Woman sentenced to prison after her bulldogs severely bite teen in Nieuwegein

The Court of Appeal in Arnhem sentenced on Tuesday a woman, the owner of two American bulldogs, to four months in prison, half of which is suspended, with a probation period of ten years, for her dogs biting a 14-year-old boy. During the probation, the woman is not allowed to own any dogs.

According to the court, the dogs were neither leashed nor muzzled when they attacked the 14-year-old boy at an industrial area in Nieuwegein in the province of Utrecht on May 19, 2022. The boy, who was on his bicycle, was knocked down by the dogs and bitten by both, resulting in 41 open bite wounds. He was treated in the hospital and sustained permanent injuries. The court's verdict stated, "He is scarred for life."

This sentence is significantly harsher than the initial judgment by the police judge in Utrecht, who in April this year sentenced the woman to a two-week suspended prison sentence and 120 hours of community service. The 59-year-old woman appealed against this verdict.

The court in Arnhem ruled that the woman failed to keep her dogs under sufficient control, acting "considerably careless and negligent."

The dogs had previously attacked and bitten another person. Given these prior incidents, the court believed the woman should have been extra cautious and alert.