Dogs spread terror for months – despite repeated reports

The authorities received a series of reports but still allowed the Rottweiler couple to stay with the owner and spread fear and anxiety for months.

Only when the dog Nikodemus was subjected to a fatal attack and his owner suffered bite injuries did the county administrative board act with care.
– If they had reacted earlier, Nicodemus would still have been around, says one of the many critical villagers.

Kalla faktas has reviewed how authorities handle reports of aggressive dogs. The review shows that dogs can often attack several times before they are taken into care and euthanized.

Spread terror and fear in the village

In the village of Risögrund outside Kalix, two rottweilers spread fear and terror for almost a year. When Kalla fakta visits the village, the residents are very critical of the actions of the authorities. They describe how parents banned their children from the area and how other dog owners rescheduled their walks.

– People didn’t dare go out with their dogs in the end. Something is wrong between the authorities, that nobody can do anything until something happens, says a villager.

In several reports, the villagers informed the county administration that the owner was not in control, that the Rottweilers attacked dogs and lunged at people. Only after five reports did the county administrative board decide on an injunction on restraint. The County Administrative Board, however, allowed the dogs to stay with the owner.

“A terrifying sight”

A short time later, what the villagers feared happened. When a woman was out walking her dog, one of the large Rottweilers suddenly appeared and attacked the woman’s dog, Nikodemus, and herself.

– She had bloody hands. And then I happened to look at the dog that was a bit away and it was a horrible sight. He was completely blown up on one side. All you saw was meat, says friend Annika Unnbom, who came to the scene when the attack occurred.

The dog suffered such severe bite injuries that it had to be euthanized. The woman has had to undergo surgery for her injuries to her hands.

– Nicodemus was her everything. She has lost the best thing she had. If they (the county board) had reacted earlier, Nikodemus would still be there, says Annika.

“Can’t get ahead of events”

But the authority’s manager believes that they have done what they could.

– We cannot get ahead of events. We have to look at where we are now in the case and have a communication with the animal owners. After all, they can say what their intentions are to solve the problem. Often the injunction gets tougher and tougher, says Ingrid Ragnarsson, acting head of unit at the County Administrative Board in Norrbotten.

However, you haven’t been tough enough when it still went this far?

– You can easily say in retrospect that we may not have been. But as the legislation stands today, we have done what we can.