Dogs Attack 65-Year-Old Man at Lake Karapi, Police Ignore Complaint

In a shocking incident at Lake Karapi, adjacent to the Opera House, a 65-year-old man named Edward Sarkisyan was attacked by dogs today, March 31. "There were people at Lake Karapi walking their dogs. The dogs were neither leashed nor muzzled. Alongside those dogs were also some stray dogs, totaling more than ten dogs in all. As I passed by the poplar trees near the lake, the dogs lunged at me. Instinctively, I shouted to attract the attention of the dog owners to call their pets back, but they showed no reaction. While I was shouting, I tried to escape, but the dogs surrounded me. I slipped and fell on one of the stone benches, resulting in a muscle injury, and then the dogs attacked me and bit me," Sarkisyan recounted in a conversation with NEWS.am.

When the citizen attempted to approach the dog owners, the dogs attacked him again. Trying to flee from the dogs, Edward Sarkisyan twisted his ankle and fell to the ground, injuring his foot. "The woman whose dog bit me ran away from the scene. Because I had undergone heart surgery, I was unable to chase after her, and I shouted for her to stop, but to no avail," Mr. Sarkisyan told.

Sarkisyan was forced to call the police. When the authorities arrived to maintain public order, they refused to fine the people walking their dogs in prohibited areas. The police advised the citizen to file a complaint at the station, otherwise they would not be able to assist in any way. "There is no law in Armenia; the police officer, who is supposed to ensure public order, for which he is paid, does not respond to the citizen, nor does he fulfill his duties. I showed him the sign stating that walking dogs in the Lake Karapi area is prohibited and asked why they weren’t prohibiting or warning those people, but there was no reaction. I was told that the dog is not a criminal, and I responded that the dog is not a criminal, but its owner is a criminal. Why not call them and fine them or give a warning? Moreover, they tried to detain me because I wanted to film them to show that they were inactive," he revealed.

During the incident, Edward Sarkisyan's blood pressure spiked. He called for his wife, and when his condition worsened, they had to call for an ambulance. Sarkisyan was given medication to regulate his blood pressure and was transported to the hospital for treatment of his dog bites. He also visited a cardiology clinic.