Experts call for measures after fatal dog biting incident in Rotterdam
The deadly attack on a 66-year-old man by two American Bully XL dogs in his Rotterdam home has renewed calls for stronger national measures to prevent fatal dog incidents, animal welfare groups and medical professionals said, according to NOS.
The man was killed Saturday evening after the dogs, both around nine months old, mauled him when he tried to separate them during a fight, his daughter told AD. One dog belonged to the man, the other to his granddaughter. Police shot at one of the animals in an attempt to reach the victim, but efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. Both dogs were later euthanized in the garden.
Daphne Groenendijk, director of the Koninklijke Hondenbescherming (Royal Dutch Dog Protection), described the incident as “horrific.” She noted that while most fatal dog attacks involve children, “usually it is a child, but here the victim was an adult man. That is exceptional.”
Groenendijk urged the Dutch government to implement nationwide safety measures, including mandatory training for all new dog owners and a central reporting system for bite incidents.
Dog attacks have reportedly become a growing concern in the Netherlands. They are the leading cause of workplace injuries for delivery workers.
In recent weeks, law enforcement had to euthanize another dog in Haarlem after it attacked officers. Plastic surgeons also have reported seeing serious bite injuries regularly, ranging from skin wounds to forced amputations.
Between 2010 and 2019, five people in the Netherlands died from dog attacks. From 1982 to 2007, 29 fatal incidents were recorded, according to research from Wageningen University & Research and TNS-NIPO.
Nearly 150,000 dog bite incidents are reported annually, though animal welfare experts say the true number is likely higher due to the increase in dog ownership.
The American Bully XL was added to the Netherlands’ official list of high-risk dogs in 2017. Following multiple fatal attacks in the United Kingdom, that country has introduced strict rules for ownership and breeding of the breed.
Groenendijk said she doubts that a planned national reporting system for bite incidents, initially scheduled to be operational by the end of 2025, will meet that timeline. “It takes time to regulate this kind of legislation, and I understand other priorities exist, but one would hope for more urgency,” she said. “That another man has now been fatally bitten in Rotterdam underscores the need for action.”
