Three fined over dog attack on mother and children on Fujairah beach

Nadyah Ahmed appeals 'lenient' Dh50,000 penalty after family needed hospital treatment in December

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  Aya Al Thanhani, 11, and Ali Al Thanhani, 6, were injured after they were attacked by a dog in Fujairah. All photos: Nadyah Ahmed

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  Ms Ahmed, the children's mother, said her daughter's wounds were 3cm deep

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  The mother said none of the dozens of onlookers tried to help her fend off the dog

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  As soon as the family were safe in their car, they rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment

An Emirati man, his sister and her friend have been found responsible for a dog attack on a mother and her children by the Fujairah Court of First Instance.

The trio were each fined Dh10,000 ($2,723) for owning a dog without a licence, in breach of the UAE's strict pet ownership laws.

The two women were each fined an additional Dh10,000 for endangering lives after the dog, which was not on a lead, attacked the Emirati mother and her children on a Fujairah beach in December.

The court found they had been negligent in handling the dog in public.

It's a very lenient sentence. We have appealed the decision and are waiting for the new verdict

Nadyah Ahmed

The attack took place on the emirate's Qidfa beach when the sister and her friend took the unlicensed dog for a walk.

The animal became aggressive and attacked Nadyah Ahmed, 39, her daughter, 11, and six-year-old son.

The family's helper took Ms Ahmed's 14-month-old child to hide in the car.

The mother said she engaged in a fierce 15-minute struggle with the animal to rescue her children, while surrounding beachgoers watched.

Ms Ahmed and her children were taken to Khor Fakkan Hospital for treatment after the incident.

Her son sustained injuries to his back and legs, while her daughter suffered injuries to her thighs, legs and arms.

The mother also received several injuries as she placed herself between the dog and her children, in an effort to shield them from the attack.

During questioning from the prosecution, the dog owner admitted he had not obtained a licence for the animal from relevant authorities in the emirate.

His sister said she had the dog on a lead but the animal managed to wriggle free while she was on the beach with her friend.

“She was surprised when the dog stuck its head out of the leash and ran off heading towards the victims before it started biting a child,” the friend told judges.

“My friend tried to control the dog but it attacked the victims again.”

Ms Ahmed said she had appealed. “It's a very lenient sentence,” she told The National.

“We have appealed the decision and are waiting for the new verdict on May 10.”

Ms Ahmed also plans to file a civil case against the dog owner and his sister for the pain and suffering endured by her and her children.

In 2017, the UAE expanded its banned breed list from seven to 12. Banned dogs include all types of pit bull, wolf-dog hybrids, American Staffordshire terriers, Japanese tosa, Brazilian and Argentinian mastiffs and crossbreeds of any of these six types.

Others on the banned list include the American bully, rottweilers, breed or hybrid, doberman pinschers, perro de presa Canario and boxers.