Viktoria Kashuba, 12, was attacked by a dozen stray dogs while returning home from school. She was taken to the hospital but tragically died two days after the attack
A 12-year-old schoolgirl has tragically died after being attacked by a pack of stray dogs that tore off her scalp.
Viktoria Kashuba was chatting to her friend on her phone, when she suddenly shouted in fear: “Save me, help! There are lots of dogs!” She called her friend’s name, “Ler, Ler, Ler” before screaming as barking dogs surrounded her. The call then was cut off.
The scared girl was ambushed by a dozen or more strays in her town of Chulman, in Yakutia, Russia’s coldest region. Her friend’s father immediately called Viktoria’s dad and he rushed to find her – but the time he reached his daughter, it was too late, as her scalp had been ripped off.
The attack happened at 5pm as the girl was returning home from school – and she was just five minutes away. A family member said: “She had brain swelling, torn leg muscles, her internal organs had failed, and only her heart was still functioning. She was alive thanks to adrenaline and mechanical ventilation.”
But Viktoria was too weak to be moved to a major hospital and she tragically died two days after the savage mauling. She is due to be buried on Saturday, which has been declared an official day of mourning. An eyewitness who helped chase away the dogs, and aided her father Valery, 49, to pull the girl out, said: “A pack of about a dozen wild dogs attacked a very young girl here.
“You can still see the traces on the ground. They attacked her so badly, her scalp was torn off. I helped her father carry her to the car, he rushed her to hospital. Just what are we supposed to make of it, fellow people?”
Before the girl died, her father said: “I.ve been to hell over this. I was in hell. This is a horrendous tragedy. Our local council can’t do a thing to regulate the number of these dogs – by which I mean putting them down – due to the existing laws.”
After Viktoria’s death, her father said: “My daughter died. Her heart couldn’t take it, it stopped. It’s all over. We had all hoped for the best.” In the wake of her death, there were reports that locals had turned vigilantes and intended to shoot the dogs after state officials initially failed to impound the animals.
But later, official Margarita Klimenko, acting head of the Neryungri District Veterinary Department, said the vicious dogs would be caught and “placed in a temporary holding facility.” She added: “We will then kill the animals in a painless, humane way.” A total of 15 dogs held responsible for the girl’s death have now been impounded.
The senior official in Yakutia region, Aysen Nikolayev, said: “All of us have been praying for the injured girl’s recovery these past days, but unfortunately, we were unable to save her. I express my deepest condolences to her parents and loved ones. They will receive all the necessary support.
“A criminal case has been opened regarding the dog attack. The responsible parties will be held accountable.” He did not explain who was to blame for the attack.