XL Bully attack | 8 year old boy seriously injured

[ThisOldThang]

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/schoolboy-8-seriously-injured-after-28610020

"A schoolboy is in a serious condition in hospital after being mauled by what is believed to be an XL bully.

Merseyside Police were called to Wadham Road in Bootle just after 5.20pm on Saturday following reports a dog had bitten an eight-year-old boy to the head in the communal area of flats nearby.

The boy was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries and required emergency surgery. He remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition."

IMHO the ban doesn't go anywhere near far enough and all XL Bullys need to be put to sleep.

AIBU?

"And if they ignore all warnings, including owners saying "Don't touch her.""

My niece is deaf, so she wouldn't hear your warnings.

You don't seem to be capable of thinking things through, so it's pointless arguing with you.

In simple terms, even you can understand, if there is any chance, whatsoever, that a dog might bite, for any reason whatsoever, then the dog should be muzzled.

There's no need for warning vests. They're completely pointless.

There's no need for warning vests. They're completely pointless.

I’m not sure that’s entirely true: warning vests are the leper’s bell of entitled dog owners who want the world to revolve around them and their dog. If you see a warning vest you know to avoid the owner at all costs.

All children though should be taught not to go up to animal that they don't know. I was taught this, it was fairly standard back in the day.

Is respect for animals not taught now? It should be firmly on the primary school curriculum.

most fatalities if children have been by their own family pets though

so the country isn’t full of disobedient children running amok up to XL bullies

I think we need a version of those coats for humans to wear, I want one that says "keep your dog well away from me"
I had considered making a sign to wear whilst running but thought better of it for fear of revenge attacks from stupid dog owners who get offended if you don't love their creature🙄

All children though should be taught not to go up to animal that they don't know. I was taught this, it was fairly standard back in the day.

Agree. My Mum was scared of dogs so she certainly warned us never to approach them (she had been bitten by a GSD while working as a delivery driver).

When my children were little, they loved dogs but I absolutely drummed it into them to never approach a dog and certainly never to attempt to stroke it without asking the owner. It became a phrase they knew. They’d see a dog they liked in a park or wherever. I’d say ‘what do you have to do?’ And they’d chorus ‘ask the owner’.

I agree but ultimately, it’s my responsibility as the dog owner. It’s my dog. I have a dog on a close lead if children are around. I wouldn’t own a dog with the capacity to maul an adult, let alone a child.

"All children should be taught not to go up to a animal...."

You mean 2/3/4 year olds that often love pet can be 100% taught that especially when the child is running around in a park, playgroud etc ??

Are you having a lol mate?

That's true but generally horses don't kill anyone but those who decided to try to ride them. They don't run out of their stable and attack random people on the street so while horses are more dangerous than dogs due to their immense size, they are prey animals rather than predators so aren't prey driven - therefore they don't have the drive to seek out and injure people or other animals (for the most part).

Thank you for being a good responsible dog owner, I sincerely applaud you for that👏🏻

In France they are considered category 1 attack dogs (along with pit bulls, mastiffs, tosas, Canó Corsas) and are heavily restricted - muzzled at all times in public, cannot be taken on public transport, must be registered. There is also a category 2 which is for guarding dogs such as Rottweilers and dobermans which just have to be muzzled in public. There’s a lot of “dog racism” in France, so although the most common breed to be involved in an attack is a Malinois they are not classed as a dangerous dog as they are French (ok, Belgian) so get a free pass.

There are no breed bans in France and I can’t imagine there ever would be - attitudes to safety vs freedom are very different to the U.K. The occasional child being ripped apart is considered a price worth paying, just like the occasional farmer murder-suiciding his entire family is considered a price worth paying for the right to own firearms.

Someone needs to pay attention to what your neice is doing then and hear the warning for her, or teach her not to approach dogs she doesnt know.

A dog owner cannot control the actions of other people. That's absolutely ridiculous to suggest that they are responsible for another human beings actions.

Also you probably don't know this, but dogs can bite through soft rubber muzzles and metal muzzles can cause injury if you should get muzzle bumped (which a dog that bites will likely do). So relying on the muzzle alone is a stupid thing to do.

The American XL bully breed of dog has been responsible for nearly 50% of all attacks on both humans and dogs, and 70% of all deaths to dogs since 2021. If those figures don't speak volumes, I don't know what will.

I'd say the vast majority of those saying they couldn't afford to pay the licence for them, manage to pay for their mobile phone contract, their takeaways, their cigarettes and their nights out down the local. No excuse.

America has a huge problem with over run shelters. In the kill shelters in they gas them. I've seen the Youtube video, mongrels, pedigrees, puppies, all put into a big metal container on top of the bodies on the other dogs before them, the lid is shut and they are gassed. Whilst I'm not suggesting for one minute that that is humane, as it isn't to me. But if those people who work in kill shelters are able to do that, day in day out, to dogs that are just unwanted and not of vicious intent, then I am sure vets over here are capable of humane euthanasia of the odd one or two.

Oh if only.

I think we’ll have to wait for dogs to learn how to read though as it’s only the ones off-lead who pose the problems and usually the owners are 50+ feet away in another direction not really concerned about who their dog might be bothering let alone close enough to read our “I need space” jackets.

Well there’s certainly no missing that!

Dogs / owners should return the favour and we’d all be good

Dogs bound up to dd she’d much prefer they didn’t

Why would you be allowing you 2/3/4 year old to run up to pet an animal they don't know? It's you that would be derelict in your parenting, albeit my dog wouldn't bite. I would be pissed off at you though.

and no, I'm not 'having a laugh'. Look at the thread title and stop posting like a twit.

Dogs should be on leads. Mine is. If she wants a run then we go somewhere where there are no people, not difficult.

That was to EasternStandard

Of course! How could i have been so stupid?

Dog owners are entitled to take out aggressive unmuzzled dogs and can just rely on providing last second verbal warnings to members of the public.

If a deaf child/adult, non-English speaking child/adult or child/adult with learning difficulties gets bitten, then it's their fault and not the thick shitty owners.

With attitudes like this from dog owners, I'd definitely support all dogs being muzzled in public - which is a shame, but we clearly can't rely on the owners to be responsible.

Seriously??

Looks like you either failed to read my post or are just being deliberately obtuse.

Are you telling me you have not seen children of 2/3/4-year-olds running around in a park a few years away from parents when a dog runs up to them fast and the child tries to hug it etc. That was a rhetorical question btw.

Have you not heard of dogs running to adults/children/toodles and attacking them!!

There is only one "twit" here and you can see them in a mirror.

I have nothing more to add as I try to avoid all interactions with people that use the language of the type you used.

This is what you said, DistinguishedSocialCommentator:

You mean 2/3/4 year olds that often love pet can be 100% taught that especially when the child is running around in a park, playgroud etc ??

No mention of dogs running up to children in your post. Dogs should be on leads where there are people around.

I'm glad you have nothing more to add; there was nothing that made sense in your first post.

She should have the dog on a close lead around all people, not just children.

And children should be protected from, and taught how to avoid, all hazards, not just dogs.

If your child "darts after" a dog, they could just as easily "dart in front of" a bus.