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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:
Birdcloud · 17/04/2021 12:44

Don’t phone. Worse case scenario is this dog has done it before and he’s known to the police. He might want to pay you off.
Also your DS needs a tetanus injection- any broken skin bite injuries should be injected.

earnshaw47 · 17/04/2021 13:06

when when when will people start taking responsibility for their own dogs and keep them on a lead, should be a law

Youdontknowwhatyoureonabout · 17/04/2021 13:40

since I saw the kids walking the dog again

Shock so the owners have learned nothing. Awful.

Ritasueandbobtoo9 · 17/04/2021 13:51

The owners won’t adhere to any control order so the dog needs to be destroyed before it attacks again.

WinterStrawbsAreLikeTurnip · 17/04/2021 13:53

The dog should be destroyed. If the owners can't handle it and it has a history of biting children, rehoming it isn't fair either. It's sad that inept humans (the owners!) will be the cause of a dogs death but better than a child dying next time it bites.

cuparfull · 17/04/2021 14:22

The dog must be destroyed and the owners prosecuted/cautioned.

You should have taken photos of any/all injuries and taken the child to A&E for records.
Make a copy of the FB page and witnesses...just in case any infection arises from the bites.
When will people learn, owners are deemed responsible for their dogs behaviour and should not be off a lead with children in a park.

Mymycherrypie · 17/04/2021 15:32

I really don’t see why people are surprised that these imbeciles are out walking their dog again like nothing has happened.

Horrible people do horrible thing.
Horrible people intimidate people they have hurt.
Horrible people continue as they are unrepentant.

Put the dog down, they’ll just buy a new one. None of this is the least bit shocking. They won’t learn till the dog eats one of their own kids.

Aprilshowersandhail · 17/04/2021 16:08

I would notify the police the ddog has been out with dc again. The responsibility should be on the adults it lives with not the dc.. They could be spoken to again.

earnshaw47 · 17/04/2021 16:24

i definitely would not ring them, they were at fault not you, the police should definitely be involved, dad obviously dangerous

Houseofvelour · 17/04/2021 16:40

Your poor DS. The owners sound absolutely awful.
I hope they get fined

sue69m · 17/04/2021 16:44

I've a feeling this has happened before and the owners want to talk to you before the police contact them so they can get their story straight.
Hand all info over to the police

Roszie · 17/04/2021 17:06

If you've not already, show the police the Facebook comments about it being a serial offender.

alreadytaken · 19/04/2021 19:54

Your poor child must NOT be asked what he wants to happen. That is a suggestion from someone who will find any excuse to "save" a dog - a dog that may well go on to seriously injure or even kill another child.

When the police ask what you want - the dog should either be rehomed to someone who can train it (so through a refuge, not by the owner) or PTS. The children walking the dog are in danger, any child who plays with them in their home is in danger.

If you hear this dog has killed a child will you feel you did everything you could to prevent it?

Mymycherrypie · 19/04/2021 20:03

If you hear this dog has killed a child will you feel you did everything you could to prevent it?

Yeah it’s 100% OP’s responsibility to ensure this shitty dog and its shitty owners get training...

Fuck the owners, fuck the dog. I hope it does get put to sleep, it’s nothing but a pair of teeth waiting to bite another innocent bystander as far as I see it.

Ravenclawsome · 19/04/2021 21:18

@alreadytaken

Your poor child must NOT be asked what he wants to happen. That is a suggestion from someone who will find any excuse to "save" a dog - a dog that may well go on to seriously injure or even kill another child.

When the police ask what you want - the dog should either be rehomed to someone who can train it (so through a refuge, not by the owner) or PTS. The children walking the dog are in danger, any child who plays with them in their home is in danger.

If you hear this dog has killed a child will you feel you did everything you could to prevent it?

It's a suggestion of someone who has been severely bitten and left scarred by a dog but also has worked alongside a rescue specialising in bite rehabilitation cases.
Flaxmeadow · 19/04/2021 23:23

Put the dog down, they’ll just buy a new one.

This is why we need strict and expensive licencing. Anyone committing the criminal offence of having an out of control dog, should not be able to get a licence again.

The dog should be put down immediately. No court cases, no whining and hand wringing in court from dog lobby 'experts'.

Did you know that even if a dog has bitten people multiple times, that an 'expert' will plead the dogs case in court and often get the dangerous dog returned to the owner. These experts are supposed to be impartial but many of them are opposed to the BSL (breed specific legislation) laws we already have. In other words pit bull types, that have already bitten people, are repeatedly returned back into the community by these 'fur baby'obsessed lobbyists

There was another case in the papers today of a toddler attacked in a park in Liverpool. How many more times?

Flaxmeadow · 19/04/2021 23:47

There is a Canadian news item documentary on YouTube
Pit Bulls Unleashed: Should They Be Banned? - The Fifth Estate

TRIGGER WARNING because its distressing, but it shows just how far dog fanatics are prepared to go in defending dangerous dogs and how much in denial many dog owners are. A dog 'expert' is interviewed and even when faced with all the evidence, she still will not admit there is any problem at all. The mindset of the dog lobbyists in the film is genuinely scary

Poorlykitten · 20/04/2021 07:12

@Ravenclawsome it’s a rubbish suggestion. At no point should the child be asked what needs to happen. It’s a job for the police now, hopefully it’s being handled well.

SoupDragon · 20/04/2021 07:30

If you hear this dog has killed a child will you feel you did everything you could to prevent it?

That is entirely in the hands of the police and the dog's owners. The OP and her family bear no responsibility beyond having reported it. Suggesting otherwise is disgraceful.

alreadytaken · 20/04/2021 17:53

The police have asked what she wants to happen, the apologists want to save the fur baby - she should say she wants the dog rehomed or PTS. And if the owners then get another one maybe that one wont be equally out of control - and with dogs in short supply at least they may be hit in the pocket.

Of course it's not her responsibility if the dog kills, wont stop her feeling crap if it happens though, will it.

SoupDragon · 20/04/2021 18:21

She has done her bit by reporting it to the police.

earnshaw47 · 20/04/2021 19:02

dogs can be dangerous even on a lead, especially the leads that extend, the owner has no control then, plus i was walking along , man with dog in front of me, dog decided to go across me to sniff grass , on the extended lead i actually fell over it, i got tutted at and the man just walked off

CleverCatty · 21/04/2021 10:54

@Mymycherrypie

I really don’t see why people are surprised that these imbeciles are out walking their dog again like nothing has happened.

Horrible people do horrible thing.
Horrible people intimidate people they have hurt.
Horrible people continue as they are unrepentant.

Put the dog down, they’ll just buy a new one. None of this is the least bit shocking. They won’t learn till the dog eats one of their own kids.

or as I think stated before, buying a cute puppy and not getting dog training lessons or training the dog itself or getting inbred puppies which might be of more aggressive breeds, then not muzzling them or training them properly!

owners are the issue not the dogs but inbreeding etc doesn't help re temperament.

Flaxmeadow · 21/04/2021 23:14

Another toddler attacked today, this time in the West Midlands

earnshaw47 · 21/04/2021 23:24

unfortunately these attacks will carry on. too many dog owners think that their dogs would never do that, yeh right, thats why leads are a must, to make sure they dont

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