Dogs Involved in Fatal Jogger Attack to Be Euthanized Following Court Ruling

The two surviving American Staffordshire Terriers implicated in a fatal dog attack on a jogger in Naarn in 2023 are to be euthanized, according to a recent decision by the Upper Austrian Administrative Court. The court dismissed an appeal from the dogs' owner, who contested an official order mandating the humane euthanasia of the animals due to their classified danger to public safety.

The incident, which occurred in October 2023, resulted in the death of a 60-year-old woman who was attacked while jogging. Following the attack, the dogs' owner was convicted of grossly negligent manslaughter and received a custodial sentence. Of the three dogs involved, one was euthanized shortly after the event. The remaining two were placed temporarily in the care of a professional dog trainer.

Local authorities subsequently revoked the owner's rights to the two surviving dogs and ordered their euthanization, citing the animals' high risk to the community. The owner challenged this decision, arguing that a newly enacted provincial dog ownership law, which introduced stricter regulations in response to the fatal incident, should not apply retroactively. The owner further claimed that the animals had since been transferred to a specialist dog trainer and requested a new assessment of their risk to the public.

After reviewing the appeal, the Upper Austrian Administrative Court found no valid evidence of a legal transfer of ownership from the original owner to the dog trainer. The court also determined that the revised dog ownership law, effective since December 2024, is applicable to the case in question. According to the updated legislation, a dog involved in a fatal attack on a human is automatically considered a significant danger, warranting euthanasia as a preventive public safety measure.

The court concluded that the authorities acted in accordance with the legal requirements in ordering the humane euthanization of the two remaining dogs. The implementation of the stricter dog ownership law was directly linked to the tragic event in Naarn, reinforcing the legal grounds for the decision. The case underscores the ongoing debate regarding the responsibilities of dog owners and the measures required to protect public safety when severe incidents occur.

Authorities emphasized that the humane euthanasia was a necessary action to prevent further risk, in line with the legal framework designed to address dangerous animal behavior. The outcome reaffirms the application of newly established laws in response to serious incidents and establishes a precedent for similar cases in the region.