The young girl attacked by a dog in Málaga is recovering favourably in hospital after undergoing surgery and skin grafting. In the latest development, it now transpires that the attack took place inside the girl’s home and the the dog belongs to her parents, a South American couple.
The parents now have five days in which to deliver the dog to the district health centre in Málaga for medical inspection. If this is not done, the police will collect the animal.
The animal will then be kept under observation for 14 days.
Andalucia has a rabies prevention program in operation and the protocol in cases where animals bite humans involves two parallel procedures. First is the treatment of the person who has been bitten, and second involves a physician completing a document with data relating to the person bitten, the animal and the owners of the animal.
This data is sent to the corresponding district health centre and the animal is then quarantined for 14 days, either at the centre or in the owner’s home, the owner agreeing not to let the animal out during that period.
There has been no case of rabies in Spain for the past 15 years.