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

It's certain breeds of dog, those who are purchased and bred to be threatening by idiots.

Blanket muzzles and leads - No.
Huge fines for owners of dogs who savage people? Yes.

You clearly know nothing about children. Children cannot learn anything when they are in a state of fear/ distress or stress. The child was in no state to learn anything. S/he needed time to calm down, be reassured and her emotions to settle and regulate again before she could start to learn anything. Dog owners really need to stop saying to parents of children who have been terrified by their dog ' oh come and get him to stay hello now!' It is really wrong footed.

The person in the wrong in this situation is the owner of the inadequately trained dog who goes bounding up to small children. The toddler was not in the wrong to be scared of the animal that's as big as her charging towards here - that's a normal reaction. The mother was not wrong to be pissed at the dog owner. The dog owner was entirely in the wrong here.

Exactly.

Do get your head out of your arse and have your picnic on a table not on the grass where dogs shite and pee. Come on - it is not rocket science. I have dogs and would not picnic on the grass in any of our local parks for this reason. Plus... they can't nab your food if it's on... a... table... der

Actually, our family were eating our lunch on a picnic table, in a park, when a dog ran up, stood on its hindlegs and ate my five year olds lunch from right in front of him. I am not sure why you think dogs cannot or do not do this. Nor did his owner offer to buy my son a new lunch. Wanker.

Yes thank god. I don't force D Dog on anyone and he is never off lead in public, but 90% of people love him and many interact with him when we are out. I realise and respect not everyone likes dogs but some of the threads on here are beyond parody.

Fines for people who don't control their dogs and allow biting? No. Prison thanks. And a ban on keeping animals for life. Owning an animal is a privilege.

As for the licence fee, make it stupid expensive and and every year. And breeding licences which are also very expensive.

No, dogs should not all be muzzled. That's ridiculous.

On leads, sure.

Don't they just! It's a wonder they ever step outside their own front door.

Agree on a ban for life, prison would be ideal but probably not achievable given that there are men who batter their partners black and blue walking around free as birds. Crippling the culprits financially may have to do.

I dont agree with making a licence fee stupid expensive either. Loads of elderly people with no spouse or family rely on dogs for company, as do younger single people, actually. So I think that would make ownership prohibitive for those who benefit from the companionship/those whose mental health is improved by it. Not fair.

Breeding licences - yes absolutely as it's a cynical abusive practice most of the time as the number of ex breeding dogs in shelters show.

I said I’d never seen it happen. I’m not sure how that translates into my being thick or ignorant.

Me too (I've also never seen it)

I'm surprised noone has come on to say they saw a dog running out of the butchers with a string of sausages

This

To be realistic, those types of dog attacks are ver rare and wanting to punish all dogs and their owners for the actions of a couple is very OTT.

Same with my aunt & uncles’s dog. He turned nasty one afternoon - fortunately my uncle was able to get hold of him by the collar sustaining just a small bite and shut him away from the cousins in the kitchen while my aunt called the vet. Brain tumour.

Being frothingly OTT about dogs is what Mumsnet does best! On the other miserable thread there are a few people hoping that dogs in their local park get poisoned.

Dog attacks are not rare. But dog attacks on people in public are. The majority of attacks happen in the dog's home or garden.

Don’t be disingenuous. Your implication was that people were making it up or exaggerating.

That’s because you are one of the ignorant dog-owners. You haven’t seen it because it would not register in your brain. You would think it was cute and the picnickers were being silly for having left their sterile homes.

My dogs have just had an absolut wail (whale?) of a time on the field running around with their little doggie friends so I strongly disagree.

i would happily pay a licence fee though

Only if we can muzzle stupid people too.
YABU.

@xyxygy , sorry to derail a bit, are you able to tell me what brand of harness you have at all? I have an akita, she's a good girl and usually walks nicely on lead but foxes sometimes cause her to lunge. I am strong enough to hold her but I would feel more confident letting my older teen DC walk her with a better harness set up. Thank you!

I’m not sure about a muzzle but I do think all dogs should be on a leash in public spaces. I’ve seen quite a few dog exercise fields. I also think that would be a good way to go. Maybe the councils should start designated some fences in grassy areas for dogs to run in.

Yes I imagine serious dog attacks are quite rare. Other incidents with of leash dogs are more common though. Things like dogs jumping up at people who don’t want them near them, peeing on peoples picnic blankets etc.

many children and I do a lot of walking and playing at the park. We’ve not been attacked but we have have our space invaded by dogs we don’t know a lot, had food from picnics eat and had our bike pissed on. To be honest this has most often occurred near the play park too, which is extra annoying.

'HeadsShouldersKneesAllHurt · Today 15:44

What a silly comment. Dogs have ruined my picnics twice. Not every time. It happens.

I am embarrassed for all you ignorant dog-owners in denial. It seem that you cannot handle the reality that you are the problem. I am sorry you are unable to see that.
Ersorrywhatnow · Today 14:48

'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.'

what sitcoms this from again? Oh yeah, ALL of them. It's such a cliche that Dom Joly did a version with giant squirrels doing the raiding...'

The best thing you could probably do @HeadsShouldersKneesAllHurt is get some therapy to get over your dog phobia. They aren't going away any time soon, and your quality of life will improve without irrational fear and over-reaction

It’s ‘whale’.