Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think something needs to be done about all these dog attacks?

222 replies

BattIestar · 25/02/2025 20:51

And if so, what? What is the solution? My kids witnessed an attack recently, it hasn't yet made the news, and it wasn't deadly nor did the victims require overnighting at hospital, but my children are now wary of walking to school, and being in the playpark. I hate that we are living in fear of dangerous dogs, and really think it is high time something proper was done about it.

https://www.warwickshireworld.com/community/several-dangerously-out-of-control-animals-seized-and-man-arrested-after-dog-and-walker-attacked-4996021?fbclid=IwY2xjawIrCq1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHa1YUA3bHzoq_pxI7TwdO4w9hshfrow9PxUD0VpJG1LbgSkwc4JPRA0euw_aem_JMCCUtSRtxMqwxBAThDhBQ

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/herne-bay/news/teen-injured-in-dog-attack-in-residential-street-320351/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIrC0tleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHTWY4zAPIYc8FEZfB9beTtbmrCASCSz_xUnQVseSIC2sDP3eKSeXP06AAg_aem_BA0Cw6SxxhlAErwSGsGZBA

https://yourherefordshire.co.uk/all/news/breaking-police-would-like-to-speak-to-a-man-following-a-dog-attack-in-herefordshire/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIrC1pleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHXq3Pnj9d5fXTDfAXCDes_X_9Hk7-CnsblXBfc4lQXCcvvLqwLGgAh4QzA_aem_N61Z-O4i2e6VG67vPLaQkA

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/24960445.armed-police-bardsley-avenue-bewsey-xl-bully-dog-attack/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIrC2hleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRHREId8LTMtQgHjS8JVw9q7gVYWWakhqlKayXA5e-fuBkMMicfFfjsvVg_aem_HYpvfZuhY_Iq_EMgSlGrIQ

The above are all very recent incidents, which I found when I was looking to see if the one my kids and I saw had made the news. I bet there are many more thst don't get reported too. And then we have the crazies spouting "it's the owner not the breed", or "something must have provoked it". In the incident we saw, the dog bolted out of its owner's front door and jumped up at a stranger walking along, knocking them over and mouthing their sleeve - I think the only reason it wasn't worse than it was is because the guy had a very thick coat on. If that had been my kids in their thin blazer uniform, I dread to think.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/two-attacked-family-dog-after-31015876?fbclid=IwY2xjawIrDB1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVBbWJkkOJJ_O5mEFgA-RfzzPiud9QsanPcMUQ2HkKpScEqfubC4X1eSbg_aem_WkZXswfnJpUMgERlgNERRg#amp-readmore-target

https://www.wigantoday.net/news/crime/wigan-dog-attack-police-issue-picture-of-pet-owner-4960583?fbclid=IwY2xjawIrDDNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZ9q6tFB-TD2O-mqoHbZkh7kN_JpCyESva9LgrhtWlRto5ExCTUbHAxh3g_aem_gC6a5KoO1hOuXYBQ01w1jQ#w2e4b783th709kb31uiwoxny8q94akg

I think we need to get tougher on owners - any dog bites anyone, the owner goes to jail as if it were them who directly caused the injury.

I also think we need to actually properly ban the top dangerous breeds (we all know which they are).

OP posts:
UndermyShoeJoe · 26/02/2025 16:26

Chiseltip · 26/02/2025 16:08

Tell me you don't know anything about dogs, without telling me you don't know anything about dogs.

Why can dogs not be walked muzzled then… I’ll wait. Because they can.

Why can they not be walked on lead and let off in dedicated fenced areas. Again they can.

No reason not too apart from lazy owners.

Chiseltip · 26/02/2025 16:08

UndermyShoeJoe · 26/02/2025 15:20

All dogs in public should be on a lead and muzzled full stop be that the nippy sod chi or the fuck off XL.

Proper enclosed dog walking areas for that off lead run.

License with a high fee with proof of vets and insurance and training scheme.

Dog bites, it’s put to sleep.

Caught with dog fowling and not being picked up, licence fee increases yearly.

Don’t pay the fee dogs removed.

Tell me you don't know anything about dogs, without telling me you don't know anything about dogs.

UndermyShoeJoe · 26/02/2025 15:20

All dogs in public should be on a lead and muzzled full stop be that the nippy sod chi or the fuck off XL.

Proper enclosed dog walking areas for that off lead run.

License with a high fee with proof of vets and insurance and training scheme.

Dog bites, it’s put to sleep.

Caught with dog fowling and not being picked up, licence fee increases yearly.

Don’t pay the fee dogs removed.

Coolasfeck · 26/02/2025 15:11

I’ve previously owned dogs so am not a dog hater. However, enough is enough. There needs to be a nationwide cull of this breed and anyone found with one after that gets an automatic massive fine or jail.

Moglet4 · 26/02/2025 15:07

SnoozingFox · 25/02/2025 22:53

Proper system of expensive dog licences. Like £250 per dog per year. Funds used to employ however many thousand dog wardens. Your dog is found to be out of control or bites someone, it gets put down immediately, no questions asked. Tougher licensing for breeders. Unlicensed dogs seized and destroyed - no questions asked.

You can't afford another £250 a year to have your dog? Tough.

Exactly. Add also severe fines for letting dogs crap/ leaving doggy bags out (it’s like walking a bloody honour guard of poop bags down my local canal walk) and for having them off lead if you can’t stop them jumping/sniffing at people and the world would be a much happier place!

Mrsbloggz · 26/02/2025 15:03

People become very emotionally attached to their dogs, like a person who is in love with an abusive partner who can never see them for what they really are.

SnoopysHoose · 26/02/2025 15:01

To add; exemption is a step towards responsible ownership and those who are will abide by the conditions.
Most of the idiots who have XLs for status won't have exempted them.
The DDA costs police forces millions to size and kennel dogs and is also cruel in the way many of the dogs are treated/neglected in police kennels as cases can take years.

Saveusernsme · 26/02/2025 14:58

You shouldn’t trust any dog completely. They are dogs, they don’t think human and biting is a form of communication. If we all start on that footing, we can help mitigate risks.

All dogs can bite. I have a tiny scar to prove that, just above my eye from an attack when I was two. Had it been a bully, I think the story would have been a lot different don’t you?

SnoopysHoose · 26/02/2025 14:58

And all cane corsos and XL bullies should be put down.
there are many other powerful breeds.
I owned a corso , sadly passed away, he was very gentle, good temperament and very well trained.
Breed ban have never been successful as another breed takes their place.
Restrictions around dog ownership should be implemented. You see people on here constantly moaning that rescues are very strict, this so to ensure the correct person for the dog, whereas any idiot can buy from a 'breeder'

ImagineRainbows · 26/02/2025 14:50

Smallsalt · 25/02/2025 22:53

Small breeds can't kill you.

Small breeds can and have killed babies and children.

CherryPopShowerGel · 26/02/2025 14:45

JoyousEagle · 26/02/2025 14:35

The current ban isn't a ban in any actual sense. What is the point of an exemption certificate - the dog won't decide not to go a'mauling just because their owner got an exemption.

I agree. And it makes no sense at all to me that these dogs are deemed too dangerous to be out in public without a muzzle, and yet they can legally be in a house with small children. I think that if the ban has to have exemption certificates (which I don't like, but appreciate it would be hard to not have them because people would whine too much about their fluffy little darlings who wouldn't hurt a fly), then they shouldn't be available to people who live with children. Those dogs should be removed.

It's a major safeguarding issue, and one which social services can do very little about. If the dog is 'exempt', the parents aren't committing a crime. Meaning many innocent children are being made to live with these beasts, because their parents are too thick or selfish to realise the harm they're putting them in.

CherryPopShowerGel · 26/02/2025 14:44

I'm incredibly passionate about animal rights, and anti-speciesist. I believe humans and nonhuman animals are of equal worth.

Pitbulls are the softest, daftest dogs out there. It's the owner not the breed. They were actually bred as nanny dogs cos they're so great with kids! Any time one of them has hurt someone it was because that person did something wrong, or the dog had been tormented in private until they snapped. The person either gave the dog too much attention or not enough. Was too lax with their upbringing or too strict. They're fantastic family dogs. Obviously though you should never leave a child alone with them. With the nanny.

JK.

I want all pitbulls, especially the XL variant, to be euthanised.

We cannot have these dogs, bred for centuries for gameness, muscles, fighting temperament (not giving any 'tells' until they maul, and then not giving up regardless of what anyone does) walking around. The risk to everyone is too dear.

Anyone who falls for the pro-pitbull lobby needs to watch the ring cam footage of Nicole Morey being eaten by her beloved dogs. And then the footage of Ian Price, helplessly sitting on the grass not even able to move away, grunting at passers by 'get me a f-ing knife' while two of them ate him alive. The uncensored footage, that shows them biting and eating chunks out of his chest, arms, and legs, devouring him in broad daylight in front of people who could do absolutely nothing to stop them. Or read the story of little Bella Rae whose parents didn't leave her alone with the dog, the dog snatched her out of her parents' arms and ate her in front of them.

It's too late imo to just sit around now waiting for XLs to slowly die out. The deaths keep on happening.

If you asked me to put my small child in a room with a pitbull or a room with a loaded gun on the table, I'd pick the gun. At least the gun can't autonomously go off and murder him. The pitbull can.

Mrsbloggz · 26/02/2025 14:41

I like the idea of the chip scanner @WiddlinDiddlin

Mrsbloggz · 26/02/2025 14:39

MellowTiger · 25/02/2025 22:41

It’s important to remember ANY dog can bite and some of the smaller breeds are more prone than the larger breeds.
resolving this issue would need the Government to invest money - ALL dogs should be licensed. Police/Wardens should do random checks on dogs in public areas and unlicensed dogs should be PTS. Part of the licensing should be to attend training lessons. I have an staffie, she is well trained to sit/get down/come to her name etc.. and we put her on a lead if anyone looks nervous or it’s a cyclist. I trust her completely but I would never leave her with my grandson alone, you don’t get a second chance if something happens.
Any dangerous dog breeds should be put to sleep.

Of course any dog can bite but it's the large powerful dogs who have the ability to easily overpower and kill humans.
Any feline can bite but there's a huge difference in the damage that can be done by domestic cat versus a panther.
These Pitbull type dogs (and some other breeds) are not pets, they are weapons.

JoyousEagle · 26/02/2025 14:35

The current ban isn't a ban in any actual sense. What is the point of an exemption certificate - the dog won't decide not to go a'mauling just because their owner got an exemption.

I agree. And it makes no sense at all to me that these dogs are deemed too dangerous to be out in public without a muzzle, and yet they can legally be in a house with small children. I think that if the ban has to have exemption certificates (which I don't like, but appreciate it would be hard to not have them because people would whine too much about their fluffy little darlings who wouldn't hurt a fly), then they shouldn't be available to people who live with children. Those dogs should be removed.

BoredZelda · 26/02/2025 14:34

Many missing the point, it isn't the size of the dog, it's the strength of the jaw that's the problem. A Bernese mountain dog has less bite force than a staffy. An XL bully is bred from 2 (or more) dogs with an incredibly strong jaw.

Natural Temperament matters too, so simply comparing other breeds is a false equivalence.

WiddlinDiddlin · 26/02/2025 14:15

Newmeagain · 26/02/2025 14:05

Exactly.

You would not be allowed (in the UK) to have a pet tiger - even if you promised they were completely tame and would always stay in your fenced garden - because the risk is just too high.

Actually you would if you had the required facilities and got a Dangerous Wild Animals Licence (which you'll only get if you can show you have the appropriate housing/caging etc)... then yes, you can have a pet tiger, or lion, or wolf or.. whatever, theres not that many animals you can't own in the UK, and many of those have nothing to do with whether they're dangerous to humans or not.

You're not allowed to own a genetically modified GloFish though - thats a black widow tetra or one of various other commonly owned tiny tropical fish species, thats been GM to glow in the dark. No licencing scheme for them exists, just an out right total ban.

Newmeagain · 26/02/2025 14:05

ThankyouBakedP0tato · 26/02/2025 00:04

I heard the police say that on the news as well.

It's madness that we are surrounded by these killing machines.

19 bullets to kill 2 dogs. They're like robocop.

Exactly.

You would not be allowed (in the UK) to have a pet tiger - even if you promised they were completely tame and would always stay in your fenced garden - because the risk is just too high.

Chiseltip · 26/02/2025 07:19

cadburyegg · 25/02/2025 23:03

Yes, I agree about future generations being horrified that this has been allowed to continue.

20 years ago there were smoking rooms in workplaces and 38 years ago my parents brought me home in the car after I was born in just a Moses basket in the back seat. We look back and can't believe that was the reality, but it was just normal at the time.

Once we know better, we can do better - so why aren't we doing better on this?

Because dogs are animals with a mind of their own.

Why do you think you can control what an animal decides to do.

Even the best trained dogs are only about 70% obedient.

ItShouldntHappenToMeYet · 26/02/2025 07:17

Another pearl-clutching "something must be done" post without actually having thinking about what can be done.
Blah, blah, blah....

Chiseltip · 26/02/2025 07:16

50Balesofgrey · 25/02/2025 22:35

If a dog bites once it should be destroyed, and the owners should be barred for life from having any animals, but especially any other dog.
If they breach the ban then as we can't execute them they should be locked up forever. Or forced to live in Skegness.

You do realise that dogs are animals, with a mind of their own.

If your child attacked someone, should you be held responsible and banned from having children?

Ultimately, a dog will decide what it is going to do, not the owner.

RavenclawWitchy · 26/02/2025 07:05

FetchezLaVache · 26/02/2025 03:59

Which of the following would you rather fight off a small human:

a) a Dachshund/terrier cross;

b) an XL Bully?

Neither. If a dog shows ANY inclination of biting a human it should be put down. Whether it is rat sized or tiger sized shouldn't matter.

RavenclawWitchy · 26/02/2025 07:02

Whatevershallidowithmylife · 26/02/2025 01:46

Rare this happens but if you’ve read the article you will see if was a terrier cross, which had already snapped at the baby and was, for some reason kept outside?

I'm sure that information is of great comfort to the parents. It was known to bite so should have been put down. End of. Size really doesn't matter.

UnfollowTopic · 26/02/2025 04:59

Poppyseeds79 · 26/02/2025 00:16

Newly qualified drivers don't need a tank. They can do quite enough damage in a car sometimes. More so than a dog walking around a park. 16 people were killed by dogs in 2023, 290 were killed by young drivers.

In general, until we stop equating dogs with humans when discussing the issues, there is no hope for stopping these incidents.

WiddlinDiddlin · 26/02/2025 04:21

Mm.

We need the government to do several things:

Regulate dog training - many of the attacks I've seen footage of or read about involve dogs grabbing at sleeves, because there are morons out there (sadly, all over TikTok) teaching other morons how to turn their dog into a 'protection dog' - by getting them to bite people wearing bite sleeves, and then 'agitating' them - beating them with sticks, pipes etc to wind them up and get them to hold on/bite harder.

Currently anyone can call themselves a dog trainer or behaviourist with no requirement to undergo any assessment or externally verified qualification. It is also still legal in most of the UK to use shock collars and prong collars and other methods that we know increase the chances of aggressive and violent behaviour toward people.

Ban the import of dogs with cropped ears - this sounds like its just an aesthetic issue but ear cropping has become very popular, and whilst it is illegal here, it is perfectly legal to import a dog with cropped ears, or simply say you did. And there are companies who will sell you a cropped dog that they imported (or did they?) with the correct paperwork... and that dog can be sold to you after it's been trained to attack people. If you have the money.

Its the sought after thing amongst certain celebs and so Joe Public wants the image, hasn't the cash, so buys a big beefy breed/scary breed dog and goes to a back street 'trainer' for 'protection dog training'... or goes it alone with TikTok for advice.

Banning importing dogs with cropped ears would seriously damage such dog importation businesses. Add in new controls/legislation over who can/cannot have a protection trained 'guard dog' would also help enormously. If they were subject to the same sort of checks and requirements that Dangerous Wild Animals are (where your ability to house and meet that animals needs and keep the public safe from it are evaluated annually, and you're only licenced if you pass those checks) that would help.

Early education - get rid of the idea that a puppy is a blank slate (it isn't!), that where that puppy comes from and how their parents were raised/lived is also important - that training methods matter, not just results, a dog beaten and subjected to pain is far more likely to be aggressive than one trained using force free/fear free methods.

I don't know how you do that, work stuff into the curriculum within other subjects, you can find bits relevant to biology, psychology, PSE (does that still exist?), maths (how much does Joe Bloggs earn if his puppies cost x and raising them cost y and Susan Smith suing him because her puppy came home with parvo cost z..).

Making the compulsory microchip system work would be a start - a central database, and chips that cannot be altered/over written, that link to a dogs entire history from breeder to owner to owner. Make it the legal responsibility for both buyer AND seller to submit updated details to the database. That way if you're caught in possession of a dog not chipped to you, you get a fine AND the person who sold the dog on without updating the details ALSO gets a fine.

Make it possible that the seller of a dog potentially carries some responsibility for that dog for life - so if you sold a dog on and that dog bites someone, you might be partially liable. Which means you're far less likely to sell/give a dog to an idiot in the first place.

Police could be issued with a chip scanner, they take up little room in a car and anyone can operate one - making a 'stop and check' situation easy for all officers to do unlike a 'stop and assess if the dog is an illegal breed' which is impossible as it requires specially trained 'Dog Legislation Officers'.

The real root of the problem lies in human psychology though - you rarely ever find these cases involving well educated, financially stable, mentally/emotionally secure, confident people. They own big scary dogs because they fear the world and feel horribly insecure in it on some level.

Banning breeds doesn't work, because it doesn't address any of the myriad underlying issues, and we'll never have the police power to truly police it. Even if the police had the physical numbers to go around seizing dogs in the street, those dogs have to go somewhere, our legal system means they cannot be snatched and destroyed there and then, they have to be held, evaluated/assessed, owner taken to court to fight for the right for the dog to be released/defend themselves against the charge of owning an illegal breed. That costs (the taxpayer) enormous sums and takes months and months.

Btw - government are aware of all these things, they've been suggested in various formats/tweaks and some of them heavily pushed for, for YEARS now, decades in some cases, by the advisory group APDAWG.

It is cheaper to ban breeds, it makes the public feel like something is being done for pretty much zero effort.