Dog attacking child - not stopping to help

[Idioticparents]

So, I’m walking my dogs on the beach. See a border collie on a lead being walked by what I presume is mum, dad and child. No problem - my dogs are trained to come to me whenever they see another dog (not that they go far tbh).

BC is clearly not friendly. It’s frozen. Stiff. Licking its lips as I go by. No issue. Give it a wide birth (10 or so meters given the tide is high) keep half an eye on it. Owners don’t real it in and keep it on the log line (full length stretched with dog nearly choking itself).

Child (about 8/9) walks up to dog as parents watch and wraps its arms around the dogs neck from behind. Obviously the dog attacks child. Parents wrestle dog off child.

Now, here is my am I being unreasonable - I didn’t stop. I just kept walking. Kid had two parents with him and I had my dogs nearby waiting to walk on. As I walked away I got a tonne of abuse for not stopping. But why would I? IMO the dog had attack its owners child and if it’s going to do that then I am not going near it. Partner says IWU not to help.

No, I don't have a dog. He was PTS 6 months ago.

so shut up.

This oh so intelligent and well behaved collie had to be wrestled off a child. Did you miss that bit?

Why should you have intervened more than any others? They don't know what your dogs would have done if you brought them close to the attack. You never really know.

The parents were lashing out because they were at fault and they felt humiliated at having been seen. In other words they felt ambushed and responded by attacking back in a very knee jerk/shoot from the hip manner😬
Rough as dogs no doubt👀

Good grief, how is this guide on how to kill a dog remotely helpful, or invited by the OP or any other poster on here?

I don’t need evidence of a non dog attack thanks. What makes you think the child suffered an attack from a dog? A squeal doesn’t = dog attack. Especially when you didn’t look back.

I didn’t say you were a dog hater but you’ve certainly managed to get the dog haters frothing about an attack that you didn’t witness. It doesn’t take much on MN. The mention of dog usually does it.

I don’t need evidence of a non dog attack thanks. What makes you think the child suffered an attack from a dog? A squeal doesn’t = dog attack. Especially when you didn’t look back.

If it was such a non event @PurplePumkin, then why did the parents verbally abuse the OP for not stepping in? It was pretty much the whole point of OP's thread. I suppose you must have missed that.

You did the right thing. If you walked over with your dogs then it could have been harder for the parents to get their dog under control. They should have noticed that their dog was focusing on your dogs and not let the child near it.

If I was you I'd think of getting a go pro to wear when your walking your dog, as you never know people like this might try to blame you. I think hospitals now have to report all dog attacks on children to the police now. (My local hospital does anyway)

One thing to not physically go and help, but I would expect you to at least visually see if the kid was okay and shout over do you need help.

Dog attacks can be really bad and they might have needed an ambulance, something to put pressure on a wound etc.

Yes it was the parents fault, yes the parents were trying to sort it.

But the issue is a child was hurt, unknown how badly. Regardless of circumstance I wouldn't want or expect r people to just keep walking like nothing happened.

If I were walking my dogs and were subjected to a mouthful of vile abuse by people with a dog that was clearly not under control in spite of being on the end of a long lead, I wouldn't feel much inclined to do anything for them. They would be exceedingly unlikely to allow me anywhere near their child anyway, if they had so clearly decided I was the villain of their little melodrama, so what would be the point?

Shouting to them, which they would certainly read as "at them", would simply escalate their animosity and might lead to one of them physically attacking me, which would be no help whatever.

And if I were in charge (hah!) of an out of control dog which had just bitten someone, I absolutely would want people to walk on by; I wouldn't in the least want them and their dogs added to my already chaotic problem.

Even if they were shouting abuse at you?

She got the abuse BECAUSE she didn't stop. The question was should she have stopped.

I'm addition to that, even if the abuse had come first, it's not the child's fault, so to me it's irrelevant weather the adults were shouting or not.

I think it’s down to nature. I would have immediately jumped into the situation as a child was being attacked. I would not have given it a second chance and would gladly get hurt for a child. This is the problem with todays society.

FFS.
It was because OP had her dogs with her that this happened, the Collie was dog reactive and most likley bit the child because it couldnt reach the other dogs - its called Redirection.
What do you think she should have done with her own dogs while "jumping into the situation" that would not have made things infinitely worse?
Of course most people would help a child being attacked by a dog but quite sensibly OP removed herself and her dogs from the situation to not inflame it

And made the whole situation 10 times worse. Well done you!

OP had her own dogs with her, adding them to the situation could have easily made it worse. It's up to the parents of the kid to sort their own dog out.

YANBU but, I would have called animal services too like the RSPCA and child protective services. I know some will see this as a step too far, however, that dog shouldn't be anywhere near ANY children and now needs to be dealt with.

Had you have stepped in you can be sure your dogs would have instantly jumped in to protect their master. If any of those people who judged you were that bothered then they should have stepped in!

What makes you think that? I’ve handled dogs for 29 years I also carry a taser. There would not have been a problem believe me. You must also be a coward one of the ones who film instead of helping.

Like I said it’s down to your nature fight or flight. Whichever you are you can’t help it. Some people are just naturally cowardly some aren’t. In my mind no matter what the situation it’s human nature to try and help a child.

No mate. If I had 2 dogs with me, which were the trigger of the other dog snapping, any sensible person would get the fuck out of there.

The only thing that needed tasering were the bellend owners with an out of control dog hurling abuse at someone who hadn't done a thing wrong.

Also no I'm not a coward. But wouldn't physically be able to stop a sparrow attacking, so I'd be pretty pointless getting involved in anything.

So you’d do what?

Go over, escalate the situation and then taser their dog? That’s the opposite of helping.

Also, they’re not legal to carry in the U.K. I’m pretty sure

Their dog is attacking their child, I don’t see how a stranger and two dogs getting involved is going to do anything apart from escalate the situation.

Allow her dogs to make the situation worse and then taser the shit out of everyone.

Batshit. But not a coward! So hey ho!

https://www.askthe.police.uk/faq/?id=ec75c560-9be8-ec11-bb3c-000d3a0afe35
"A Taser is a weapon capable of discharging an electrical current and is classified as a prohibited firearm. It is therefore an offence to possess, purchase, acquire, manufacture, sell or transfer such a weapon, without lawful authority. Lawful authority is only granted to bodies such as the Police, and would never cover a member of the general public. Tasers should therefore not be used or be in the possession of any member of the public."

Probably bettn't had, on the whole. Because if the people who are yelling abuse at you know the law, they will certainly call the cops on you for your illegal ownership of a taser.

Are you a bit hard of understanding?
The dog likely bit the child due to OP's presence with her dogs
Its not fight or flight, its remove the cause or make things worse

Of course if OP had a Taser she could just zap the lot of them, problem solved

I think you did the right thing. There was nothing helpful you could do, especially as you had your dogs with you.

In my opinion, they were being neglectful in allowing this situation to occur. They must have known their dog was "touchy" - and border collies are known to be sensitive dogs. They had no right to shout at you but they were probably deflecting their own guilty feelings onto someone else.