Owner of mastiff dogs which attacked Gzira woman to be charged

The owner of the four dogs which brutally attacked an elderly woman earlier this week has been identified and will face justice, according to the mayor of Gzira.

The police were said to have identified the owner of the four Argentine mastiffs who attacked 70-year-old Antoinette Sammut on Saturday, and will bring forward charges against him, Gzira mayor Conrad Borg Manchè told MaltaToday.

“Superintendent Alexandra Mamo has informed me that the police have gathered all the information and will be taking the next steps on this case,” he said.

Borg Manché said he does not believe that the dogs in question were being trained for dog fights. “It is my personal opinion that the dogs were not trained to fight, despite the fact that I hear of similar cases very often,” he said.

Sammut was attacked while she was standing in front of her home on Sir Charles Cameron Road. The attack left her with wounds to her right arm, her right calf and a severe mental trauma after she was assailed and thrown to the ground by the dogs. The injuries to her leg are so severe, that doctors told her that they were considering plastic surgery.

Several other Gzira residents have complained of similar cases where the dogs are let out of the owners’ house to roam the street. But the law requires that dogs stay on a leash under the control of their owner, and in the case of dangerous dogs, these must be muzzled.