Dog bite story - who is at fault?

[ArtichokeAardvark]

Heard a story on the grapevine today - friend of a friend of a friend scenario. Family with young daughter go to the house of an older couple (no kids) who have a rescue dog. Daughter is nursery age.

The couple know that their dog isn't safe with children so secure it in another room, and warn the girl and her parents not to go near the dog. Fast forward a couple of hours, adults are all chatting and there is a scream from the dog's room. The girl has gone in to pet the dog and been badly bitten.

Who is at fault here, morally but also legally? It's obviously an awful scenario but I feel just as sorry for the dog owners as for the girl... They will likely lose their dog now and they did everything right. You can argue it from every angle but I think the fault is with the parents for not supervising their child in a strange place... 😣

I can’t understand why people are all poor dog etc. If it was a lion or a bear would they be the same? The poor child was badly bitten so there should be no question of not putting the dog down.

The dog shelter, for rehoming it instead of putting a bullet in it.

Well IMO they should for their/their dogs benefit as much as for visitors benefit.

if there had been one they wouldn't in the position of worrying if there fog would be PTS.

to me it's not a question of whether it's their responsibility to stop roaming children (it's not, it's the parents responsibility) but a responsibility to their dog ' common sense for their own peace of mind.

Entirely the parents. My dog isnt aggressive has never bitten and never shown signs of it but she’s a rescue and is a little nervous and keeps her distance from new people. As such I can’t risk anything as to how she will react to situations she’s not used to. We don’t have children and As PP have said kids can behave in unexpected ways with animals and don’t pick up on behavioural cues. As such i ask people don’t bring kids or I put her in another room.
Despite that people have pitched up without warning with young kids ‘oooh he loves dogs don’t worry!’ Barged straight towards her and grabbed her face or head. I’ve had to literally snatch kids hands away from her and parents have reacted like im the one at fault.
Everyone is assuming this is a ‘dangerous dog’ but it might not be the case, just one that doesn’t spend much time around kids and interaction is not a risk to be taken.

I have a dog who is fear reactive and isn’t used to children. I wouldn’t have anyone with a child in the house no matter how secure I thought he was.

Legally the owners are at fault and could find themselves convicted for having a dangerous dog.

Morally, I think all the adults are at fault. The dog should have been secured away properly (or the child not allowed to visit) and the parents should have been supervising their child.

Yes I'd be the same for any animal that was set up to fail.

The owners. If a toddler can access the dog, it wasn’t “securely shut away.”

If I had a dog that would bite, I’d would make damned sure it was in its crate or behind a locked door or shut in a secure garden.

There is absolutely no way I’d risk just closing a door (with a low handle if a nursery aged child can open it) to separate a reactive bitey dog from visitors with children.

Parents should not allow their child to leave the room unsupervised.

@MoistVonL agree with this - some dogs can open doors, the door should have been locked or the dog in a crate (or both!)

The parents are at fault. The dog was secured- in that it couldn’t get out. The child went looking for the dog and opened the door- the parents should have stopped that from happening.

Aside from making material changes to their property I don’t know what more the dog owners could have done.

If the child went looking for the dog, and opened the door to pet the dog its reasonable to assume it would’ve opened the crate as well.

So the parents have no responsibility for supervising their kid?

If I was the dog owner and my dog had to be PTS because of the parents' stupidity it would be the end of any relationship with them.

It doesn't sound like the dog was secured very effectively, but I think this was on the parents. At that age, you shouldn't let them out of your sight in an unfamiliar environment.

Of course it would be the same - animals who are set up to fail by stupid humans shouldn’t have to pay the ultimate price for that.

The child wasn’t properly supervised - that’s the main problem

Parents were aware of the risk and should of supervised more carefully.

It should be padlocked though

I don't see how it's acceptable to own a dog who can do people harm. If you own a dog who will attack a human of any kind then you shouldn't have it in public or guests at your house.

I have a very black and white view on this. I think it's irresponsible of the owners to even allow a small child in their house when their dog is dangerous. Legally they'll be the ones liable.

How awful for the child.

Says a parent desperate to take no responsibility for anything whatsoever

The parents are at fault for not supervising their child, although the dog owners also take some responsibility on ensuring their dog is safe as well.

Also, few dogs will bite at first instance. There’s snarling and growling first, so the dog must have been upset to lash out, so the child must have annoyed it. The parents need to teach their child dog etiquette.

The parents were at fault and I hope the dog doesn’t lose its life and that the child isn’t scarred for life.

A dog can bite through the bars of a crate.

Entirely the parents are to blame. I have a rescue dog and she's not aggressive but could be unpredictable so there is no way I would allow a child near her unsupervised. The child should have been supervised. She could've got into all sorts of mischief in a not-child-proofed home.

I think you’re naive to think that any dog caught in a house fire can be trusted not to bite.

Even my rabbit would be liable to bite in that sort of a panicked situation.