Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

DC was bitten by strange dog, owner has now contacted me

482 replies

Villanelle · 14/04/2021 14:03

Yesterday my DC was bitten by a dog at the park. He was playing in the play area, went down the slide and then started running after his younger sibling, the dog came out of nowhere and started chasing him. It caught up to him and bit him on the leg and back. He was hurt (puncture wounds, bleeding and bruised) but not enough to need stitches, thankfully. It was terrifying though and could have been so much worse. It was a big dog, like a Weimaraner, and totally out of control in a children's play area, the children(!!) walking it had to drag it away.

We contacted the police but they're going to contact us again in a couple of days.
It was posted about on FB by someone who witnessed it. I didn't reply to it but somehow the owner of the dog has contacted me. They haven't apologised or anything, just given me their phone number and told me to phone them.

I want to shout at them for being so irresponsible, I'm so angry. I don't know if I should reply to them or just leave it up to the police/dog warden. I don't want to argue with them, of course, but I don't think they realise how awful the situation was?

OP posts:
NoGoodPunsLeft · 15/04/2021 18:48

you teach your child to not go up to a dog

Yep! DD always asks if she can stroke a dog, what their name is etc before even getting too close. she hates it when dogs get excited and runs round, even more so.if they jump up but she loves a nice calm dog she can stroke.

JeanClaudeVanDammit · 15/04/2021 20:43

No, you teach your child to not go up to a dog. You would soon be having a go at the dog owner if your child got hurt.

Yes, I do teach my child not to go up to a dog. And they don’t. All parents should.

But there’s still no excuse for a dog hurting a child, even if the child has approached it. A dog can kill or seriously injure a child, it seems unlikely a child could kill or seriously injure a dog. I find it depressing that on a thread about a dog injuring a child the “oh but children approach my dog” comments came up when a) that’s not what happened in this case and b) one of these things is far worse than the other.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 15/04/2021 22:02

But there’s still no excuse for a dog hurting a child, even if the child has approached it. A dog can kill or seriously injure a child, it seems unlikely a child could kill or seriously injure a dog.

Children can hurt dogs. They kick them, and they twist ears - and if a dog is nervous or unwell, even the sweetest natured animal can respond negatively.

I once came out of a shop to find that my staffie had five of those tiny little wooden forks you get with chips stuck in his face ! And more on the ground around him. A gang of kids from the local school had tortured him in the time it took me to buy a couple of items. He didn't respond - he was a lovely, gentle dog - but he was terrified. Never left him outside a shop again. In my naivety I hadn't realised how vulnerable he was - or that anyone would even consider doing such a vile and brutal thing to a tethered animal.

He was also peppered with spud gun pellets when he was sitting out in our yard - again, terrified. And we live in a "good" area BTW.

There are some horrible children about, and there are other children who can hurt a dog without meaning to.

Keep your children away, unless you have permission for them to approach. The onus shouldn't always be on the animal, which can't speak and doesn't understand why it can't defend itself in the only way it can.

AmperoBlue · 15/04/2021 22:24

People are very odd about animals. They can’t eat them because that’s cruel snd my local Facebook is full of lost cats and photos of foxes

But dogs are like some sort of creature from Satan.

The fact the pet cat is ripping all the small mammals and birds apart is fine cos it’s nature. Cats scratching humans is because they’re scared.
But dogs are all children killers.
When I grew up in the 80’s we were taught not to run from dogs because they were liable to think you were playing and knock you over. Not to wave food around in front of them and a firm no rather than screaming worked best.

Poorlykitten · 15/04/2021 22:38

@AmperoBlue when is the last time someone was killed by a domestic cat?

AmperoBlue · 15/04/2021 22:51

I don’t know...did they not sit on the faces of babies back in the day? Cats are small. Big cats kill people but how many people are killed by dogs the size of domestic cats?
Cows kill people every year but you are taught to not walk past them when they have calves in the field.Fatal dog attacks are by breeds designed to kill things . Domesticated dogs are no threat to anyone.

FrenchBoule · 15/04/2021 23:13

I guess @AmperoBlue cats must have move with times and don’t sit on babies heads anymore...
Seriously 🤦‍♀️

It’s about respecting each other’s personal space.
No child should approach the strange dog but dogs should not be in places designated for kids like fenced off playpark.

Sick of “he’s only friendly” line. The impact of the dog bashing is much bigger than dog owners think.

alexdgr8 · 16/04/2021 03:00

i don't care if the dog is only playing.
i don't want to be touched by anything, human or animal.
i don't invade others' space. don't invade mine.
or make my clothes dirty and disheveled.

Ritasueandbobtoo9 · 16/04/2021 05:31

“ No, you teach your child to not go up to a dog. You would soon be having a go at the dog owner if your child got hurt.”

None of my kids go anywhere near dogs. It hasn’t stopped dogs knocking them over, biting them or slobbering over them. Usually in wide open spaces with the owner miles away oblivious.

WaverleyPirate · 16/04/2021 06:22

My husband has just been bitten by dog. It's a rescue dog apparently. Just went for him as he was walking past on opposite side of road.

There us another dog we pass which the owner has to restrain by holding it against the wall. I really worry it will attack a child one day.

Dogs are becoming a total pain.

lavenderlou · 16/04/2021 06:25

No, you teach your child to not go up to a dog

My kids never approach dogs but dogs approach us all the time. I was having a picnic with DC in a city par a couple of weeks ago and within the space of one minute, three off-lead dogs approached us and were sniffing around our food. The owners were of course miles away and on their phones. Of course when I shooed the dogs away I got the usual "he won't hurt you". Probably right,they weren't aggressive but the owners were too far away to do anything if they did. Besides which, I still don't want your dog sniffing around while I eat my lunch!

vixeyann · 16/04/2021 06:37

My child has never gone near dogs but this hasn't stopped him getting knocked down numerous times by dogs whose owners are miles away and have zero recall. I get the rage when I am told 'they're just being friendly' as this 'friendliness' now means he is scared of dogs. We live in lovely countryside and I am sick of having to avoid places because people can't keep their dogs on a lead. Just this week, someone let their dog off a lead on the cliffs where sheep graze and a dog chased a lamb over the side. The poor thing clung to a cliff edge for 2 days before it had to be shot because nobody could get to it. Has happened numerous times, lots of signs up but still some owners ignore it.

beginningoftheend · 16/04/2021 06:39

@WaverleyPirate

My husband has just been bitten by dog. It's a rescue dog apparently. Just went for him as he was walking past on opposite side of road.

There us another dog we pass which the owner has to restrain by holding it against the wall. I really worry it will attack a child one day.

Dogs are becoming a total pain.

Too many stories of rescue dogs not being happy around people, but just housed with non-experts anyway.

Hope your day is ok and I hope you reported the incident. The dog rescue place should have some care, they seem not to sometimes.

beginningoftheend · 16/04/2021 06:40

DH, not day!

WaverleyPirate · 16/04/2021 06:55

Yes he is fine. Some teeth marks and bruising. I worry about small children in these scenarios.

Poorlykitten · 16/04/2021 08:05

@AmperoBlue big cats kill ? You mean like lions and tigers? 😂 A quick google will show you the answer is none. Another quick google will tell you lots of fatal dog attacks plus plenty of serious attacks by smaller dogs, dachshund and chihuahuas included.

Poorlykitten · 16/04/2021 08:10

Dogs should be under control. They have the capacity to attack and cause serious damage. It’s your job as the owner up to comply with this. Too many lax dog owners giving good owners a bad name. Lots of adults and children are nervous around dogs ( for good reason having read this thread), if it doesn’t have good recall then it needs to be on a lead.

AyyX · 16/04/2021 08:34

Why don’t they make dog areas for dogs to play in? It seems like these dogs get too excited over strangers sometimes and even if they mean to harm, someone might be petrified of them.

AyyX · 16/04/2021 08:34

No harm*

Enough4me · 16/04/2021 08:41

I'm so fed up by the "it's just being friendly" line. If my DCs ran up to strangers, licked them, rubbed mud up them, trampled picnics and bit them could I get away with it if they were smiling at the time? Hmm

Operasinger · 16/04/2021 08:47

@WaverleyPirate

My husband has just been bitten by dog. It's a rescue dog apparently. Just went for him as he was walking past on opposite side of road.

There us another dog we pass which the owner has to restrain by holding it against the wall. I really worry it will attack a child one day.

Dogs are becoming a total pain.

Dogs are becoming a total pain

I love dogs and I have one, but sadly I have to agree with you.

RainingBatsAndFrogs · 16/04/2021 09:14

@AyyX

Why don’t they make dog areas for dogs to play in? It seems like these dogs get too excited over strangers sometimes and even if they mean to harm, someone might be petrified of them.
They do.

Our local park has a specific fenced in ‘dog exercise’ area.

People still let their dogs run free in the ‘no dogs’ playground.

RainingBatsAndFrogs · 16/04/2021 09:21

Interesting how a farmer is allowed to shoot a dog worrying sheep , but even when a dog chases and bites a child in a playground where dogs are banned there are a few apologists giving the ‘excited’ line.

So many new and inexperienced owners encouraged to get rescue dogs.

On MN every time I see someone torn to shreds (metaphorically, not yet by teeth...) for buying a puppy and told they should get a rescue, I wonder about inexperienced owners, with kids, told to take in dogs with unknown pasts and behaviours. I know they get assessed but they can’t cover everything.

There’s another thread where a poor poster is going through the upset if re-homing a dog that the rescue charity told her would be fine for her family, and she has been attached by members of the MN dog lobby.

Mymycherrypie · 16/04/2021 09:48

The owners should count themselves lucky their dog didn’t get booted. They probably want to come over to intimidate you more, people who let their children walk massive out of control dogs in designated dog free areas aren’t the most reasonable of people.

Wackadoo · 16/04/2021 10:00

@SchadenfreudePersonified that is horrific. Your poor dog. What kind of sick human does that?

Swipe left for the next trending thread