that is In order to allow the person who owns the dog to control it at any moment, and to prevent the dog from breaking free from her or harming others.

Dogs walking freely without a leash and mouth barrier may frighten and endanger people and may be hit by vehicles traveling on the road and even stolen. Therefore, dog owners must do everything necessary to not let the dog out of the house or yard without a leash. A resident who sees a dog wandering (without an owner) or without a leash and behaving in a suspicious manner can contact the 106 service center, because those responsible for enforcement are the municipal inspectors who can locate the dog's owner by microchip or tracking the dog until they reach the door of his house.

The fine imposed on dog owners who wander without a leash in public space starts at NIS 500, without prior notice. In addition, there may be additional fines such as a fine for a dog that has not been vaccinated against rabies, which amounts to 1500 shekels, a fine for a dog that pollutes the environment with its feces which starts at 730 shekels, a fine for traveling with a dog of a dangerous breed without a mouth barrier of 1000 shekels, a fine for a dog that bites a person or An animal owner and when the dog owner did not report to the authorities - a fine of NIS 2,000.