TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A motorist suffered a gruesome injury to his leg after an American pit bull terrier savagely attacked him at an intersection in Yunlin County.
Surveillance camera footage of the attack from the Facebook group "Huwei People (Like) Come Out" (虎尾人(讚)出來) shows Huxing North Road in Yunlin County's Huwei Township at 9:27 p.m. on Sunday (Aug. 23). At the intersection a scooter pulls up near to the 50-year-old scooter rider surnamed Liao (廖), then a pit bull terrier leaps off and bites Liao's right thigh.
The dog owner tries to pull the dog off but it continues to bite Liao, thrashing his head from side to side, further exacerbating the wound.
A man surnamed Liao lies on the ground as the pit bull attacks him. (Yunlin County Police Department image)
Such was the ferocity of the unprovoked attack, that a chunk of Liao's flesh falls to the ground. The scene was covered with Liao's blood and he suffered a 20-cm-long wound to his thigh.
Paramedics arrived and rushed Liao to the Yunlin Branch of Changhua Christian Hospital to undergo emergency surgery. Furious, Liao's sister on Wednesday (Aug. 26) posted footage of the attack from multiple angles on Facebook.
She complained police did not arrive on the scene or investigate that night. When she asked Huwei Township police why they had not taken any action, she alleged they told her the incident was "a little too far away."
Liao's injury to his right thigh. (Yunlin County Police Department image)
They then suggested she contact Wucuo Police Station in Xiluo Township to deal with the matter. In response, she said she reminded them the incident took place in Huwei Township and that is where her brother resides.
Liao's sister wrote that police later contacted her brother to see if he was willing to settle the matter with the dog's owner in private. However, he refused to make such a commitment given that he was not aware of the extent of his injuries, nor did he know who the owner was.
She then alleged the dog had previously attacked other residents in the community. She added that many neighbors are afraid of the animal and worry about their safety.
Liao's wound after being bandaged. (Yunlin County Police Department image)
As for Liao's condition, she wrote her brother was seriously injured and was still in hospital. She said he was also feverish and added the attending physician warned that if the wound was infected again, he would need another operation.
Tsai Kun-hung (蔡昆鴻), director of Huwei Precinct's Datun Police Station told UDN that officers went with the dog's owner to the hospital to file a report immediately after the incident. Tsai warned dog owners to restrain their pets or be held liable for injury, which can result in a prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of up to NT$500,000.
In response, Yunlin Animal Disease Control Center said the Cabinet classified pit bulls as an aggressive breed of dog in 2015. According to Article 20 of the Animal Protection Act (動保法), such dogs must be accompanied by their adult owners at all times, be placed on a leash that does not exceed 1.5 meters in length, and should be muzzled in public places.
If owners of aggressive dog breeds are in violation of the law, they can face fines of between NT$30,000 to NT$150,000. The law deems the following types of dogs as aggressive breeds: American pit bull terriers, Japanese Tosa, Neapolitan Mastiffs, Dogo Argentino, Brazilian Mastiff, and mastiffs.
