Domestic huskies tore the face of a child in Sochi. What you need to know

In Sochi, near Krasnaya Polyana, a nine-year-old boy was attacked by dogs left unattended by the owner. The animals inflicted numerous bitten and lacerated facial injuries on him, and the child was hospitalized in intensive care. The dogs were immediately euthanized. What responsibility their owner will bear and how to protect himself from the attack of an aggressive animal is described in the Izvestia article.

What happened

• On Wednesday, February 26, in the village of Galitsyno, Adler district, a nine-year-old boy was attacked by two neighboring husky dogs that broke loose. A child with multiple facial wounds was hospitalized in Sochi hospital in serious condition. Then he was taken by helicopter to Krasnodar. The boy was operated on, his condition has not improved since then.

• The boy's father, Valentin Korolev, said that the dogs had been euthanized. Pieces of the boy's cheek tissue were removed from their stomachs, but the fragments obtained were no longer suitable for transplantation. The child's surgeon also reported that his nose and lip had become practically non-viable.

• Andrey Steklov, a resident of Galitsyno, said that the attacked animals regularly howled, probably from hunger, and the owner might not come to feed them because of the snowfall. It later turned out that the owner had indeed not given them food for the last 12 days.

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• The Regional Office of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 118 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Causing serious harm to health by negligence"). The dog's owner, a 48—year-old native of Sochi, was called in for questioning.

Who is responsible

• Vladimir Urazhevsky, President of the Union of Cynological Organizations of Russia, noted that the Husky breed is peaceful and capable of aggression only if there is a long absence of control. Therefore, he placed full responsibility for the attack on the owner.

• Against the background of the tragedy, discussions have begun again about tougher penalties for irresponsible dog owners. Vladimir Burmatov, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, called for the introduction of criminal penalties in the form of imprisonment for up to three years in the event of the death of a victim by negligence. He believes that this will make owners more responsible about keeping their dogs. In addition, the politician proposed to increase fines for dog walking to 50 thousand rubles.

How dog owners should behave

• The federal law "On Responsible Treatment of Animals" describes the general requirements for keeping and walking animals. The regions also have their own rules. They specify where you can walk your dog, who can do it, what duties the owner has and what protective equipment you need to use.

• One of the responsibilities of a dog owner is to ensure the safety of others. In shops, institutions, playgrounds, markets, beaches, and transportation, the dog must be on a leash and muzzled. Dogs of potentially dangerous breeds outside of private territory should always be muzzled. Walking of such animals is possible only in specially designated areas.

• According to the Civil Code, the maintenance of animals is equivalent to the maintenance of property. Responsibility for the harm caused by the animal is borne by its owner. Criminal liability is also provided for owners, in particular, for intentionally causing harm to health. For example, if a person sets a dog on someone. The punishment will depend on the harm to health. A person who has been disfigured by bites may be imprisoned for up to eight years.

What to do when a dog attacks

• You should turn to face the attacking dog, take a fighting stance, or rush to meet it. Under no circumstances should you turn your back on the dog and run away. For self-defense, you can use an umbrella, stones, or a stick, while retreating with your back to a shelter (for example, a fence) and calling for help from others.

• To neutralize the dog, you can wrap a thick cloth around the forearm and arm and provoke the dog to bite. It will also be possible to hit her hard on the upper jaw and force her to retreat. Other pain points are the nose, groin and tongue.

• If an animal is knocked down, first of all you should cover your neck with your hands and bend in your stomach. If the bite of the body could not be avoided, it is necessary to rinse the wound with hydrogen peroxide or copious amounts of water, lubricate the wound circumference with iodine and apply a clean bandage. If possible, find out if the dog has been vaccinated against rabies, and if not, contact the nearest emergency room.