The owner is responsible for the animal. In accordance with the Animal Protection Act: “Anyone who keeps a domestic animal is obliged to provide it with shelter protecting it from cold, heat and precipitation, with access to daylight, enabling it to change its body position freely, suitable food and constant access to water. A tether on which an animal is kept must not cause injury or suffering and must provide it with the necessary opportunity for movement.”

Police:

If you suspect that an owner is mistreating an animal, this should be reported to the Police, the Municipal/City Guard or the City or Municipal Office. The matter can also be reported via the Green Box, which is available on the Lower Silesian Police website.

A significant problem—mainly during the winter—is homeless animals, especially dogs. It should be remembered that in most cases dogs have owners, while those considered “homeless” are mainly animals that their owners have failed to supervise or secure properly. If the owner of a stray dog is known, this should be reported to the Municipal/City Guard or the Police, which has the right to issue a fine to the irresponsible animal owner.

One indication that an animal has no owner may be, among other things, the fact that it appears at the same time in a particular area, since such cases are especially common during the animals’ mating season or where food is constantly available. In such circumstances, entire packs of dogs may “guard” a given area. Sometimes this situation lasts for a week or even longer.

When a dog is aggressive and attacks residents

The City/Municipality has a statutory obligation to intervene through the entity with which it has a contract, capture the animal and take it to a shelter. Cases involving genuinely homeless, non-aggressive dogs should be reported by telephone or in person during City/Municipal Office working hours, or by telephone around the clock to the Municipal/City Guard or the Police. When making a report, provide the animal’s current location, the number of animals and their size. This will undoubtedly improve the quality and effectiveness of the intervention.

Cases involving aggressive dogs attacking passers-by, where there is a risk of being bitten, must be reported to the Police immediately. During its intervention, the Police will also notify a veterinarian working on behalf of the City/Municipality or another entity acting for the local government. That entity will use special equipment to capture the animal and take it to a shelter.

How should you behave when threatened by an aggressive animal? What should you do then?

  • stand still, do not run
  • do not look the dog in the eyes
  • do not show fear
  • do not turn around, especially if the dog is large, because if it jumps at you, it may knock you over
  • stand sideways to the dog, with your legs slightly apart. This will help you maintain your balance
  • then try to assume the turtle position. You will protect the parts of your body that dogs usually attack.
  • At the same time, to protect people from danger, we remind you that keeping domestic animals must not be harmful to other people.

It is important for animal owners to remember their obligations, in particular:

  • walking dogs outside their property on a leash
  • not bringing dogs or other animals into public-use facilities, unless such a ban does not apply at the facility
  • constant supervision of dogs and other domestic animals
  • not bringing dogs onto playgrounds.