Owning a pet comes with serious responsibilities. In Jiangsu, China, a woman riding an electric scooter was chased and bitten by three unleashed dogs, resulting in the loss of her pregnancy. The owner of the dogs has refused to compensate her, and the case has now gone to court.
According to mainland outlet Jimu News, the woman said on social media that she was about two months pregnant when the attack happened on June 3. She was riding her scooter when three dogs ran after her, causing her to fall. Her left thigh was scratched and bitten. She noted that the dogs’ owner witnessed the entire incident and had not used leashes.
She immediately called her family, who contacted police. Accompanied by the owner, she went to a local clinic. Because she was pregnant, doctors advised her to go to Wujin People’s Hospital South Branch for rabies shots — a five-dose course. After her fourth injection, she discovered that her fetus had stopped developing. Checks at two hospitals confirmed fetal death, forcing her to take medication to induce labor.
The woman said losing her baby was devastating. The dog owner, however, showed little concern and refused to take responsibility. During mediation, the owner offered at most 10,000 yuan (about NT$43,000), which she rejected. She has since filed a lawsuit but has yet to receive any reply from the court.
“It was a child we had worked so hard to conceive,” she wrote. “It’s been more than two months since it happened, and I still can’t sleep at night when I think about it.”
Cases of unleashed dogs causing injuries are also reported in Taiwan. Under local laws, owners who fail to properly restrain their pets and allow them to injure others can face fines, forced labor, or charges of negligent injury.
