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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dog ate my picnic

711 replies

givingitupok · 12/07/2025 20:36

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.

OP posts:
Jimmyneutronsforehead · 12/07/2025 21:11

Grapes AND chocolate 😬

Yes I also pity the dog for having such a shit owner that won't keep them under control for their own safety. Now this dogs life could very much be in danger.

Jojimoji · 12/07/2025 21:11

I'm sorry that happened to you.
I have dogs and crap dog owners with little or no real knowledge of canine behaviour really piss me off. Her dog is obviously totally untrained and she is completely irresponsible to let him off lead in the circumstances.

She should have offered to pay towards your food. Hopefully she's at home right now feeling some kind of shame about her behaviour. Doubt it though.

Glasgowgal200 · 12/07/2025 21:12

Sounds like she could use the help from Graeme from Dogs Behaving Badly!!!!

rainbowsandraspberrygin · 12/07/2025 21:13

Jojimoji · 12/07/2025 21:11

I'm sorry that happened to you.
I have dogs and crap dog owners with little or no real knowledge of canine behaviour really piss me off. Her dog is obviously totally untrained and she is completely irresponsible to let him off lead in the circumstances.

She should have offered to pay towards your food. Hopefully she's at home right now feeling some kind of shame about her behaviour. Doubt it though.

Imagine she’s at the vets!!

id be mortified if my pet did that and would apologise and offer some money. Same with cheeky kids who grab things or their ball goes over a picnic.

MikeRafone · 12/07/2025 21:13

ShesTheAlbatross · 12/07/2025 21:10

Some owners really are oblivious to the fact that even though they don’t care that their shit training is inconvenient or even scary to others, it also puts their dog in danger. And I bet she claims to love the dog. Doesn’t love it enough to keep it safe.

Show quote history

Owner will then want you to pay the vets bill

but curiously on my local page, it was posted that a piney of grapes had been strewn across the popular dog walking path in local park - now this makes sense as to why it was posted

Started17June2025 · 12/07/2025 21:13

givingitupok · 12/07/2025 21:05

I've just read how toxic grapes are to dogs. The dog ate almost a whole punnet. I'm honestly tempted to post her photo on our local page now under the guise of warning her her dog might be dead by morning! I hope it is ok.

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The woman was awful but please do post it on social media to try and warn her. The dog will likely be dead long before morning if it ate a whole punnet.

ThejoyofNC · 12/07/2025 21:13

givingitupok · 12/07/2025 21:05

I've just read how toxic grapes are to dogs. The dog ate almost a whole punnet. I'm honestly tempted to post her photo on our local page now under the guise of warning her her dog might be dead by morning! I hope it is ok.

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I probably would tbh, poor dog.

ThePure · 12/07/2025 21:14

I do think maybe you should post to warn her. A whole punnet of grapes could certainly kill a dog and after all
its not the dogs fault. If she takes it to the vet they can make the dog sick but if she doesn’t know it’s happened it might be too late.
Odd that it ate the grapes in preference to cream cheese sandwiches!

Original poster
givingitupok · 12/07/2025 21:14

Started17June2025 · 12/07/2025 21:13

The woman was awful but please do post it on social media to try and warn her. The dog will likely be dead long before morning if it ate a whole punnet.

Show quote history

I have written a post on our local page but haven't posted her picture as I don't want any drama. Posted anonymously in case anyone on here sees it 😬

OP posts:
Original poster
givingitupok · 12/07/2025 21:15

ThePure · 12/07/2025 21:14

I do think maybe you should post to warn her. A whole punnet of grapes could certainly kill a dog and after all
its not the dogs fault. If she takes it to the vet they can make the dog sick but if she doesn’t know it’s happened it might be too late.
Odd that it ate the grapes in preference to cream cheese sandwiches!

It ate the sandwiches too.

OP posts:
AuntieHistamine · 12/07/2025 21:15

I’ve had similar happen to me. The owner came running over to get her dog (she’d been shouting its name and it had completely ignored her) and instead of apologising she had the nerve to start telling me off saying what did I expect having food around in a park. Her dog had literally trampled my picnic and taken food out of my son’s hands. I was actually ready to laugh it off and be nice about it. Such a horrible and entitled attitude from some dog owners who will blame anyone but themselves for having zero control of their dog.

Jellycatspyjamas · 12/07/2025 21:16

MikeRafone · 12/07/2025 21:09

Unfortunately people are not able to take responsibility for their inaction of keeping their dog under control or on a lead, she was giving lip service with the sorry until you pointed out the actual problem - when it became her problem she turned the tables. She wasn’t sorry and didn’t give a shit

its not dog owners it’s some people and a lot of how society is about taking ownership when they fuck up

I wonder too if she simply didn’t have any money with her. If I’m out with my dog I have treat, poo bag and lead - I don’t have my purse or even my phone that I could transfer money or take her number to sort it out. As ashamed as I’d be if my dog behaved so badly, I wouldn’t have any means to reimburse her until I got home.

rainbowsandraspberrygin · 12/07/2025 21:18

Jellycatspyjamas · 12/07/2025 21:16

I wonder too if she simply didn’t have any money with her. If I’m out with my dog I have treat, poo bag and lead - I don’t have my purse or even my phone that I could transfer money or take her number to sort it out. As ashamed as I’d be if my dog behaved so badly, I wouldn’t have any means to reimburse her until I got home.

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But you would still apologise and perhaps take their bank details - transfer when you got home. I think even apologising is much nicer than what this mum got. Especially as they were hiding behind the tree.

MicheleKat · 12/07/2025 21:19

A lot of people bought dogs in lockdown and some of those people never really trained or socialised their dogs. We see stories like this a lot, don’t we? Dogs that are uncontrollable in parks near other dogs / people / food. I know her methods were not perfect but, some reruns of the Barbara Woodhouse show would be great!
I trained a very crazy Irish Setter using her methods. I still have a firm ‘no’ ready for when any dog goes for my picnic / a jump-up.

Notashamed13 · 12/07/2025 21:20

Yanbu OP, same thing happened to my (at the time) 5 year old dd who was tucking into a sandwich whilst on a walk down the canal...we were way off the towpath...dog owner didn't give a fuck and said it was entitled to be off the lead. The only thing I pray is that karma was kind as it was chocolate spread filling!

Tulipvase · 12/07/2025 21:20

Not all dogs are sensitive to grapes, but the trouble is you won’t know until it’s too late.

Very poor show of the owner regardless.

HunnyPot · 12/07/2025 21:21

I’m so sorry this happened to you and your son. He did well preparing everything. Hopefully you will have another day soon where he can help prepare the food and you can both enjoy it together.

Some people are so selfish and don’t understand or care that their actions might have a bigger impact on some people than others.

I hope you can both do something nice this evening to lift your spirits.

k1233 · 12/07/2025 21:22

givingitupok · 12/07/2025 21:14

I have written a post on our local page but haven't posted her picture as I don't want any drama. Posted anonymously in case anyone on here sees it 😬

Show quote history

I'd post her picture, note the breed of the dog and just say you're really concerned as the dog chased you off your picnic and, after the owner caught up with it and walked off, you realised it's eaten a whole punnet of grapes and a lot of chocolate. Someone has told you both are poisonous to dogs, so you are trying to get a message to her so she can take it to the vet or at least monitor for side effects.

Jellycatspyjamas · 12/07/2025 21:22

Of course I’d do what I could and try to make restitution if the person would be ok giving me contact details and if either of us had a way to write them down. I’m just thinking that I wouldn’t have a way to do that and might be quite flustered figuring it out.

I do think the dog owner behaved appallingly, a sincere apology and an offer to cover the costs of the food is a minimum, however the logistics worked.

ValleyClouds · 12/07/2025 21:23

You have my sympathy OP. Love Dogs, but I have a mobility disability and avoid so many in the street in case they don’t behave it isn't the dog i don't trust, it’s the owner! HATE entitled dog owners!

Gardeninrags · 12/07/2025 21:24

You should pay the vets bill if the poor dog is taken ill because you left dangerous food lying around. Really irresponsible of you OP

Jimmyneutronsforehead · 12/07/2025 21:25

Tulipvase · 12/07/2025 21:20

Not all dogs are sensitive to grapes, but the trouble is you won’t know until it’s too late.

Very poor show of the owner regardless.

A whole punnet for a medium sized dog breed will definitely be fucking up it's kidneys in the very least even if it doesn't cause instant death.

This dog will be destroying some carpets tonight.

mondaytosunday · 12/07/2025 21:25

I don’t know maybe because I’m a dog owner I’d have just told the dog to shove off. Was it aggressive? Picking up your kid and running onoff - nope I’d stand my ground. But then I’m not scared of dogs and unless it was growling and snarling I’d have bellowed at it. And have shouted at the owner too to keep their dog under control.

IleftmybaginNewportPagnell · 12/07/2025 21:25

That’s really awful, especially as your son made such an effort with the picnic. I hope he’s not too disheartened and that you can try another one soon. Same happened to me but the dog just sniffed and licked everything on the blanket just as I’d laid it all out. Had to throw everything then wash the picnic blanket. The owner was very dismissive. Scariest one was our little football team were ready to kick off against another local team, dog comes bounding through, snarls and sends all the boys running over to us on the sidelines - then chews the match ball to bits! Only then did the owner appear. She was extremely rude and sweary. The children were only about 9.

HettieHg · 12/07/2025 21:26

Dog will probably be dead by tomorrow ifnit ate chocolate and grapes!

And there may well be a post on FB about some inconsiderate picnicer killing her dog!