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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:
Changechangychange · 14/04/2021 15:02

Why would anyone go out of their way to find the contact details to blame the child?

Because they know from FB that she has contacted the police, and people are looking for their dog. They want to intimidate her into dropping it, or make her doubt herself in some way, so this goes away.

JeanClaudeVanDammit · 14/04/2021 15:02

I’d pass the number on to the police. Anyone who leaves their out of control large dog to be walked by children near a play area doesn’t have anything to say that’s worth listening to.

PomegranateQueen · 14/04/2021 15:02

I would have my solicitor call to find out where to send the papers. Yes I would sue.

For what

Personally I would want my DC to have the best counselling money could buy after something like this.
Presumably if the dog has broken the skin, the clothes OP's son was wearing were trashed. I would want the owner to replace those too.

Don't bother calling them OP, they sound like the type of owner who will tie themselves in knots trying to blame your DS for what happened. Forward thier details to the police and chase it up, this dog needs to be euthanized.

CleverCatty · 14/04/2021 15:02

I'd leave this up to the police and/or dog warden.

Ensure your DC's tetanus jab is up to date. Also, just ensure (highly unlikely I know) that it doesn't have rabies etc.

I don't know now if dogs are supposed to be put down for this (they used to be) or even if you can take legal action against them. Regardless it could have been much worse.

My DM was bitten by a Scottie dog years ago and still is wary of them even now so I hope your DC is ok by this and not too shaken up.

I've noticed lots of dog owners (especially who have got dogs and puppies over lockdown) don't seem to practise basic dog training - lots of owners in parks let dogs chase ducks, young wildlife etc

GirlofInkandStars · 14/04/2021 15:03

lljkk

What do folk expect the police to do? What is the outcome (those of you who recommend police) would like to happen?

Prosecute the owner and have the dog destroyed.

It was an unprovoked attack on a strange child... what else?

CleverCatty · 14/04/2021 15:04

@PomegranateQueen

I would have my solicitor call to find out where to send the papers. Yes I would sue.

For what

Personally I would want my DC to have the best counselling money could buy after something like this.
Presumably if the dog has broken the skin, the clothes OP's son was wearing were trashed. I would want the owner to replace those too.

Don't bother calling them OP, they sound like the type of owner who will tie themselves in knots trying to blame your DS for what happened. Forward thier details to the police and chase it up, this dog needs to be euthanized.

Counselling yes a good idea. even a few sessions cost a bit.
Changechangychange · 14/04/2021 15:04

Or, more charitably, they can’t believe that their ickle wickle fur baby could possibly hurt a fly, and they want to berate OP for making a fuss about nothing and hurting their poor doggy’s feelings. There are some mental dog owners in the world who will never take their blinkers off.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 14/04/2021 15:04

I'm not sure what people expect the police to do but I had always assumed the police would seize the dog and have it put down.

They are told to keep the dog under control. They may be cautioned. If prosecuted they may be fined.

Dogs aren't destroyed lightly.

GingerBeverage · 14/04/2021 15:04

Yes it's not just biting and pushing over, dogs leave mess - I definitely remember a story about a toddler going blind in one eye after falling in dog mess in a play area.

CleverCatty · 14/04/2021 15:04

@GirlofInkandStars

lljkk

What do folk expect the police to do? What is the outcome (those of you who recommend police) would like to happen?

Prosecute the owner and have the dog destroyed.

It was an unprovoked attack on a strange child... what else?

I've heard (maybe not on here on FB) that dogs aren't generally destroyed after attacking.

They used to be when I was a child after attacking someone.

CleverCatty · 14/04/2021 15:06

@SchadenfreudePersonified

I'm not sure what people expect the police to do but I had always assumed the police would seize the dog and have it put down.

They are told to keep the dog under control. They may be cautioned. If prosecuted they may be fined.

Dogs aren't destroyed lightly.

I'd expect a caution. Do you really expect the vast majority of people these days to bother to keep a dog under control? and then who enforces the fine?! Never seen a dog warden out in my life.
TheQueef · 14/04/2021 15:08

As a dog lover and owner I would sue.
I've been bitten twice.
Once on a bus (back in the old days) and once when my cousins guide dog was attacked by an off lead dog.
It's terrifying and it fucking hurts.
If that happened to my child, in a safe space, out of control dog and with possible prior?
I would sue.

Bathmatt · 14/04/2021 15:09

I’m sorry this has happened OP, your poor DC. I hope they are ok.

I would pass the details onto the police and not contact the owner. No good will come of it and you will just get even more upset than you are now.

Best of luck and hope DC makes a full recovery.

Stickytreacle · 14/04/2021 15:09

My work colleague had a dog that bit somebody. The police visited and they were told that the dog had to be muzzled and kept on a lead at all times. This was about a decade ago though, so may be different now.
I wouldn't contact the owners either, the fact that they allowed children to handle an obviously out of control dog speaks volumes, leave communications to the police.

Aprilshowersandhail · 14/04/2021 15:10

Let the police deal with it. You don't need the agro. Do not even get into a conversation..

Mollymalone123 · 14/04/2021 15:10

Pass onto the police- it was a dog that was dangerously out of control in a public place- for all you know this may not be the first time it’s happened-let them deal with it -I hope your ds recovers.

FTEngineerM · 14/04/2021 15:10

I can see it from both sides: if my dog had done that I’d be trying to get in touch too, I’d be fucking mortified. But also, if it were my child bitten I’d not have anything calm to say 😬.

They can’t be that responsible letting kids walk a huge dog.

SeriouslyAreYouSerious · 14/04/2021 15:14

If they were sorry and had good intent on getting in touch they would have said so in their initial message. Agree with all pp to pass onto police and leave it alone. Speaking to them will probably make you feel even more angry than you do now and will not help your dc at all.

I can't believe pp is questioning what the police ought to do?!? Should dogs be able to attack and injure people at will? The dangerous dogs act exists for a good reason.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 14/04/2021 15:14

I've heard (maybe not on here on FB) that dogs aren't generally destroyed after attacking.

They used to be when I was a child after attacking someone.

At one time there was a "one bite" rule - the first time a dog bit it was assumed to be "out of character" (eg it may have been provoked/ill/etc). The second time was the last time.

Agree with a PP - it has been a long time since I've seen a dog warden out and about.

Floralnomad · 14/04/2021 15:15

I wouldn’t call them , I’d pass the details onto the police and dog warden and let them deal with it but then follow it up to make sure that something is done . It should at the very least be muzzled and on a lead in a public place from now on , and not walked by children . In our council area all the actual play areas with equipment are fenced off with signs that dogs are not allowed in , is this not a nationwide thing ?

HedgePutty · 14/04/2021 15:15

Give the number to the police.
If there have been other police reports they probably are already in the system and will be going down the dangerous dog route. Let the police know you know who the owner is. The owner will only be trying to get you to drop the charges.
We have a dangerous dog Around here walked by children who can’t control it. It’s attacked children but no one reports it to the police and just brushes it off. It will kill someone one day.

TheThingsWeAdmitOnMN · 14/04/2021 15:15

@FlyingBurrito

Why would anyone go out of their way to find the contact details to blame the child?

Is everyone a dog hater? Surely the obvious thing is that they feel terrible, want to apologize and check on the child. Not all dog owners are irrespnsible, there could be a number of reasons the dog was lose in the park

Why not see what they have to say?

Well they could have helped their own cause by apologising and asking the OP to please call them, rather than no apology & instructing her to call them

I LOVE dogs, but I hate rude, wankers 🤷🏻‍♀️

In the OP's situation I'd just want to know what they planned to do about it (not allow the children to walk the dog alone/not let it off the lead until it had had training etc).

But given the instruction to call I'd simply pass their number over to the police & let them deal with it.

HedgePutty · 14/04/2021 15:16

If you do decide to ignore everyone and phone, at least have the conversation on speaker phone and record it

HopeHappy · 14/04/2021 15:19

Based almost entirely on your update @Villanelle I would just simply pass on their details to the police. It sounds like you won't get anywhere with the owner and will end up even more angry and upset with them (and rightfully so by the sound of it).

Leave the police to deal with this one. Your DC and all other locals who have encountered this dog will thank you for it.

Your poor DC. Thankfully they are already used to dogs as this is the kind of thing that would make many children afraid of dogs for life, when in reality it's the owners that are responsible.

diddl · 14/04/2021 15:21

I would also hand the number over to the police.

I should imagine the only reason they feel terrible is because the Op has contacted the police.

If they gave any fucks at all, they wouldn't be having their dog walked by anyone who can't control it.

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