Dear Editor,
We are a Dutch/Swiss retired couple. We’ve visited the Algarve several times and bring along our female Dachshund (8 years old). Our dog is an extremely quiet and gentle dog . We walk her here as much as possible because she’s used to long walks in the woods in Switzerland. Also for that reason we rent a place in Vilamoura with its nice walkways.
Last year we visited the equestrian event in Vilamoura; we enjoyed it so much that we decided to go again. This time things ended dramatically. We got there and parked the car. I noticed that a few cars away a man was just walking away from his car, while leaving all windows down. I then saw a Rottweiler/Labrador mix trying to jump out of this car, but the dog’s owner signalled to the dog to stay there. So we got out of our car … in a flash I saw the Rottweiler mix jump out of the car … and plunge himself onto our dog, locking his jaws onto her hind leg.
We screamed and pulled; by now the owner had rushed to the scene as well. This huge dog was not wearing a collar, so to get a grip on him was extremely difficult. At last we were able to free my dog and we rushed to the Veterinary Clinic in Vilamoura, where we were attended to right away by very professional staff.
My dog has about 40 stitches on three long and deep wounds. Mercifully she can still just walk on four legs and no tendons were damaged.
We made a police report. The police informed us that this is not ‘an offence liable to public prosecution’. Some days later we heard that the owner of this dog had enquired at the vet clinics if we had been there and asked how high the bill was. At that point it was €271 but with further follow-on surgery it is now a further €150, and the treatment is not yet over.
I honestly doubt we will ever be recompensed in any way by this man, because after that he simply vanished. More frightening though is that he himself told the vet that his dog has a history of attacking animals and also human beings. I am astonished that no action has ever been taken to put this dog down.
I can only hope that no other victim, be it a dog, adult or even a child, will have to go through this ordeal.
Mieke and Bernhard Elsener
By email
