To have called 999 for a stray dog?

[OliviaCat]

Called 999 tonight because a large rottweiler was off lead in our road stealing from bins and snarling and baring its teeth if anyone approached. DH and I were really scared. Dog warden is shut until tomorrow.

In the end it's owner came after half an hour and I attempted to Have A Word but was obviously blanked and he walked off.

Did I do the right thing? I can't decide.

Did they attend?

Yanbu op. The mere thought of something like that frightens the life out of me 🙈

Yanbu. We have a rotty and under stressful circumstances like you described she could cause injury.

I would have called 101 for that if I had bothered to call anyone at all. Doesn't sound like an emergency to me I'm afraid.

A snarling, teeth baring rottweiler is not your average stray dog?

They were very nice and said they would send someone around as soon as possible - but the owner showed up before they did, so I rang 101 to cancel the call.

I have been put off 101 after calling. Following and arson attack and being on hold for 40 minutes. (The fire brigade were in attendance but I saw the perpetrators.) but tonight they answered very quickly.

I felt really guilty for calling! But it also felt so dangerous.

Imagine if everyone who saw a stray dog phoned 999 though! I get that it was destressed but OP said it was reacting when approached. So I would have stayed away, phoned 101 and left 999 for a proper emergency. If the 101 operator had deemed it an emergency then they could have escalated it, leaving the 999 number for a life and death situation. I have phoned 101 a few times and always got through within a minute or two.

999 was an overreaction I think.

YANBU. Disclaimer - I'm a dog owner. Once I encountered a very aggressive lost German shepherd and I did call 999.

Maybe it was the wrong thing to do. Im in a close with a lot of elderly neighbours and I was very worried one would approach it. We had to jet the hose at it to get it away from our door.

I have the direct non emergency number for the local police, you get through to the same operators as 999, just you wait if they are busy

YANBU
if you hadn't and it had attacked a child or seriously injured anyone you would have had to live with that forever

YABU, you could phone the non emergency police number or RSPCA.

I would have called 101.

I think you did the right thing @OliviaCat, someone could have been really hurt. It was a dangerous situation

I don't think 999 is unreasonable in this circumstance as the dog was aggressive and could have hurt someone especially an unsuspecting child or teen. You also only rang 999, they decide how to prioritise your call.

I think you did the right thing. The dog was starving and dangerous.

I think I'd have tried not approaching it and calling the non-emergency number first!

And maybe ringing round the neighbours if you're that worried?

Think about it. Was your need to access your bins really so pressing it constituted an emergency? No, it was not. Could you have made an effort to contact other people in the immediate area and warn them? Yes you could.

I suppose if there's information you've not shared - eg., your street is also a playground for toddlers whose parents all speak a different language - maybe you have a point. Otherwise, no, sorry, it was a bit silly.

It’s good you did ... wild dogs as much as I adore dogs i really do .. are dangerous end of

I have been put off 101 after calling. Following and arson attack and being on hold for 40 minutes. (The fire brigade were in attendance but I saw the perpetrators.) but tonight they answered very quickly.

Obviously it's too late now but if you'd have told the fire brigade, they would've radioed the police immediately.

Trying to get through to 101 can take ages but it's always worth trying before 999 (in a non emergency) as sometimes they do answer quickly.

That way they will make the judgement call as to whether it's an emergency or not.

But you rang 999 tonight in good faith.

As it was a Rottweiler snarling and baring its teeth, I think you have done the right thing.

Had it been a yappy jack terrier, then 101 would have been sufficient.

i'm a police dispatcher/999 call handler. IMO this is a perfectly acceptable use of the 9s if the dog was being aggressive; I would endeavour to resource it asap however it would not be as a priority emergency unless it was actively attacking people in a busy area.

Also - I would prefer that people called 999 unnecessarily than not. I can always direct you to 101 if i consider it not to be an emergency but people get so hung up on whether they should call us thst they dont bother, or call hours later.

Rule of thumb - if it's happening now call 999. Let me make the decision whether this is a police emergency - because if it isn't we'll certainly tell you !

A few years ago, someone reported a Rottweiler close to where i live,it had somehow got out and wasn't a dog used to wandering,
The police came and shot it, there was uproar, as the dog wasn't being aggressive as far as i know, but it was a time when they were getting a bad press, and whoever reported it said it WAS being aggressive towards them,
The owner was obiviously very upset, and there was a lot of publicity in the papers, and comments by people who knew the dog ,saying it was a gentle dog and the police were wrong to shoot it