The woman was walking her dog when a Harris hawk was released by its owner close by, and it swooped to attack the dog. This sort of bird is unregulated in the UK and is not indigenous to this country.  It is a large bird of prey and an avid predator.

The hawk tried to land on the dog, as it would to attack and take it, and, fearing for her dog’s safety, the woman tried to defend it.  In doing so, she suffered physical injury, and the incident has caused her psychological trauma.

The man was flying the hawk on public land, without the permission of Chesterfield Borough Council. The woman noted a previous incident where the hawk had been taking an unusual level of interest in her dog and the keeper/owner had told her that it was nervous around dogs.  On the occasion of the attack, the same person told the dog owner that his hawk was underweight and would, therefore, likely have been looking for prey.

The dog owner contacted Graysons to see if any redress was available. Jane took up her case.

says:

“As well as flying the bird in a public area without permission of the landowner, the man appeared to have known that the hawk had shown an interest in the dog before and that it was hungry, meaning it would have been in hunting mode on this occasion and likely to attack a small animal.  He also failed to ensure that he was a sufficient distance from members of the public before releasing the hawk, therefore making the release unsafe.”

Whilst there is little law governing the ownership and control of these birds, according to the Animals Act 1971, as the owner or keeper of an animal that may be regarded as dangerous in certain circumstances, the hawk owner was strictly liable for damage and injuries caused by his bird.

Jane contacted the owner of the hawk, asking for his insurer’s details so that she could make a claim for the woman. The man did not have insurance to pay for a claim – as is the case with many animal attacks, however, he did have the means to meet the claim personally.

The dog owner says:

“The attack was terrifying.  My dog was screaming whilst I tried to stop the hawk from taking him.  The hawk owner rushed over to get the bird and asked if I was OK, but I couldn’t answer as I was shaking and in complete shock. I am still hyper-vigilant when out.  The park is used by many dog owners, so this could happen to anyone.  It seems that owners of these types of birds don’t need to have a license or even any knowledge of how to own and look after them.  I really think that something needs to be done about that. The hawk owner offered me a paltry amount of compensation – it was an insult, but being tenacious, my solicitor, Jane Cooper from Graysons, negotiated a better sum for me and I accepted it in order to avoid court intervention. Jane understood my claim and Graysons’ staff were professional, efficient and concise. I would highly recommend contacting Graysons if you need to discuss a claim.”

The police visited the owner of the hawk, but there was no prosecution.

There have been previous reports in the press about Harris hawks attacking dogs.  On one occasion, when one of the birds was being used to target seagulls in Inverness, it swooped and tried to take a six-month-old dachshund.  On another, a Jack Russell needed stitches after being attacked by a Harris hawk.

If you have been attacked by an animal and you want to find out if you can claim compensation, contact our personal injury experts.  We will give you a free interview in which we can assess your case and will offer you a no-win, no-fee arrangement if we are able to take on your case.