By Molly Grace

Copyright euroweeklynews

A 37-year-old British woman and her six-year-old daughter were left shaken yesterday, Sunday, September 21, in Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz, after being attacked by a mastiff. The frightening incident, which could have ended in serious injury, has raised concerns about the management of aggressive animals, the responsibilities of dog owners, and the adequacy of local emergency response.

The woman and her child were down at the yard feeding their horses around 12:00pm when the young girl climbed onto a haystack and noticed a dog behind it. Recalling the incident the mother tells Euro Weekly News: “My daughter usually climbs on top of the haystacks when we go to feed our horses. I could see the dog’s backside poking out from behind it. At first, I thought it was a Labrador and I was concerned that it might be injured. So I popped my head round and called to it. It was then that it got up and ran at me, teeth bared, and I quickly ran up to be with my daughter, where it continued to attack us.”

In an attempt to avoid the dog, she climbed onto the haystack alongside her daughter, while the mastiff clawed at the bales and attempted to jump up at them. She tried to scare the animal away by throwing her rucksack, but this only appeared to provoke it further. She added: “My main concern was that the haystack was not sturdy because the dog was trying to jump and climb up with us, which was a possibility because it wasn’t far off the ground and the dog was very big. My concern at the time was that it was going to get hold of my daughter I needed to protect her, so I ensured that I stayed between the dog and her so its teeth couldn’t get near her. It was very frightening, and anything I did, even a movement, would enrage it.”

Their own dog attempted to intervene, but the mastiff chased after it, narrowly avoiding causing injury.

The woman called the Policía Local for assistance. The officers allegedly told her that they first needed to check the dog’s microchip. She responded that there was no safe way to do this while the dog was attacking them. Despite the clear danger, the authorities did not come immediately, leaving her and her daughter trapped on the haystack with the aggressive animal.

It was only when the yard owner, Antonio, arrived approximately 15 minutes later in his car that the situation began to be addressed. Antonio said: “When I arrived I found both them both in a very small space in the middle of the haystack. The young girl was screaming and in tears. She was clearly terrified, but the screams were clearly provoking the dog even more. The dog was sitting next to the haystack, fixated and snarling at her. If she moved, the dog would get up and attempt to jump up at them. It was a very scary situation. I walked over to frighten the animal away, only to find that it was starting to chase me to bite me. So I called the police, but the police told me that they couldn’t come to solve it.” Both she and her daughter eventually climbed onto Antonio’s car bonnet to avoid the dog, which continued to try to attack them until they were safely removed from the immediate area.

After reaching safety, she contacted the police again to report that the dog was still on the property and was a danger to anyone that walked passed. Initially, the authorities had suggested that the yard owner might try to remove the dog, but she clarified that he had only helped them to safety and had not attempted to handle the animal. She also mentions: “The police seemed to be under the impression that the yard owner was going to solve the issue. When I made clear that because the dog was so dangerous it was a risk for him to solve the issue and he wasn’t going to do it, they told me that they would look into it and they thought they knew who the owner might be, but even then they did not seem too fussed.”

Later that evening, her partner called the police station to check if the dog had been located and whether the owner had been identified. Her partner adds: “Im away on a business trip and obviously this was very frightening to hear that it had happened and the little care the police had. When I called back, the officers seemed agitated and complained that there were only two police officers covering the whole village and surrounding areas.”

She added: “I actually feel quite sad and scared, to be honest, because if this dog has escaped once, there’s no saying that it won’t do it again. The lack of concern from the authorities is a big shock to me, especially as we were in a situation that could have ended very badly. Mastiffs are known guard dogs and they’re on the dangerous breed list. For the police officers not to even care when I called them, and they could hear my daughter screaming and crying on the phone, and the dog barking and growling in the background, that they did not come to our aid—it was shocking.”

Mastiffs are large, powerful guard dogs recognised under Spanish law as perros potencialmente peligrosos (potentially dangerous dogs). Between 2004 and 2013, Spain recorded 16 fatal incidents from dog attacks, resulting in 17 deaths, with several involving mastiff-type breeds. While generally loyal and protective if properly trained, these dogs can be extremely dangerous if uncontrolled or aggressive.

The following day, the woman went to notify the Guardia Civil of the incident. She was reportedly told that, without a damage report, such as an injury to herself or her daughter, or property damage caused by the dog, they would not be able to investigate the dog, the owner, or the circumstances of the escape. Subsequent investigation revealed that the mastiff had escaped from a nearby farm. The owner had failed to notify authorities that the dog was loose, despite its known aggressive behaviour, placing the woman, her daughter, and others at risk.

Owners of potentially dangerous dogs in Spain are legally required to microchip, register, and maintain control of their animals. Authorities can impose fines or other sanctions if dogs escape or cause harm. However, incidents such as this case highlight gaps in rapid response protocols and community awareness about aggressive breeds.

No serious injuries were reported in this case, but the ordeal has underscored the risks posed by aggressive dogs, especially around children. Residents are now urging authorities to implement clearer guidelines, faster intervention procedures, and stricter enforcement of owner responsibilities to prevent similar incidents.