Dh has just taken MIL to A and E with a dog bite. We had gone out for a walk with her 2 dogs ( a bichon and a manchester terrier) and my sheltie. We were in a popular place for dogwalkers (small country park) and most people let their dogs off the lead.
One of her dogs is kept on a lead as he will not come back when called and has done a runner a few times.
We were coming to the end of our walk when we were approached by a 6 month old staffie puppy that I had seen before -previously it had pounced on my sheltie (not aggressively) and would not leave off- owners did nothing to stop it and did not call it off until I asked them to.
MIL dog on the lead is petrified of staffies as had been badly attacked by one in the past (30 stitches). When the staffie bounded up it took no notice of MIL telling it to go away or heeded warning from MIL dog who was growling and barking.MIL dog then got hold of the staffie by the skin on it's head. MIL had her dog on a very short lead and desperately tried to prise them apart and got badly bitten on the hand in the process by the staffie who was obviously trying to get away from her dog. While this was going on the owner of the staffie was sauntering up to the scene and made no attempt to call the dog off.
MIL (bleeding) very tactfully said "I know my dog was the aggressor but I had hoped you would call your dog away!"
He admitted that the dog will not come when called so why the hell did he have it off the lead? I know MIL dog was the one who showed aggression but it was on a lead and if the staffie had been under control it would have never happened in the first place.
AIBU in thinking this dog should be on lead? What do you lot think?