Page 10 | Dog burst my son's football

Maverick99 · 2024-04-11T18:53:31+00:00

Took my 5yo football mad son to the park today to play with his new football that he got for his birthday. It cost £45 and was the first time he'd used it, after months of begging me for it. He was kicking it through some goal posts when a dog (I think it was a staffy of some kind but know nothing about dogs so could be wrong) ran up to the ball which was about 10ft away from him and bit it, causing it to burst. It then started running around in circles around my son then back to its owner. Didn't seem dangerous but son was hysterical over his football. Owner put the dog lead on and apologised, and I asked that he replaced the football. I was v pissed off and vocal about his dog and the fact that it wasn't on a lead. He said he couldn't afford it and refused to exchange details or tell me his name but was v apologetic. Just feel pissed off that there was nothing I could do and nobody else helped me out as lots of people saw. Can't afford to replace the football myself but thankfully my dad is going to buy him a new one tomorrow. Not sure what I want from this thread, just a vent because I feel so irritated still and like I could've done more or handled it better.

buswankerz · 11/04/2024 23:26

It doesn't matter if you paid £4 or £45 for the football op, that shouldn't have happened.

They should have bought your son a new ball.

Wigtopia · 11/04/2024 23:26

pontypine69 · 11/04/2024 23:23

@XenoBitch it's not about demonising them. It's about being a responsible dog owner and a decent human being. Yeah nobody died but a child's belongings were destroyed because an entitled idiot chose not to keep his dog under control, ie on a lead. People should be allowed to go out into public spaces without random dogs approaching them and inconveniencing them. It's really not difficult to put your dog on a lead or if you can't manage that, take them somewhere where they aren't going to bother other people.

The question is why are you so desperate to defend such irresponsible, selfish behaviour?

Exactly this. Not sure why it is so hard to understand

XenoBitch · 11/04/2024 23:26

pontypine69 · 11/04/2024 23:23

@XenoBitch it's not about demonising them. It's about being a responsible dog owner and a decent human being. Yeah nobody died but a child's belongings were destroyed because an entitled idiot chose not to keep his dog under control, ie on a lead. People should be allowed to go out into public spaces without random dogs approaching them and inconveniencing them. It's really not difficult to put your dog on a lead or if you can't manage that, take them somewhere where they aren't going to bother other people.

The question is why are you so desperate to defend such irresponsible, selfish behaviour?

OP said he was very apologetic. What do we gain by calling him selfish etc? Fuck all

It is all done and dusted.

Allthegoodnamesaregone1 · 11/04/2024 23:26

XenoBitch · 11/04/2024 23:26

OP said he was very apologetic. What do we gain by calling him selfish etc? Fuck all

It is all done and dusted.

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Except for the 5 year old.

sunnyday98 · 11/04/2024 23:27

@Deadlinesaredickheads what would you do if given a name? How would you even know it was the right person?

Delawear · 11/04/2024 23:27

Dog owner is lucky you’re not obsessive football dad. Where I live, football dads would slash his tyres in revenge 😂

Wigtopia · 11/04/2024 23:27

XenoBitch · 11/04/2024 23:26

OP said he was very apologetic. What do we gain by calling him selfish etc? Fuck all

It is all done and dusted.

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Hey @XenoBitch - are you the guy from the park whose dog destroyed a child’s ball? Why do you not think you’re responsible for the damage? You are responsible for your dog and all its actions in public.

MargaretThursday · 11/04/2024 23:28

Tbf to the man, if some random had asked me for £45 to replace a football, I'd have assumed they were pulling a fast one and exaggerating the cost to try and get more money, so I'd have walked away on the basis that if someone was going to do that they would probably not discuss it politely. I also would be unlikely to have that amount of cash.
If they'd said £15, I might well have paid up straight away.

pontypine69 · 11/04/2024 23:28

@XenoBitch well we don't gain anything do we? It's a discussion about something that happened to someone else. But I'm still baffled as to why you're so adamant that he did nothing wrong.

XenoBitch · 11/04/2024 23:28

Allthegoodnamesaregone1 · 11/04/2024 23:26

Except for the 5 year old.

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Kid is 5. They will get over it. If they don't, then they need to build mental resilience (just like I have been told on this thread).

aperolspritzbasicbitch · 11/04/2024 23:29

I would have been mortified if my dog did this, luckily I would be able to replace it - although I'd be shocked at the price, and would probably order a new one then and there on my phone rather than hand over the cash.

If he can't afford it though, he can't afford it. It's really not different from the OPs child breaking another child's toy and her not being able to replace it.

In an ideal world he should have discussed it further to come up with a solution, but it doesn't look like the OP gave him much of a chance.

The responses on here are bat shit though -
Owner should sell his dog to make the repayment
OP should hang around the park for a few days in hopes of seeing him again
Follow him home

Insane.

NoProblems · 11/04/2024 23:29

Much worse breaking of rules and laws gets unpunished and the police do no have the resources to investigate every wrong doing.

I am shocked at the vitriol of so many posters against the dog owner.

An amicable settlement did not happen.

The boy's mum "was v pissed off and vocal about his dog and the fact that it wasn't on a lead".

The dog owner was very apologetic but refused to pay £45 for a destroyed football and refused to give his name and address. Anyone here who would have agreed to pay £45 or given their name and address?

The mum says "nobody else helped me out as lots of people saw." Could it be that they sided with the dog owner?

For all those calling for punishment for the dog not being on a lead and destroying property, in a country following the rule of law, you don't name and shame offenders on Facebook - you make a complaint to the police, and if necessary, the matter goes through the courts. A person (and dog) is innocent until found guilty.

Would you be willing to go through the legal procedure?

I feel sorry for the boy and his mum, but it seems dog haters have hijacked the post.

AnxiousRabbit · 11/04/2024 23:29

Being passed off and vocal about a dog not bring on a lead probably made the owner very intimidated and I am not surprised they didn't engage.
Try being more understanding next time.

XenoBitch · 11/04/2024 23:30

Wigtopia · 11/04/2024 23:27

Hey @XenoBitch - are you the guy from the park whose dog destroyed a child’s ball? Why do you not think you’re responsible for the damage? You are responsible for your dog and all its actions in public.

Show quote history

Yes, I am a man with a staffie (am actually a woman with a greyhound, but you believe what you want).

Allthegoodnamesaregone1 · 11/04/2024 23:30

XenoBitch · 11/04/2024 23:28

Kid is 5. They will get over it. If they don't, then they need to build mental resilience (just like I have been told on this thread).

Show quote history

Right.....

Except they don't.
But you really should.

pontypine69 · 11/04/2024 23:31

@XenoBitch honestly I'm embarrassed for you.

sunnyday98 · 11/04/2024 23:33

aperolspritzbasicbitch · 11/04/2024 23:29

I would have been mortified if my dog did this, luckily I would be able to replace it - although I'd be shocked at the price, and would probably order a new one then and there on my phone rather than hand over the cash.

If he can't afford it though, he can't afford it. It's really not different from the OPs child breaking another child's toy and her not being able to replace it.

In an ideal world he should have discussed it further to come up with a solution, but it doesn't look like the OP gave him much of a chance.

The responses on here are bat shit though -
Owner should sell his dog to make the repayment
OP should hang around the park for a few days in hopes of seeing him again
Follow him home

Insane.

Agreed completely

XenoBitch · 11/04/2024 23:33

pontypine69 · 11/04/2024 23:31

@XenoBitch honestly I'm embarrassed for you.

Me too. Just playing Devil's Advocate for the much hated dog owner on MN.

sunnyday98 · 11/04/2024 23:34

NoProblems · 11/04/2024 23:29

Much worse breaking of rules and laws gets unpunished and the police do no have the resources to investigate every wrong doing.

I am shocked at the vitriol of so many posters against the dog owner.

An amicable settlement did not happen.

The boy's mum "was v pissed off and vocal about his dog and the fact that it wasn't on a lead".

The dog owner was very apologetic but refused to pay £45 for a destroyed football and refused to give his name and address. Anyone here who would have agreed to pay £45 or given their name and address?

The mum says "nobody else helped me out as lots of people saw." Could it be that they sided with the dog owner?

For all those calling for punishment for the dog not being on a lead and destroying property, in a country following the rule of law, you don't name and shame offenders on Facebook - you make a complaint to the police, and if necessary, the matter goes through the courts. A person (and dog) is innocent until found guilty.

Would you be willing to go through the legal procedure?

I feel sorry for the boy and his mum, but it seems dog haters have hijacked the post.

I agree with this post too

XenoBitch · 11/04/2024 23:36

Allthegoodnamesaregone1 · 11/04/2024 23:30

Right.....

Except they don't.
But you really should.

Show quote history

A 5 year old having on going trauma issues will grow up to be someone like me. Make of that what you will.

BruFord · 11/04/2024 23:43

Hmm, I think the dog owner should’ve offered to pay. It’s so easy to Google the price of an item on your phone and the more expensive footballs are in that price range- the ball would have the brand name, etc. on it.

At the very least, he should’ve contributed something to the replacement cost.

Burpie · 11/04/2024 23:46

It was an accident, it doesn't matter that it was a dog, another child or animal could have destroyed his ball or kicked it somewhere it couldn't be retrieved. If you have something expensive and special you should keep it safe.

wintersgold · 12/04/2024 00:02

RhubarbAndFlustered · 11/04/2024 22:24

The cost of the football is irrelevant. The dog should not be allowed by its owner to destroy anyone's property outside of its own home or garden! Would you be saying the same if it was a lady's £500 handbag it ran up to and bit a hole clean through? Or bit through the tyre of an expensive bike? The man is liable to pay for it and I would be sorely tempted to follow the gentleman home one day and get his address for the police visit. Having a dog out of control of the owner is illegal and that dog was out of the owners control.

The hysteria, dear god. It's a football.

funinthesun19 · 12/04/2024 00:03

YANBU. I think it’s disgusting how he walked off without trying to do something to make it right. His stupid dog popped a little 5 year old’s ball and he did nothing at all to help. I bet if your 5 year old broke something belonging to him he would have been hanging around waiting for you to do something about it.

He thinks that just because it was his dog who did it, it absolves him of all responsibility if that dog does anything to anyone’s property because it was the dog and not him. People like him shouldn’t have dogs (and there are fucking loads like him!).

And the price of the ball is irrelevant. OP and her DS should be able to take a £45 ball to the football spot at the park without it being popped by a dog. Like OP said, the ball is robust and designed to be booted with a lot of force. Grown men give a ball like that a huge kick and the ball stays in one piece. A dog’s teeth can easily pierce it, but the onus is very much on the owners to control their dogs. And then if their dog does do anything, pay for the damage their dog has done!

wintersgold · 12/04/2024 00:06

funinthesun19 · 12/04/2024 00:03

YANBU. I think it’s disgusting how he walked off without trying to do something to make it right. His stupid dog popped a little 5 year old’s ball and he did nothing at all to help. I bet if your 5 year old broke something belonging to him he would have been hanging around waiting for you to do something about it.

He thinks that just because it was his dog who did it, it absolves him of all responsibility if that dog does anything to anyone’s property because it was the dog and not him. People like him shouldn’t have dogs (and there are fucking loads like him!).

And the price of the ball is irrelevant. OP and her DS should be able to take a £45 ball to the football spot at the park without it being popped by a dog. Like OP said, the ball is robust and designed to be booted with a lot of force. Grown men give a ball like that a huge kick and the ball stays in one piece. A dog’s teeth can easily pierce it, but the onus is very much on the owners to control their dogs. And then if their dog does do anything, pay for the damage their dog has done!

How exactly is the dog stupid? There was no aggression involved as OP herself said, just a dog being a dog. If you must blame someone, blame the owner but there's no grounds to be angry at the animal