Austrian court jails woman over fatal dog attack on toddler

BERLIN – An Austrian court has sentenced a dog owner to six months in prison after her Rottweiler mauled a toddler who died of his injuries weeks later.

Public broadcaster ORF reported Monday that the Vienna regional court convicted the 49-year-old defendant of serious negligent homicide.

Authorities determined the woman, who wasn’t identified, was intoxicated during the attack. She testified she’d had “at most half a litre (17 ounces) of Prosecco.”

The Rottweiler, which wasn’t wearing a muzzle as required, attacked a 17-month-old boy walking with his grandparents, biting him on the head.

The court also gave the woman a 12-month suspended sentence and ordered her to pay 65,000 euros ($73,613) damages to the boy’s family.

The dog was taken to an animal shelter but later destroyed after attacking a keeper.