Woman 80s, Savaged to Death by Dogs, Birmingham

[Flaxmeadow]

A woman in her 80s has been savaged to death by neighbours dogs
Am I being unreasonable to want much stricter controls on keeping dogs as pets

Yes, let's do nothing because people kill

Better than "Let's do something knee-jerk, even though it's ineffective and pointless".

As PPs have pointed out, the vast majority of dog bites take place in people's homes so will unaffected by public restrictions.

If we could ban irresponsible and violent tossers from keeping dogs and socialising them to be aggressive. that would be great, but we can't.

@HoHumAlex

So sad.

Pit Bulls and Staffs look really similar to me. What are the differences there? Staffs are my favourite dogs. Staffs aren't illegal are they; just Pit Bulls?

Pit bull isn't a breed. When articles etc are talking about them, they are talking about dogs that belong to a number of breeds or are mixes.

Basically you have:
The American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier which were originally the same breed, as well as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Bull Dog, and also some local breeds in various places. All were used at one time for bull baiting.

A lot of the dogs seen today which are bred for dogfighting etc are mixes of these and often also include other breeds.

What is interesting is that for a long time, these were considered good family dogs, especially with kids, and I still know lots of vets who like them as pets for those same qualities. They are strong and sometimes aggressive to small animals like cats, but there are lots of other breeds like that as well. (Boxers, for example, most Northern type dogs, ETc.)

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow

Every death is tragic.

There are 5.5 million dogs in the UK, and they kill 3-5 people per year. The risk of being killed by a dog are only marginally higher than being killed by lightning (2 per year).

A lot more maimed and requiring stitches though. But it’s sheep-savaging season here, so I’m all for shooting dogs. Or PTS and a life ban on owners ever having another one.

I am of an age when the Rukhsana Khan case was in the news, ( the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act partly due to the horrific attack) never forgot the description of the dog ‘shaking her like a rag doll’ she was lucky to survive

Yes that was a terrible attack. She was playing in her local park and had not been anywhere near the dog just before it attacked her out of the blue

Back then though there was at least a public outcry and changes were made. I fear now this attack yesterday will be forgotten with all the others of the last few years.

Dog lobbyists even oppose killer dogs being down. There was a case in the USA when a dog killed, I think a child, and the "dog lobby" campaigned to stop the dog being put down. I can't remember all he details but I think the campiagn was successful or at least successful for a while. This would have been unthinkable years ago, when dogs were rightly automatically put down if they bit someone , especially a child

I agree with this

Sorry, I know I’m missing the point, but Birmingham has such weird place names. “Rowley Regis”?

I do think dog ownership should be more regulated. Pit bulls are still seen as a status symbol amongst certain demographics, which lead to them being owned by inexperienced people that may not have the dog’s best interests at heart. I’m sure experienced dog owners can train an attentive and well behaved dog, but unfortunately these aren’t the people that are attracted to these types of dogs

It’s like a death is waiting to happen. RIP to the poor lady, imagine how her loved ones feel getting this close to the finish line of the pandemic just to lose her like this

The breed doesn’t matter. German shepherds, greyhounds, Jack Russell, labradors....all been involved in serious or fatal attacks.

Smaller breeds bits and scar in the hands of an irresponsible owner.
It should be mandatory for dogs to go through proper trainings and a behaviour assessment, extreme I know but something drastic is needed.
A neighbours JR is a vicious asshole.

*bite

I just find it so upsetting that a woman that lived a long life could die in such a sudden and distressing way. How awful.

It's a very difficult question. I'm a big dog-lover, I don't have a dog because I don't have the time or emotional energy to devote to making a 'good' dog. I like freedom and spontaneity. I'm not keen on getting up at 6am to deal with a puppy. I simply don't have the space in my life to ensure that a dog is a decent, well-behaved companion. So I don't have a dog.

How do we ensure that everyone is a responsible dog owner? I don't know. Unless dog-breeding and selling becomes completely government regulated, it's not possible.

The only thing I'd suggest would be societal disapproval. I did dump a friend because of their really badly behaved dog. It was unbearable to be around. It was only small, so not dangerous, but just relentless and terrible.

We're all a bit 'anti-shame' now, which in many ways I agree with, but anti-shame seems to mean 'I'm going to do exactly as I please and fuck the consequences'. I think there should be a general feeling of disapproval for thoughtless pet-ownership. One should be ashamed for having a badly controlled, unsocialised animal. It should be a cause for embarrassment.

But I don't think it is.

@HoHumAlex
Pure breed Staffordshire Bull Terrier is small,stocky with quite short muzzle,similar size to French Bulldogs.
Pure American Pit Bull Terrier are much taller,lean yet muscular with longer muzzle ( similar to Hungarian Vizsla size wise but bulky).

Someone has lost their mother, wife, loved one, grandmother, what have you in an absolutely horrific way and people are still making it all about 'poor dogs'.

I lost my father in his 80s to Covid last year. His death is painful, but knowing how he died, peacefully, with his wife by his side, compared to something like this? I can't imagine what that poor woman went through and her family. Just seeing her tidy house and flowered windows, now she's been taken away in such a way, by fucking dogs.

But dogs are not the bad guys here.

Wououow... Thank you

I agree with this

That meme you posted reminds me of when a child was savaged to death by a dog in a caravan. There was a Facebook news story, Sky or BBC, and the comments underneath were filled with sickly sentimental photos, and comments, of the same type of dog that just hours earlier had reportedly killed a child. Many of the photos showed huge dogs with massive jaws with babies and toddlers sprawled all over their hounds, as if it was some huge teddy bear. "Aaaw but my dog wouldn't hurt a fly" .."our dog loves our children" ..."aaaww your boy (the dog) is gorgeous hun".

It was repulsive under the circumstances

@Flaxmeadow

I agree with this

That meme you posted reminds me of when a child was savaged to death by a dog in a caravan. There was a Facebook news story, Sky or BBC, and the comments underneath were filled with sickly sentimental photos, and comments, of the same type of dog that just hours earlier had reportedly killed a child. Many of the photos showed huge dogs with massive jaws with babies and toddlers sprawled all over their hounds, as if it was some huge teddy bear. "Aaaw but my dog wouldn't hurt a fly" .."our dog loves our children" ..."aaaww your boy (the dog) is gorgeous hun".

It was repulsive under the circumstances

👏👏👏

I carry a walking stick with me these days after this crazy bitch's Lab, off lead, of course, ran over snarling to attack DH and me on a walk and she hurled abuse at us.

@knocke

Statistically, you are more likely to be killed by a human being than a dog. Let's ban people.

Yes, let's do nothing because people kill

Also, aren't the consequences a lot harsher for humans that kill? Maybe the owners of these dogs should face harsher consequences?

@Nightbear

The people who have dogs that end up killing or seriously injuring people aren’t the type of people who would register their pets or comply with any licensing regulations. Wanting ‘stricter controls’ is a knee jerk reaction to a distressing event.

But then when the dog doesn't have a valid licence on it, it can be removed from the owner.

And people can lose the right to own a dog if they do not train it, and it kills or injures anyone.

@wingsnthat

Sorry, I know I’m missing the point, but Birmingham has such weird place names. “Rowley Regis”?

I do think dog ownership should be more regulated. Pit bulls are still seen as a status symbol amongst certain demographics, which lead to them being owned by inexperienced people that may not have the dog’s best interests at heart. I’m sure experienced dog owners can train an attentive and well behaved dog, but unfortunately these aren’t the people that are attracted to these types of dogs

It’s like a death is waiting to happen. RIP to the poor lady, imagine how her loved ones feel getting this close to the finish line of the pandemic just to lose her like this

It's not in Birmingham,Rowley is in the the Black Country.I am on the same street as her:lovely,proud,Black Country woman.There had been numerous complaints about the dogs in question.

Numerous complaints and sod-all done about them.

And yet FA was done about it and FA will be done to the owner of these dogs, Euridice. Just fucking mind-blowing. Cannot imagine what her poor family is dealing with just now. Saw photos of her house and was crying - having to go through my father's things but now they'll have to do that with knowing how she was taken from them by someone else's irresponsibility and these dogs who shouldn't be alive.

If we could ban irresponsible and violent tossers from keeping dogs and socialising them to be aggressive. that would be great, but we can't.

Why can't we? One proven incident of injury from a dog to a human, or savaging of livestock, and the owner loses the right to own a dog in perpetuity.

@ArmchairTraveller

Numerous complaints and sod-all done about them.

Yep! There've been more than a few here this year (rural) who've been shot for worrying livestock in the past month, more than usual; then the owners are all tears and threats.

And yes, maybe larger bull-type breeds should be regulated in some way. I know lots of lovely bullies. And they have their defenders, but every time an horrific attack happens, it is a bull-breed.

The breed, combined with the type of person that's often attracted to them is a recipe for disaster. As is shown, repeatedly.

@ShrikeAttack

And yes, maybe larger bull-type breeds should be regulated in some way. I know lots of lovely bullies. And they have their defenders, but every time an horrific attack happens, it is a bull-breed.

The breed, combined with the type of person that's often attracted to them is a recipe for disaster. As is shown, repeatedly.

I won't let my kids into the home of anyone who owns one of these 'bullies'. It's a dealbreaker.

@littlepattilou

Yes it's awful. I wondered what was going on in Rowley Regis with the police presence around. It was all over social media earlier but I wasn't sure what had happened.

www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-56617182

Tragic thing to happen.

And yes, I agree, it's about time much stricter rules were made for keeping certain dogs.

These 2 dogs weren't border collies or red setters were they?

They were pit bulls.

The bloody dogs need banning from the country. Every one that is born now needs sterilising at birth so they can become obsolete. (And several other 'dangerous dogs' can go with it too.)

Some dogs should NOT be in residential homes and residential areas.

I know it's not the dog's fault blah blah blah........... It's the owner's fault, but it's ALWAYS the same type of person who owns them! ALWAYS.

The BBC link said Both dogs have been seized to establish their breed so not sure where you've got the idea that they're pit bulls from?

Saying that, I have no problem with pit bulls and I hate breed specific legislation as I feel it cruelly penalises perfectly well natured dogs whom have never harmed anyone. All this talk of dangerous dog breeds is frustrating to read. Pit-bulls are no different from other large powerful breed of dog. For example, Alsatians, Rotties and Dobermans. Are we going to ban all large dogs? I don't think so. Even then, a small breed is still capable of seriously harming a small child.

While I agree we need a legislative change and tighter rules around responsible dog ownership focusing in breed is short sighted.