Yesterday, at Chaoyang District Second Hospital, a victim's wound was simply treated and he was waiting for further treatment. This photo was taken by reporter Jiaoning Wang.
According to reports from journalists Han Zhang, Luyang Xu, Man Lu, and Yang Liu, at around 10:00 AM yesterday morning, a black Tibetan Mastiff appeared at the west exit of Nianzhuang in Chaoyang District and bit nine people consecutively. After Chaoyang police arrived, they used a police car to hit the Tibetan Mastiff three times. The Tibetan Mastiff then hid in the toilet of a courtyard, where the police subdued it with a tranquilizer gun.
The Tibetan Mastiff never barked while biting people. Yesterday at 10:00 AM, in Nianzhuang of Chaoyang District, due to a vehicle malfunction, Zhang Shuai parked his car in front of an auto parts store. According to Zhang Shuai, while repairing the car, he felt something bite his leg. Before he could react, a black Tibetan Mastiff jumped up and its claws reached towards his left arm. Zhang Shuai quickly hid inside the car. The owner of the auto parts store quickly carried two children, aged four and one-and-a-half years old, into the house.
Witnesses said that after leaving the auto parts store, the Tibetan Mastiff continued north along the road, biting several more people. Victim Ms. Zhou recalled that her 15-year-old sister Xiaoqing went downstairs to buy something. Soon after, the family on the second floor heard Xiaoqing crying out. Ms. Zhou and her parents hurriedly went downstairs, only to find that her sister had been bitten by a Tibetan Mastiff. Xiaoqing’s mother, Ms. Meng, said she wanted to save her daughter but was warned by bystanders not to move because the dog might bite again. She stopped, but the dog still pounced on her. Her right arm and right leg were both bitten. She said that after being bitten, she fell while trying to escape, spraining her left foot.
Ms. Zhou said that she and her father each picked up a brick, intending to hit the dog to save her mother. However, the dog lunged at her instead, injuring two of her fingers. Then, the dog turned to her father.
Many injured individuals recalled that during the entire process, the Tibetan Mastiff never barked. A couple was chased into a yard, where the homeowner brandished a shovel, causing the Tibetan Mastiff to return to the road.
The Tibetan Mastiff kept biting people on the road, prompting residents to call the police, who soon arrived at the scene. Nearby resident Mr. Zhang said that the police tried to subdue the Tibetan Mastiff but failed. Subsequently, the police got into their patrol car and drove towards the Tibetan Mastiff. The Tibetan Mastiff ran away, getting hit by the police car three times before finally hiding in the toilet of a yard.
"A policeman told us not to leave our houses because there was a vicious dog," said a female resident living near the toilet alley.
According to Mr. Zhang, the Tibetan Mastiff stayed in the toilet while the police guarded outside. At around 1:30 PM, a policeman with a tranquilizer gun arrived, climbed onto the two-meter-high wall beside the toilet, and shot the Tibetan Mastiff.
After being tranquilized, the police entered the toilet, captured the Tibetan Mastiff, and took it away.
Nine people were injured, four seriously
From the police, we learned that yesterday, a total of nine people were attacked by the Tibetan Mastiff. Four were seriously injured and sent to the Second Hospital of Chaoyang District for treatment. The other five sustained minor injuries and received treatment at the Chaoyang District Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Those with serious injuries underwent disinfection, intravenous therapy, and vaccinations. According to the prescription from the Second Hospital of Chaoyang District, the victims' treatment will continue until the end of February.
■ Follow-up
The police are searching for the Tibetan Mastiff's owner
Yesterday, the victims and many residents of Nianzhuang stated that they had never seen the Tibetan Mastiff around the area. "I've never seen this dog before."
A nearby resident mentioned hearing that on New Year's Day (the fourth day of the lunar calendar), a man in Nianzhuang was attacked by a black dog whose features closely resembled those of the Tibetan Mastiff involved in yesterday's incident. The location was also the same as yesterday's incident. The resident said fortunately, the man hid behind a supermarket advertisement sign and avoided injury.
In a lane west of Nianzhuang, I found a lost dog notice on a utility pole: "My black Tibetan Mastiff is lost, please contact me, reward available." Yesterday afternoon, I repeatedly called the number listed on the notice, but no one answered.
Yesterday, Chaoyang police stated that the identity of the Tibetan Mastiff's owner cannot be determined temporarily, and the police are continuing to search.
■ Lawyer's opinion
The Tibetan Mastiff's owner should compensate
Mr. Zhou, whose family of four were all attacked by the Tibetan Mastiff, said that the treatment cost for the three people going to the disease control center was nearly 3000 yuan, all paid out-of-pocket. Other victims also claimed they paid for their own treatments.
Lawyer Wen He from Jingyun Law Firm said, according to the Tort Liability Law, if animals cause harm to others, the animal's owner or manager shall bear tort liability. However, if it can be proven that the harm was caused intentionally or due to gross negligence by the victim, the owner or manager may not bear or may have reduced responsibility. For abandoned or escaped animals, the original owner or manager shall bear tort liability during the period of abandonment or escape.
Wen He said that according to the victims and witnesses, there was no active provocation of the Tibetan Mastiff before it attacked. Therefore, the victims had no fault. In this situation, the Tibetan Mastiff's owner or manager (including the original owner and manager) should bear compensation responsibility.