Court orders dog owner to pay Rs 10 lakh after unleashed dog causes pregnant woman's miscarriage

A Shanghai court has ordered a dog owner to pay 90,000 yuan (Rs 10,64,011) in compensation to a pregnant woman who suffered a miscarriage after being startled by his unleashed golden retriever. The victim, a 41-year-old woman surnamed Yan, had undergone several rounds of IVF treatments over a three-year period to achieve pregnancy.

The incident occurred while Yan was walking through her residential complex to collect a package. Without warning, the golden retriever dashed out of a building, startling Yan and causing her to step back and injure her back. She immediately felt discomfort in her waist and lower abdomen. 

Later that day, Yan was admitted to the hospital and kept under observation overnight. By the next morning, doctors delivered the devastating news—no fetal heartbeat could be detected. The loss was particularly tragic given the considerable effort and emotional toll Yan had endured to conceive.

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Yan filed a lawsuit against the dog's owner, identified as Li. While acknowledging that his dog was unleashed at the time, Li defended his actions by stating that the dog was an assistance animal and posed no threat. He further argued that Yan should have been more cautious given the high-risk nature of her pregnancy due to IVF treatments.

However, the court ruled in favor of Yan, citing the Animal Epidemic Prevention Law, which mandates that dogs must be leashed in public spaces. The court concluded that Yan's miscarriage was a direct result of being startled by Li's unleashed dog, holding Li accountable for the tragedy.

The case has ignited a heated debate on social media platforms, accumulating over 110 million views on Weibo. While many users expressed deep sympathy for Yan and emphasized the importance of responsible pet ownership, others debated the complexities surrounding leash laws and the responsibilities of both pet owners and the public.