Dog attack victim’s family won’t press raps

MIKO, the Belgian Malinois, is kept in a cell in the Zamboanga City pound and has been crying. The dog had attacked and killed a 9-year-old girl walking home from school. JULIE ALIPALA /INQUIRER MINDANAO

ZAMBOANGA CITY—The family of the girl killed by a Belgian Shepherd (Malinois) had opted not to press charges and to negotiate for a settlement with the dog’s owner, businessman Geolar Tan.

Mardelyn Gonzales, mother of victim 9-year old Marianne, told Inquirer that the main reason she and her husband decided on settlement was that filing charges would economically drain them.

“We don’t have the means to pursue a case against them. Look at our situation, feeding my children is already one big problem for us, what more if we decide on filing a case?” said Mardelyn.

“Where on earth can we get money for that?” she said.

Ryan, the girl’s father, said during their initial meeting, also attended by Tan’s lawyer, he had initially asked that the dog owner pay for expenses they had incurred for Marianne’s hospitalization and for the girl’s burial.

Marianne will be buried on Feb. 7 at the cemetery in Barangay Curuan here.

The girl was on her way home, and was passing by Tan’s house in Summer Hill Subdivision in Barangay Pasonanca here on Monday when she was attacked by the Malinois, named Miko, which cut loose from its collar.

Marianne was unmindful of the dog running toward her as she was so engrossed with reciting a prayer for her first communion, Mardelyn said.

Mardelyn said the incident was witnessed by her other daughter, 7-year old Ellamarie, and a niece but they were also too afraid of the rampaging dog that they decided to just run home.

She said the family rushed to the area and saw one of Tan’s workers dragging Marianne’s body to the roadside.

Shortly after the incident, the police took custody of Miko and the dog’s handler, whose identity was being withheld because he is a minor. The dog has been transferred to the city pound.

Dr. Mario Ariola, city veterinarian, said as in the norm with dogs that had bitten humans, Miko will be placed under observation for 14 days for signs of rabies.

Dr. Grace Jimenea, also of the City Veterinarian’s Office, said they still could not believe that the Malinois had killed a human.

“It is very playful and so attached to humans. There is no sign of aggressiveness,” she said.

Dr. Anton Lim, a veterinarian, said the incident puzzled him because he had taken care of the dog since its birth in January 2012.

“That is why we want to know what had prompted him to attack the girl,” he said.

Lim said Malinois are calm and are “commonly used for bomb sniffing and other military purposes.”

“That is why (veterinarians) categorized them as working dogs,” he said.

Lim said Miko, by standards, is still a puppy even if he already weighed 24 kilograms. “He is not yet an adult,” said Lim.

Ariola said Tan, the businessman and dog owner, appeared not to want Miko back. “If no one is interested to adopt the dog we can turn him over to the military or police for further training,” said Ariola.

Lim agreed, saying that the dog would be very useful for security forces. Julie Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao