The Civil Guard has located and is investigating the owner of the dog that fatally attacked a woman in the Valencian town of Macastre last February for an alleged crime of reckless homicide.
The woman, who found the animal in an alarming state, picked it up four days before being attacked by it and died just a day after being admitted to the hospital. At the time of the events, the owner of the animal could not be identified, as he did not have a microchip, but he was finally located.
As the Civil Guard recalled this Friday, the events occurred on February 24 in a rural area of ​​Macastre. When the agents arrived, the health services and other witnesses were already at the scene, but due to the aggressiveness of the animal they could not act to help the victim.
It was upon the arrival of the agents when, finally, after shooting down the animal with their service weapon, they were able to help the woman.
The victim, a 67-year-old woman of English nationality, had to be transferred urgently by the health services to the La Fe Hospital in Valencia, where she was admitted in a very serious condition due to the injuries to her arms, and died the following day due to the injuries.
The agents of the Judicial Police team were summoned that same afternoon to take charge of the investigation and find out who owned the animal, a pit bull terrier dog, considered potentially dangerous.
After the first inquiries and taking statements from witnesses in the area, the agents discovered that the victim had found this animal in a state of very acute malnutrition, with clear signs of abandonment and mange.
The veterinarian to whom the deceased took the dog warned her that it was dangerous and that she should not take care of him, the same sources have reported.
This animal, around 2 years old, had already been observed and photographed before by different people, who were struck by the lack of vigilance it had and its poor condition.
The researcher himself and some of his relatives recognized the animal in these photographs.
This man has a criminal record and could not have these types of animals, according to current legislation. In addition, the agents have been able to learn that, previously, he had already had animals with similar characteristics without proper controls and care.
The agents carried out a visual inspection at the home of the investigated, observing the places where the dog could have escaped, as the investigated man came to recognize in his statement.
For all these reasons, this man, 35 years old and Spanish nationality, has been investigated for a crime of reckless homicide and another against the protection of flora, fauna and domestic animals in a case that has been taken over by the Court of First Instance and Instruction number 1 of Requena.
