Mother forces officials to pay for dog attack

The mother of a teenager who was bitten by an aggressive stray dog won 30,000 rubles (approximately $300 at current rates) from the city hall: the court held the municipality responsible for the incident and forced it to compensate for moral damages. We spoke with the victim and a lawyer to find out how to make officials pay for a stray dog attack.

«It ran up from behind and grabbed my leg with its teeth»

The mother of the injured child, who wished to remain anonymous, told V1.RU that the incident occurred last autumn: a dog attacked the teenager near a hardware store on 8th Air Army Street. Packs of strays have been gathering here regularly for about ten years, the woman recalls.

«The boy was walking with a classmate around 6 p.m. They were chatting calmly, not bothering anyone. Nearby there were three dogs, one of which suddenly ran up from behind and grabbed his calf with its teeth, biting through it, and then ran away,» the woman recalls.

After the emergency room, the mother took her son to the prosecutor«s office, which demanded compensation from the Municipal Budgetary Institution »Severnoye« (MBU »Severnoye«), as the entity responsible for stray dog control. However, the court refused to hold the institution liable but did order compensation — from the city administration.

Dog bite — proof of inaction by the city hall

The problem of stray dogs in Volgograd is long-standing, and residents constantly suffer from bites by aggressive animals. According to the latest data from Rospotrebnadzor (Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing), up to 30 people a day in the region are bitten or salivated on by stray animals. However, far from all seek help from law enforcement to protect their rights.

We spoke with lawyer and owner of the law firm «Spartak,» Roman Grebennikov, and found out how victims can demand monetary compensation.

Act immediately. Go to the emergency room: this is critical for rabies prevention. Keep all medical documents (certificates, prescriptions). Document the incident: photos of wounds, bite location, witness contacts.

Identify the proper defendant. It is the Volgograd city administration. It is responsible for a safe urban environment and organizing the capture of stray animals (Article 230 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, Federal Law No. 498).

File a complaint with the prosecutor«s office. This is the most effective route. Write a statement to the district prosecutor»s office at the location of the incident. The prosecutor will conduct an investigation and file a lawsuit in court on behalf of the child, relieving you of having to handle the process.

Justify the claim for moral damages. In the lawsuit, emphasize the child«s moral and physical suffering (Article 151 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). Both physical (pain from the bite and injections, stress) and moral (fright, development of phobias, anxiety).

As he notes, the administration«s fault does not need to be proven: the fact of the bite itself is grounds for a compensation claim and proof of the officials» inaction.

Volgograd residents, however, are not the first to seek compensation through the courts for dog attacks. Several years ago, for example, the Volgograd administration was ordered to pay two teenagers 50,000 rubles (approximately $500 at current rates) each in compensation.