Court orders dog owner to pay nearly 10,000 euros after fatal attack

A dog owner must pay about 10,000 euros for the care and euthanasia of her dogs after a fatal attack in Naarn im Machland, the Upper Austria Regional Administrative Court said Friday, according to ORF.

In October 2023, a 60-year-old jogger was attacked by three American Staffordshire Terriers on a field path in the municipality of Naarn im Machland. The owner lost control after one of the dogs pulled her to the ground. Unable to restrain them, she watched as the dogs attacked the jogger, who died at the scene. The owner was also injured.

In March 2024, the Linz Regional Court convicted the owner of causing death through gross negligence and sentenced her to 15 months in prison, with five months to be served. She admitted the offence, and the prison term was later converted into a fine.

The male dog was put down immediately after the attack. In March 2025, authorities took the two female dogs involved in the attack and another, uninvolved female dog from the owner. By then, she had moved to another municipality, where she was prohibited from keeping those dogs and other large dogs. The two dogs involved in the attack were put down in mid-December 2025 on the authorities’ orders.

The Freistadt District Authority billed the owner 12,046.60 euros for the dogs’ accommodation and care, transport, veterinary examinations and euthanasia. She challenged the bill, arguing that a man had offered to house the dogs free of charge outside Upper Austria. The court rejected that argument, saying the dogs’ danger meant special security measures were needed. It removed almost 1,800 euros for additional expert reports from the bill.