Dog ate my picnic

[givingitupok]

Had a picnic with my child today in our local park. Random dog (Shar Pei) appeared out of nowhere and ran over to us. I stood up and picked up my child and ran in a panic and stood behind a tree (probably looked like a total fool doing so but there was nowhere else to go without running towards the dog!). No idea where the owner was at this point. Watched the dog eating our food and also drooling all over our lunch box. Owner suddenly appeared from a path that lead into the park screaming at her dog to 'get here now'. Dog totally ignored her and she had to grab it and literally drag it away and put the lead on it. She apologised but when I asked her if she was going to pay for our food she actually had the gall to say 'you should have picked it up when you saw him coming' !!! I have just got home and this literally only happend 45 mins ago so am still fuming. She did not pay for our food and despite initially apologising, was incredibly arsey and walked off in the opposite direction. My child is very upset and the worst bit is, he has SEN and made everything in the lunch box himself (spread the sandwiches, cut up the apples, broke the chocolate into pieces to fit it in the container, etc). This was quite a big thing for him and he's really upset. I am also on a low income and spent a lot on the food. I took a photo of her and it clearly has her face in it. Not sure why but I just felt like I had to do something. I am not going to name and shame, but I'm just so angry.

Not sure what I want from this thread. Just rather pissed off.

I'm sure it was true at one point, perhaps it's changed with the the rise in popularity of dangerous dog breeds. Or maybe what I read was specific to rural areas where there are a lot of cows and dogs tend to be highly trained working dogs. I just remember reading an article about someone being trampled by cows and I'm sure it said something along those lines. Regardless, my point was that people do get killed by cows.

My dogs have always had a mix of raw meat and good quality dog food. They didn't have any interest in grapes and chocolate!

I haven't made any comment about weapons, and I hadn't seen that the OP had. I don't know what weapon the OP was taking about and I don't want to trawl back to find out, but I think it's perfectly normal to carry a walking stick or pole as a weapon when you have no need of one to walk, so that you can fend off attention from unwanted dogs.

As a sight-damaged person your comment triggered me I'm afraid. I am absolutely sick of being told by owners of out of control dogs that if I can't see dogs running round my feet I should find another place to walk.

.

Hahahaha oh are you freaking bonkers! Dog owner should have reimbursed OP for her dogs actions, and any impact it has on her dog is completely and utterly down to the owner and her poor actions/terrible training of the dog. OP and her child were having a picnic in an area where dogs should only be allowed in if on a lead. If her dog is okay, hopefully she knows now to either train it better or not let it off the lead, but she sounds utterly selfish and irresponsible, so I doubt it.

There's a thread called Dogs Everywhere where the OP is saying they're all over the place and the OP has got a kicking.

Because she is a drama queen making a fuss over nothing

@Imdunfer
But I was not quoting the OP. I was quoting a person who carries a bat, an umbrella and a whistle in case of attack by a "huge" dog, which I politely pointed out that a Shar-Pei is not. I felt that was a case of dog phobia.

I'm sorry that my post was triggering for you but that does not excuse you for overreacting and taking my words completely out of context. That is in fact triggering for me, as a person with severe social anxiety who relies on a therapy dog to enable me to actually leave my house.

You know nothing about dogs but yet were instantly able to recognise the breed?

I know you're intentionally trying to gain attention with your ridiculous posts, but once again - the dog owner is at fault, not the OP.

Seriously, are you that unaware of people's fear of dogs

Yup. I noticed that. Interesting, isn't it? I wondered if I'd come across this poster before. It all seems remarkably similar to something on another thread a few months back.

I'm sorry you were upset but I don't see how my comment could possibly be taken apply to therapy dogs kept close to the people they are there to support.
.

Sorry are you suggesting I made this whole thing up for what reason exactly?

Are you saying that when you have a picnic you don't just take the lids off everything and put it out for you/your kids to help yourself? Or do you systematically put out one thing at a time?

Grapes and chocolate are totally normal things to have in a lunch box no?

The internet is a sad state of affairs that do many people post absolute bollocks on here that people don't believe very normal posts (I think so anyway!).

FFS, you accused me of making an outrageous statement, which I did not! Talk about overreacting 🙄Whatever.

Thanks. That tells us all we need to know.

Not really interesting at all. A Shar Pei is pretty easy to identify.

What? Grapes and chocolate are fairly standard picnic items?

Wow, I'm reading through posts now who seem to be suggesting I am a liar because I:

a) recognised the dog breed
b) gave my child unwashed grapes
c) hadn't cut up my grapes
d) happened to have chocolate and grapes
e) someone else's dog ignores grapes so this one should have too
f) had all the things in our picnic open

I'm seriously out of here as this place is nuts. Thanks everyone else for the supportive posts.

Are you saying that when you have a picnic you don't just take the lids off everything and put it out for you/your kids to help yourself? Or do you systematically put out one thing at a time?

I don't... because of flies and bloody wasps! I just thought it weird that it started off as a pot of grapes and cut apple, then it turned into a whole punnet of grapes. If your child is young... please cut the grapes though.

The very idea that non dog owners should ensure their own picnics are safe for dogs to eat just in case some mutt nicks their picnic is next level insanity.

Pot, punnet, tub, box. I don't know I just bought a thing of grapes and pulled the film off the top!

Mumsnet posts are often embellished alongside the facts, depends on the direction of the thread.

Yanbu, dogs off leads in a public park is unacceptable. Owners shouting ahead "dog is friendly" Well my dog is not friendly around dogs, she prefers people, she's a sprocker spaniel and will react to your dog while in her no escape triple harness.

I'd definitely pay for the ruined lunch, if my dog got close to a picnic.

Hi armchair Sherlock Holmes- I know nothing about dogs but can recognise a number of breeds! Not sure you are onto anything here.

If you think this is interestiong you must have a remarkably boring life.

You are not wrong to think she was totally out of order and not wrong to be angry. But maybe it could turn into a funny family story? Hey remember that time a naughty dog ate our picnic. These thing happen and will happen again so perhaps resilience is a good lesson for your child.