Court ruling after dog bite "Damn mutt, I'll break you"

A cyclist is bitten by a German shepherd on a bike ride. The dog's owner is not aware of any guilt, although the animal had already been conspicuous in the past. Now a Thurgau court has handed down a verdict.

One was out with his sheepdog, the other on his mountain bike: two men met again in Münchwilen district court over their leisure activities. The reason: an incident in which the shepherd dog bit the cyclist on the leg.

There were two different versions in court about what exactly happened on a Wednesday afternoon around two years ago. According to a report in the "Tagblatt" newspaper, it is certain that the cyclist wanted to ride past the dog owner on a narrow gravel path. The animal was on a lead and the owner had advised the cyclist to ride slowly. As it was not possible to avoid the cyclist, the dog snapped at his leg.

So far, so painful: the court heard different versions of what happened after the bite. The cyclist said that he got off the bike after the bite. "I was in shock." He shouted to the animal, which was hiding behind its master: "Damn mutt, I'll destroy you."

Not the first bite from the German shepherd

The dog owner ran away without providing first aid. Because the cyclist didn't even have the address, the dog and owner ran after him. The dog owner claimed that the cyclist had behaved aggressively and "hurt" his mountain bike against him. That was the only reason he left, he says, and also to calm the dog down.

The animal had a difficult past and had already been with several owners. The German shepherd had also bitten a letter carrier once. He was wearing a dog harness that allowed the owner to keep him very close to him.

On the day in question, there was not enough time to get hold of the dog: "If I had had a few seconds more time, I could have held my dog by the 'Gstältli'".

In addition, the cyclist had made a kicking motion in the direction of the dog before it bit. The cyclist contradicts this. Until the incident, he had always been firmly attached to the clipless pedals of his bike.

Court rules: Incident was avoidable

The court did not agree with his lawyer's request to acquit the dog owner of the charge of assault. It found the defendant guilty of simple assault. The incident was foreseeable due to the animal's history and could have been avoided by taking appropriate measures.

The dog owner was sentenced to a conditional fine of CHF 1,500. He must also pay a fine of 80 francs and cover the costs of the proceedings.