Can we muzzle all dogs in public yet (warning, graphic image of mauled hand)

[lfYouLikePinaCoIadas]

“Whilst out walking a route that Tom has been on numerous times, he was the victim of an unprovoked attack by an unleashed dog. The dog attacked Tom multiple times as he tried to protect his puppy from being mauled by the dog and was left with horrific injuries. What is more horrifying, however, is that the owners of the dog didn’t try to help and fled the scene leaving Tom bleeding from his artery on his wrist.

Wife Katy recalls the moment that she opened the door to find her husband standing there after the attack: ‘‘Tom managed to get home where I had to tourniquet, to try to stem the bleeding, while waiting for 999. He lost several litres of blood in the short time until the ambulance arrived. Our two children were at home at the time and were woken up by the commotion. My 7-year-old was terrified and thought that her dad was doing to die from the blood loss.’’

https://www.familiesonline.co.uk/news/dad-of-2-viciously-mauled-by-dog-trying-to-protect-family-puppy

Imagine it had been a child’s face, or neck, or little body, instead of an adult’s hand.

Absolutely sick of nothing being done to protect the public.

YABU - dogs are man’s best friend
YANBU - something needs to be done

Yeah, the people who don't like dogs on mumsnet sound aggressive and horrible. Luckily I never meet anyone like that in RL.

Anyone who cringes if a dog comes near them needs therapy. Not my problem.

I'm not sure where I stand on this debate really.

But I've noticed that in many countries, street dogs and stray dogs roam free in public places and other than causing a nuisance for cafe owners, don't tend to cause much trouble. People don't tend to be scared of them, they just accept them. Which leads me to think that 1. It is cruel owners or owners that mistreat dogs and overly restrain them in cages which cause them to be aggressive. 2. People need to teach children from a young age how to act sensibly around animals like dogs, foxes, cows, bulls, horses, swans and any other animal they may encounter in life. All animals have the potential to be aggressive from the beautiful swan to the cows in the field and the pup on his lead. We need owners to be more responsible and educated and we need the public to be more aware of the dangers of all animals, and how to act if they encounter one (not that the man with the mauled hand did anything wrong. Not blaming him. But sometimes the public freak out and act really unhelpful around various animals they encounter, which doesn't help)

This is an excellent post and a very good point about street dogs. Some of the posters on here must have conniptions when they go to a country where dogs wander about off lead.

People need to teach children from a young age how to act sensibly around animals like dogs

Spot on. On two occasions in the last week a small child has asked to stroke our very small, very cute JRT. Obviously I said yes because she’s placid and friendly. It transpired that both kids were normally wary of dogs and the parents were surprised to say the least that they wanted to interact with her. I gave them treats to give her and was thanked by the parents. So that’s two little boys who are less frightened of dogs than they were before.

Yesterday I went to two cafes and the experience was spoilt by dogs wandering off-lead. It’s gross

We were in a pub on hols down in Devon last year, a dog came up to a woman eating her evening meal and reached up and grabbed a mouthful off the plate, the owner of the pub did nothing & the owner of the Dog told her not to be so precious, that the dog hadn't eaten much (was this dog owner @VincentVaguer ?)
The woman walked back to her table, picked up the plate of food and threw it over said Dog owner, lots a gravy too!!!

Both she and her partner walked out.

No problem with well behaved Dogs and owners but imho the majority are selfish people who believe because they love their mutts, everyone else has too.

'I really don't understand the argument that because bad dog owners wouldn't have their dogs on leads/get dog licenses that we shouldn't have the law at all.'

No - go ahead and bring in dog licences. But it's not going to change the fact that most these awful killings of babies by dogs are in their family homes.

As for leads - depends. My dog can't be trusted around a picnic, so isn't off the lead much at certain times in the summer. But 6am when I usually walk her first thing in the summer, at the beach and in the park when there's no one around? She can run to her hearts content. She's not bothering anyone, she's not in the way, she'd not going to beg for food.
So 'ban all dogs from public spaces except dog parks ( which barely exist)' is rubbish and pointless. As is the suggestion that all dogs be muzzled in public.

Sadly I think a lot of people think the natural world and animals should adjust to fit them and their kids.

Luckily most councils recognise that dog owners use public parks and spaces all year round, at all times of the day. Not just on weekends and in summer months.

Thats great and well done but JRT's and responsible owners aren't the issue & no matter how well you ve been bought up around dogs, it isn't going to stop one running up to you as you eat you picnic bounding up to your kid and knocking them over in play!

I'm sorry, was throwing a plate of food over someone a proportional response? 😅

'People need to teach children from a young age how to act sensibly around animals like dogs'

They really do. And cats and other animals.
We don't try to ban cars - and they kill a lot of kids - we teach our kids how to behave around traffic.
We don't ban them from playground equipment, we teach them how to sensinly us it.

No, it might not. But a friendly dog raiding your picnic isn't really the end of the world is it? I'd be mortified if mine did that and I'd apologise but I wouldn't expect violence back.

It’ll change the reaction though. I’ve never seen a dog destroy a picnic, despite it being an everyday occurrence on MN.

And some people are idiots. A friend of mine's dog bit someone - they were at the vets and she had told him repeatedly to leave the dog alone as she was nervous & not well and might bite. Twat insisted on bothering the dog, dog bit him.

A number of people present, including staff, reassured my friend that if he went to the police they would be willing to be witnesses and say it wasn't the dogs fault and that he had been repeatedly warned to back off.

I ingrained it in DS from a very young age that you never, ever try to stroke or interact with a dog without the owners permission - and I'm shocked at the number of dog owners who have congratulated me on this and said most children don't ask they just go to stroke the dog.

Absolutely yes to leads and muzzles. It could be a small child next time and you wouldn't want it to happen to your child or anyone else's fie that matter.

Maybe we should all wear a muzzle just so the dogs don't feel victimised.. I mean.. they didn't muzzle serial killers did they.. and there are some out there just waiting to pounce on you as you pass by in the park.. in yer muzzle.

Stupid thread

Ugh. There you go again. ‘Friendly dog’. That’s not the point.

People plan a nice picnic. Arrange to meet up for food and drink. And then an uncontrolled dog bounds through, touching open food, spilling food and drink and it’s ruined. It is not the ‘end of the world’ but it’s a day out ruined by the avoidable poor behaviour of a shit dog owner.

Denial and entitlement. Selfish as hell.

I ve never been bitten in a dog attack, had an 18hr wait in AE or stood on a burning hot BBQ buried in sand either but that doesn't mean they don't happen.

But it is friendly. Annoying, yes. If you don't like animals touching your food why not stay at home in your sterile house?

Pretending it doesn’t happen because it has not happened to you is such weird unintelligent behaviour.

It’s happened to me twice. I am in my fifties so statistically yes it’s rare from a personal perspective. But once is too many. Unless you are a selfish dog owner of course.

No me either although I wouldn't put it past my opportunistic labrador to swipe a sandwich if he could.

Of course had the owner apologised and paid for a new meal, which the woman asked, calmly, for, then the dog owner would not have had a meal thrown over him, he bought the reaction onto himself.

I find it truly amazing how witnessing a dog running through a picnic has stuck with people and rattled them so much they get aggressive with people on the internet.

No he didn't. She sounds batshit.