Dog attacking child - not stopping to help

OP had her own dogs with her, adding them to the situation could have easily made it worse. It's up to the parents of the kid to sort their own dog out.

And made the whole situation 10 times worse. Well done you!

FFS.
It was because OP had her dogs with her that this happened, the Collie was dog reactive and most likley bit the child because it couldnt reach the other dogs - its called Redirection.
What do you think she should have done with her own dogs while "jumping into the situation" that would not have made things infinitely worse?
Of course most people would help a child being attacked by a dog but quite sensibly OP removed herself and her dogs from the situation to not inflame it

I think it’s down to nature. I would have immediately jumped into the situation as a child was being attacked. I would not have given it a second chance and would gladly get hurt for a child. This is the problem with todays society.

She got the abuse BECAUSE she didn't stop. The question was should she have stopped.

I'm addition to that, even if the abuse had come first, it's not the child's fault, so to me it's irrelevant weather the adults were shouting or not.

Even if they were shouting abuse at you?

If I were walking my dogs and were subjected to a mouthful of vile abuse by people with a dog that was clearly not under control in spite of being on the end of a long lead, I wouldn't feel much inclined to do anything for them. They would be exceedingly unlikely to allow me anywhere near their child anyway, if they had so clearly decided I was the villain of their little melodrama, so what would be the point?

Shouting to them, which they would certainly read as "at them", would simply escalate their animosity and might lead to one of them physically attacking me, which would be no help whatever.

And if I were in charge (hah!) of an out of control dog which had just bitten someone, I absolutely would want people to walk on by; I wouldn't in the least want them and their dogs added to my already chaotic problem.

One thing to not physically go and help, but I would expect you to at least visually see if the kid was okay and shout over do you need help.

Dog attacks can be really bad and they might have needed an ambulance, something to put pressure on a wound etc.

Yes it was the parents fault, yes the parents were trying to sort it.

But the issue is a child was hurt, unknown how badly. Regardless of circumstance I wouldn't want or expect r people to just keep walking like nothing happened.

You did the right thing. If you walked over with your dogs then it could have been harder for the parents to get their dog under control. They should have noticed that their dog was focusing on your dogs and not let the child near it.

If I was you I'd think of getting a go pro to wear when your walking your dog, as you never know people like this might try to blame you. I think hospitals now have to report all dog attacks on children to the police now. (My local hospital does anyway)

I don’t need evidence of a non dog attack thanks. What makes you think the child suffered an attack from a dog? A squeal doesn’t = dog attack. Especially when you didn’t look back.

If it was such a non event @PurplePumkin, then why did the parents verbally abuse the OP for not stepping in? It was pretty much the whole point of OP's thread. I suppose you must have missed that.

I don’t need evidence of a non dog attack thanks. What makes you think the child suffered an attack from a dog? A squeal doesn’t = dog attack. Especially when you didn’t look back.

I didn’t say you were a dog hater but you’ve certainly managed to get the dog haters frothing about an attack that you didn’t witness. It doesn’t take much on MN. The mention of dog usually does it.

Good grief, how is this guide on how to kill a dog remotely helpful, or invited by the OP or any other poster on here?

The parents were lashing out because they were at fault and they felt humiliated at having been seen. In other words they felt ambushed and responded by attacking back in a very knee jerk/shoot from the hip manner😬
Rough as dogs no doubt👀

Why should you have intervened more than any others? They don't know what your dogs would have done if you brought them close to the attack. You never really know.

No, I don't have a dog. He was PTS 6 months ago.

so shut up.

This oh so intelligent and well behaved collie had to be wrestled off a child. Did you miss that bit?

The dog attacked the child. It says it in the OP's OP.

Adding more dogs to the mix would never be a good idea.

Not a child but I had to stand and watch my DH fending two off lead Rottweilers off our on lead Dachshund on a beach once as I had our Labrador and I knew going over there two help would just add a load of heat. It was horrible luckily although they did bite her they were playing, and eventually their owners got off their arses and came and got their dogs.

So their dog was hostile to your dogs, and they didn't reel their dog in, they didn't tell their child not to try to hug their dog, their dog attacked their child, and they blamed a passerby walking with dogs 10 metres away.

How anyone can think anything was your fault I cannot understand.

Jeeeesus. There is definitely frothing.

Ah.. I get it. You expect every poster to remember who said what on a lengthy thread full of nonsense. Ok then… 😏

Can anyone tell me if the dog on this thread attacked? Because I don’t see it. Prove me wrong.

As far as I can see this is just another thread to get the dog haters frothing
🙄

It seems you succeeded OP.

They sound rough as hell, I feel sorry for the kid. You could have helped by telling them to train their dog or not keep it with kids when it sounds like a nightmare 🙃

You haven't read the full thread then. Or you'd know I was taking the piss

If that happened to my dog, I wouldn't appreciate you coming over with your dog to help. It would only escalate the situation. I'd see it as my responsibility to get my dog off my child, and assess any injuries. Why would he think you're responsible for helping him with his dog?! Why should you and your dog risk being bitten? He just wanted to blame you for his badly managed dog, and got upset because you walker away.