Dubai court reduces fine for domestic worker in dog attack case

The Dubai Court of Appeal has reduced a fine for an Asian domestic worker from Dh3,000 to Dh1,500 after she was found negligent in a case where her employer’s dog attacked a teen in an apartment elevator.

The incident occurred in the Tilal Al Emarat area when a 14-year-old boy was entering the elevator and was bitten on his right leg. He required hospital treatment for the injury.

The boy’s mother filed the complaint, claiming the domestic worker failed to take necessary precautions to control the dog, which belonged to the household she worked for.

During the trial, the worker said she had been employed for three months and was holding the dog on a leash near the sixth-floor elevator door when it unexpectedly jumped and attacked the child. She immediately returned the dog to the apartment and said she did not understand why it lunged at the boy.

The appeals court acknowledged her explanation but upheld a reduced fine, concluding that minor negligence had occurred.