to want a dog that bit me put to sleep?

[pickgo]

I was out for a walk with DS, DGS and mother on Sunday. We walked past a woman with 3 children and a dog on the lead. As we passed her on the pavement the dog leapt up at me and bit me on the chest.
Fortunately I had 6 layers of clothing on so it has only left me bruised, the skin is not actually broken.
The dog owner apologised. She admitted she already had a muzzle for the dog but hadn't put it on this time [OBVIOUSLY!!].
I said her apology wasn't good enough. What if I'd had a baby in a sling, or it was one of the children? What if it goes for one of her children? Told her I thought the dog should be put to sleep.
Ironically, I myself had a dog some years ago that randomly bit people. I too always kept it on a lead but one day it leapt into a pram and I was terrified it would bite the baby. That day I took my dog to the vet to ask for advice. The vet's advice was that once a dog has crossed 'the line' of biting people it will always be a possibility it will do it again. So I had the dog put to sleep. A sad, hard decision but I think the right one.
So, AIBU to want this dog put down? Surely I should be able to go out for a walk without being mauled by an animal and left injured?

You should certainly report it. I suppose though, unless you know where the woman lives, then not much can be done.

YANBU. It's a dangerous dog kept by an irresponsible owner. Can you report it to the police? Take photos of the bruise as evidence.

YANBU if any dog of mine did this I would be taking it to the vets.

I have reported it to the police. They went to the woman (who gave me her name and the road she lived in (but not her number - so I was quite surprised they found her unless, of course they know her?).
The police then came to my house and sais SHE was very upset, the dog had been recently traumatised because she'd had intruders and that it was not out of control and, as this is the first occasion it's been reported they could take no action.

YANBU. Why on earth do people think it is a good idea to keep animals like this alive as pets? Report it. If the woman is too stupid to even care about the safety of her own children then there is little hope of her keeping the animal safely, imho. I hope that you recover from the attack quickly and that it does not cause you any further problems.

Well, at least it's been reported. Let's hope that there's not a second time.

Just read your last post, OP. That is awful. I can't believe that the police put the feelings of a 'traumatised' fucking dog ahead of the safety of humans. let's hope that the animal does not injure a child who will not be big enough to kick it off or kill it.

Yadnbu - We had to take that very difficult option with a resuce dog once - masses of time with dog psychologists andf specialist trainers didn't help, and he bit someone through our gate - very hard to do but she needs to take the right decision.

YANBU. At all!

I am surprised no one has come on yet to tell you that it was your fault and that you provoked it

It is early in the thread, mind

Yanbu I reckon

YANBU. I love my dog but I wouldn't hesitate to have him pts if he bit someone. I recently witnessed an attack on a man by a dog (the dog was on a lead but bit a jogger running past) and the owner was prosecuted and the dog pts.

Thanks for all your positive replies.
The attitude of the police threw me a bit and got me doubting my own reaction.
I'm going to ring the police again tomorrow and ask them what they intend to do.
The trouble with taking a photo is that the bruises are on my chest - it'd be really embarrassing to ever have to produce the photo!

I don't agree with your sentiments and would not be calling for the dog to be PTS if I were in your position. Simple as that - I'm sure that will cause an outcry but those who know me and whay I do, which is spend my life trying to save the lives of dogs, will not be surprised to hear it, albeit that they might not agree with me.

This thread will run and run. I won't change anyone's mind and you can be bloody sure I won't change mine so there is no point in me coming back and arguing the toss but I just couldn't let a thread calling for the death of a dog go without saying that I would never do it and to me it would be very, very unreasonable.

So she was in control of it when it bit you?

"it was not out of control"

Yanbu. I too think maybe you should report it.

A dog bit me whilst it was an inmate at a local animal shelter. He was being taken out by their staff at the time for a walk.

They took it extremely seriously and put the dog to sleep. I did feel quite sorry for the dog though. I'm not a big dog fan by a long shot but I thought he might have had an unhappy life to have been there in the first place and I didn't like to feel I was the reason he was put to sleep.

But apparantly he also bit the animal behaviour assessor too that came to check him out and it was curtains after that.

It was the right thing to do though. There was no way they could have responsibly rehomed a dog that bites. And although he only nipped my leg, that would have been just the height of a childs face.

Yanbu

VALLhala - what would you suggest should be done?
Would you keep the dog even if it attacked you or a child?

The police were initially not interested when DH phoned to report the attack we saw, but when they did turn up and saw the state of the jogger's injuries they changed their view. Poor guy had severe puncture wounds to the top of his thigh and scrotum - seriously.

My DS was bitten by a friend's dog when he was 2. He still has problems with dogs 13 years later.
The dog was not put down and never bit anyone again, but I always found it hard to accept that my friend did not have it put down.
DS still has the scar on his face.
The dog eventually died of old age.

The fact that she had a muzzle for the dog would make me suspect that this had happened before, or she was at least aware of a possible issue. That she would then take the dog out unmuzzled is so irresponsible it's untrue.

I cannot believe some people are so horridly selfsih.

OP I hope you are OK?

YANBU. But not surprised at the dog owner's reaction. I have met many people who don't care about their dog's affect on anyone and think their pet is entitled to scare, jump on, bark their head off at anyone and the person is just being 'silly' if they react. Biting is really crossing the line, though.

So true swanandduck. They never apologise, they always say that the dog is "all right" so you don't need to worry!

How ridiculous! So what if she is upset? You are the one who has been attacked, she is incredibly irresponsible for having the muzzle at home and not putting it on the dog while walking it out. She must have known the dog has issues, the stories about recent traumas are just excuses. I will never understand risking people's safety for the sake of keeping a dangerous pet alive.

My parents kept an aggressive Alsatian when I was a teenager and the dog never left the house without a muzzle. I loved him, but with hindsight my parents should have put him down before he bit my little sister.

You absolutely did the right thing by reporting it and YANBU to want it put down.

I am okay thanks. Was in a bit of pain yesterday but just bruised now - even got a bruise from its paws on my rib where it leapt up at me.
I have had dog owners saying to my children 'Oh it's alright he won't hurt you' when their dog has come bounding up to them and they've been frightened. I think that's not really the point! But you say something to most dog owners at your peril! IME their usual response is a load of verbal abuse.

The police are not acting appropriately here. Are you sure it wasn't a PCSO who spoke to the woman?

I would pursue it but you cannot dictate what happens to the dog, that will be for a court to decide.