"They were approaching the gorge: I was on the ground; they would have killed me. I was saved only thanks to the intervention of some boys from Via Quirra who heard my screams: they climbed over and attracted the dogs' attention. I think one of them was even slightly injured."
Daniela Serra, 66, is the administrative employee at the school on Via Meilogu who was mauled on August 28th by two pit bulls. These dogs (now three) roam freely within the school's courtyard . They belong to a man who is squatting in the old caretaker's house and are holding school staff accountable. In recent days, some employees have been forced to barricade themselves inside the building to avoid being attacked.
"But they haven't been there long," Serra complains, deciding to speak out, "because this situation needs to be resolved: we can't wait for tragedy." After the employee's attack, the municipality announced that they had sent the local police to inspect the area. "It's late," she says, "the first official and registered report of the dogs' presence dates back to April. They actually went inside and found one locked in a room. Then," she continues, "further certified emails were sent in June. And again in July. There was also a report of an illegal occupant in a public building, a school: this seems to go unnoticed, but how can it be considered normal?"
The local police "intervened, true. But we were told the dogs are microchipped, so they can't be taken away." Something happened after the first blood was shed, that of Daniela Serra, who ended up in the hospital after being bitten "on the leg, arm, and side. They were climbing up."
She had a tough time, and only then was a meeting convened at the City Hall to address the emergency: "Classes start in mid-September," Serra emphasizes, "but some children were supposed to come to school on September 1st as well, as part of a project. Instead, they were diverted elsewhere because of the presence of those dogs. I love animals, but this situation is unacceptable."
While various departments in the City Hall are taking action, the opposition is also mobilizing: "In these cases, half measures are unnecessary," attacks Alessandra Zedda from the center-right, "it is necessary to proceed immediately with the removal of dangerous dogs (the owner's direct responsibility) and with the evacuation of the illegally occupied building."
Zedda, in the past, was "the city councilor for animal welfare: we have always had control over the microchipped dogs, using the municipal kennel and other authorized shelters. I can't imagine," concludes the city councilor, "what would have happened with the students and what could happen if we don't intervene with decisive safety measures."