Unleashed dog attacks four people in Elda, Spain

Unmuzzled dog tears off woman's ear in Elda

A dog that was being walked off-leash and without a muzzle by a 44-year-old woman who was not its owner attacked her in Elda and tore off part of her ear. She was not the only victim: the animal also went after two other people and a four-year-old child. The intervention of the Guardia Civil (Spanish Civil Guard) ended with officers injured as well, after the owner fled and urged the dog to charge at them.

The incident reopens an uncomfortable question: who is liable when a potentially dangerous dog causes harm? The first reading that dominates the analysis is economic. The recklessness of not using a leash or muzzle ends up costing public money: medical bills, police intervention, court proceedings and, presumably, compensation. "So many taxes and this is what we get," was one of the most repeated reactions to the cost that taxpayers will have to bear.

The owner or the breed?

Opinions are divided. Those who argue that the blame lies solely with the owner point out that the animal does not choose how it is raised: the problem is the breeding of dogs selected for fighting and the irresponsibility of those who choose them without preparation. At the opposite end, there is a growing demand to restrict or outright ban the ownership of certain breeds, with arguments like "first blood, put it down." Some go even further and propose radical measures, though none have any legal backing.

The debate extends to specific breeds: pitbulls and their "bite force" are mentioned, along with references to dogs like the cane corso, found in neighborhoods with no oversight whatsoever. The underlying issue is whether the current law is designed to protect citizens or to avoid inconveniencing owners.

The cost of recklessness

What almost no one disputes is the chain of failures: an unmuzzled dog, a walker who was not the owner, a flight from the authorities and a final attack on the officers. Each link adds cost. The final bill, as noted in the analysis, is not paid only by the injured: it is paid by the public system, out of everyone's pocket.

The question left on the table is not whether the dog is to blame – no one seriously claims that – but why it remains so easy for an animal of this kind to end up in the hands of someone who cannot handle it. As long as the regulations fail to distinguish between owning a dog and accepting the risk that entails, Elda will happen again.