Yachtsman in Mykolaiv was taken to hospital after being attacked by dogs on the grounds of the «Atlant» sports school

A man was hospitalised after being attacked by dogs on the grounds of a sports school in Mykolaiv. Screenshot

In Mykolaiv, a yachtsman was taken to hospital after being attacked by dogs on the grounds of the «Atlant» children’s sports school.

This was reported to NikVesti by the Expert and Public Council under the Executive Committee of Mykolaiv City Council.

According to the council, the incident occurred last week on the grounds of the «Atlant» children’s and youth sports school. As a result of the dog attack, the man sustained injuries to his limbs and was admitted to the city’s emergency hospital.

It is noted that the dogs were used to guard the premises. Council representatives claim that the animals were outside their enclosures, posing a danger to visitors and pupils of the sports school.

«The cause of the visitor’s limb injuries was a pack of guard dogs, which the school’s administration fails to keep in their enclosures, despite the threat to boat owners and children engaged in sporting activities. Eyewitnesses report that this is not the first incident of an attack, either on the school grounds or in the park adjacent to the «Atlant» school, where aggressive animals were able to roam freely. The situation for the victim was exacerbated by the fact that, as it turned out, the dogs used for security by the institution did not have official documents confirming their vaccinations (a veterinary passport with a vaccine sticker and the stamp of a veterinary authority), and therefore he was forced to agree to inpatient treatment in order to receive the full course of vaccinations prescribed by the medical protocol,» the appeal states.

The Expert and Public Council also stated that the dogs allegedly lacked documentation confirming that they had received the mandatory vaccinations. As a result, the victim was forced to undergo inpatient treatment and a course of preventive vaccinations in accordance with medical protocols.

«Despite constant warnings from veterinary services that, due to the state of war and the closure of hunting grounds, the number of wild animals entering the city has increased, leading to a rise in cases of rabies transmitted to domestic animals. Officials at the Atlant Children’s School administration acted irresponsibly and negligently regarding public safety, which led to such incidents,» the statement added.

According to council representatives, this is not the first instance of aggressive behaviour by dogs on the school grounds and in the adjacent park.

Lawyers handling the case believe that officials at the sports school may have breached legal requirements regarding the keeping of animals in public places, as well as the rules on compulsory vaccination.

Artem Vashchylenko, Chair of the Expert and Public Council, stated that the results of inspections into the activities of the «Atlant» and «Olimp» sports schools indicate numerous problems in the organisation of their work. Among these, he cited safety issues on the premises of the boat mooring sites, the technical condition of the infrastructure, and the keeping of guard dogs.

«Representatives of the city sports department and the directors of the «Atlant» and «Olimp» sports schools are constantly trying to defend the corrupt system that has existed in the schools for years, ‘hiding behind’ the interests of children and their parents, but the inspection reports suggest otherwise. Half-ruined jetties, disregard for safety regulations during the launching and hauling of boats, scrapped rusty tankers, dilapidated boathouses, the absence of all legally required permits for the safe operation of boat mooring bases, and now packs of stray dogs have turned places of recreation, leisure and sport for members of the local community of all age groups into «danger zones»,» said Artem Vashchylenko.

Furthermore, according to Artem Vashchylenko, the working group established by order of the mayor has completed an inspection of sports schools and prepared proposals to rectify the identified violations. The inspection findings have been submitted to the city administration for further management decisions.

It should be noted that since the start of 2026, 459 people have sought treatment at hospitals in the Mykolaiv region following animal bites. However, not all of them were prescribed rabies vaccinations.

Inspections and demarcation of the territories of the «Atlant» and «Olimp» schools

It should be noted that the city council has been discussing the demarcation of the territories of the «Atlant» and «Olymp» sports schools and small vessel mooring bases for over a year. Part of the territory is planned to be allocated for private yacht mooring, with the maintenance of the jetties to be transferred to the municipal enterprise «Timeset». In particular, the city council set up a special working group and a temporary commission to inspect the activities of the sports schools and boat mooring facilities. During the inspections, issues were identified regarding the maintenance of hydraulic structures, the transparency of fundraising, and the compliance of the facilities’ operations with legal requirements.

The city council emphasises that sports schools should focus on training children, and that commercial activities relating to boat mooring should be separated. At the same time, yachtsmen and some councillors have highlighted the risks to the operation of the sports infrastructure.

The city council also warned that, due to the unresolved situation, some of the mooring facilities for small and sports boats may not open this season.

During the session on 28 May, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych reacted emotionally to the issue being postponed yet again and stated that he was ‘washing his hands’ of the matter due to the constant delays. Some councillors insisted that the issue required further investigation due to potential violations and risks to children’s safety.