Beijing: My aunt went out for a walk with the dog, and she lost her life. Whose responsibility is it?

Dogs are loyal companions of humans, and more and more people keep dogs in cities. But when walking the dog, it is necessary to leash the dog, otherwise many people cannot afford the serious consequences.

At 11:30 p.m. on March 12, 2021, Aunt Zhao from Shunyi, Beijing took her garden dog out for a walk. But not long after going out, a border collie dog that was not on a leash suddenly came out from the side, and the border collie circled around Aunt Zhao.

Aunt Zhao was very scared, and the owner of Bian Mu quickly ran over to drive Bian Mu away. Just after driving Bian Mu aside, the two of them hadn't breathed a sigh of relief when Bian Mu rushed towards Aunt Zhao again and knocked Aunt Zhao to the ground. All of a sudden, Aunt Zhao fell to the ground and felt unwell and was sent to the hospital, where she passed away that night.

Aunt Zhao’s wife, Mr. Jiao, believed that Xiao Zhang, the owner of the border herd, did not keep the dog on a leash when he was walking the dog, and the dog ran around at will, which caused the tragedy of his wife’s death. Xiao Zhang must be responsible for this. In May 2021, Mr. Jiao sued Xiao Zhang to the Shunyi Court, demanding that Xiao Zhang pay 680,418 yuan in compensation for death, 59,460 yuan in funeral expenses, and 100,000 yuan in compensation for mental damage, totaling 839,878 yuan.

Recently, the court heard the case. Xiao Zhang, the owner of the Border Shepherd, said, "If it is said that she fell, I must be responsible. But if she died, I would not take responsibility. I think it is impossible for a normal person to fall and die, for sure. It is one's own disease, otherwise who would die suddenly."

During the trial, the judge asked the plaintiff and the defendant about the dog license application. The plaintiff, Mr. Jiao, had a dog license, but the defendant, Xiao Zhang, did not have a dog license and did not report to the neighborhood committee.

The defendant's lawyer believed that Aunt Zhao went out to walk her dog at close to 12 o'clock in the morning, and taking the dog out alone was a great risk in itself, and she should be accompanied by her family members. The plaintiff's lawyer blamed the illegal behavior on the victim. Is it the victim's fault that he was robbed when he went out in the middle of the night? This is the logic of robbers.

At present, the case is still under trial. However, if you want to apply for a dog license to raise a dog in the city, it is the most basic thing to go out on a leash. If none of these can be done, then don’t keep dogs, especially large dogs, which pose a great threat to everyone’s safety.