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 quite scared of dogs, especially the massive ones and I hate it so much when the come at me and the owners just say, ooh he won’t hurt you, keep them on leads.

What do I have to apologise for? Don't write "flippant" posts if you don't want a reaction. 🙄

Well aren’t you a delight.

I don't disagree with any of this. My issue, as you must know, was with your previous comment, since it's unlikely you've encountered even 1% of all dog owners.

The errant dog owner could have asked for her address in order to take the money round to her house? No need to even see the OP - she could have popped it through her letterbox.

The OP has made the point that she cannot afford to lose the amount of money that the lunch cost her.

Don’t be ridiculous. The dog should not have been off lead.

I was in a hairdresser's in Edinburgh one time when a client's lapdog urinated all over the floor. One of the apprentices had the unenviable job of cleaning it up.

I should have thought that the dog owner might at least have offered to deal with it.

Just looked up the dog type and if be legging it too. You did fine and she's a poor excuse for a dog owner.

Read the quote history - I have - instinct (an instinct that so many people with smart phones seem to share these days, but you are seemingly blind to.) And OP's posts (if you'd bothered to read them) clearly show she had no motivation to "name and shame" the dog-owner - she literally writes this towards the bottom of her very first post.

Yes, she is. She thinks she's funny.

Quite possibly OK if large dog. Not forgiving the dog owner.

When you say the dog appeared and ran over to you, do you just mean it was in the vicinity? Then you picked up your child and ran off, leaving unattended poisonous food for the dog to eat? Perhaps you should be checking if there's a vet bill you should be contributing to

Absolutely, I would have. My dog, my responsibility.

Hopefully this is another joke post.

Idk why you ran away from the dog instead of just shooing it away, but yes dog owner is the AH for not having her dog under control and allowing it to eat somebody’s picnic. Least she should’ve done is pay for the food.

I’m a big strong girl. If I’d seen a bloody Shar Pei running at my kids, I’d have picked them up and ran, too!

Seriously?

Jesus.

Do out of control dogs with sights set on food usually respond to shooing from strangers?

I just Googled. They were originally bred as 'house guardians'? Too right...I'd have run.

The OP can’t expect the whole world to revolve around her. There are always going to be lots of dogs around in public places so the best the OP can do is to work on her own anxiety about dogs. Otherwise her DC will likely pick up the same fears. She can wait for the whole of society to train their dogs if she prefers but it is her and her children who will suffer in the meantime if they are scared of dogs.

@givingitupok Personally I think you did the right thing. You were not responsible for the dog and neither would you know if it becomes aggressive around food. I have to keep an eye out for picnics as I know my dog forgets all his training around food! If I see people sitting on the ground, I'd always put him on the lead just in case as he's my responsibility (he would never do harm, but he is my responsibility and I always keep in mind that some people are nervous of dogs). It's a shame to hear of the dog owners reaction. I hope she rethinks things and the dog survives.

You said your dog would eat the child as well

@givingitupok if it helps you feel better, grapes are not automatically toxic to all dogs (or cats), so it might not have harmed the dog.

Grapes (and raisins) are acutely toxic to some dogs and cats, but you cannot tell which animals will be affected and by the time they show symptoms of poisoning they are very ill. Whereas some can eat grapes and be fine - but no-one yet knows why some are badly affected and others are not.

Since it is impossible to tell which dogs will be affected it is safest to assume they are highly toxic to all dogs. I had to take both of mine to the vet for induced vomiting as one of the two managed to snaffle a little bit of malt load when my back was turned. Felt very sorry for the non-guilty dog!

Yet you seem to expect the whole world to revolve around dogs.

No. They are dogs. They do not trump the needs and wants of people minding their own business in a public park, where dogs should be kept on leads.

Another shining example of a feckless, useless, irritating, pathetic, rude, irresponsible, entitled (insert more insults) dog owner.

Of course she should be expected pay for your food and she should have been apologising to you profusely about her and her dog ruining your picnic. But these types of dog owners think it’s no biggie because they’re just dogs and it happens and we should all be laughing our socks off at how cheeky her fur baby is.

Apparently it’s on you to pick up all your picnic quickly rather than her be on it controlling her dog. WTF?

I’m angry for you and your DS. You did something lovely for you both and not only was it ruined, she didn’t even acknowledge that it was her fault.