Anti-terror dog attacks shopper

MANILA, Philippines - A dog deployed at a shopping mall to sniff out terrorists has attacked and mauled a woman customer, authorities said yesterday.

The shopper, who was with her child, told local television stations she was hospitalized with bite wounds between her eyes, across the bridge of her nose, and on her forehead when set upon by the Belgian Malinois.

Police officer Paulo Ortega told GMA network that the woman sought and got permission from the bomb-sniffing dog’s handler to pet the animal last weekend. “According to the handler, the dog allowed the woman to touch it. But when she sat down to continue the petting, that’s when it bit her on the face.”

The victim’s child was unharmed.

It was not known if the dog was put down. The K9 unit involved was owned by a private security firm contracted by the mall operator.

The Philippine Coast Guard, which deploys its own K9 units at strategic locations in Manila to deter terrorist bombings, confirmed the incident on its website.

It said its handlers had been instructed to take extra precautions “in view of the recent K9 attack wherein a female victim in a supermarket was badly bitten in the face by a K9 that went wild.”

The PCG reminds their K9 dog handlers to hold on to their dogs when they bring them out in public to avoid accidental bites.

They may be furry and regarded as man’s best friend, but remember there is always the possibility that they would bite.

PCG-K9 Unit chief Commander Allen Dalangin yesterday issued this reminder after learning that a woman was attacked by a trained dog, not belonging to the PCG, in a supermarket in Makati City.

This prompted Dalangin to remind the PCG’s K9 handlers to strictly consider the public’s safety whenever they bring their partner K9s to public places. The PCG’s trained dogs are often brought to the seaports, which are often crowded with passengers and port-based workers, to inspect baggage and cargo before these are loaded on board ships and upon its arrival in its port of destination.

“We should not be afraid of the dogs, but we should exercise caution because not all dogs are friendly. There are breeds that have temperaments such as German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois,” Dalangin said.

On the part of the PCG’s dog handlers, they have been directed to exercise extra-precautionary measures and to be responsible enough to avoid similar incidents. “They should always hold on to the dog’s leash so they would be able to control them,” the PCG-K9 chief said.