My dog mauled by Rottweiler lucky to be alive

[bellabunny]

Out for a walk with my dog on a lead tonight when a Rottweiler (not on a lead) came charging round the corner and grabbed my dog in his mouth and threw him around. I screamed at the owner to call him off and he told me to f**k off ,eventually the dog dropped mine and walked off with the owner without looking back.
He's been at the emergency vet he's lucky to only have 4 puncture wounds to his back legs the vet was saying would have been a different story if he'd been grabbed round the stomach or his head. Our dog is sleeping drugged up on painkillers and anti biotics. Poor thing
Can't believe the attitude of the owner ....

Hope your dog is feeling better soon. Some dog owners are complete twats

Hope your dog is okay. I would contact the dog warden.

Hope all is well with your little dog. Have you reported it? What a vile, nasty person. All the best for your little dog.x

for your poor dog. Hope he mends soon. Can you call the police, surely it's an offence?

It's not necessarily an offence as far as I'm aware. Although you could argue the dog was 'dangerously out of control in a public place' (Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 s.3) I don't know how successful that would be as it is the person not another animal that has to either be harmed or be in reasonable apprehension of harm. You'd have more luck if they'd worried/injured livestock, unfortunately :(

You could take someone to small claims court, though, to make them pay the vets bill, I imagine? If it was worth it, anyway...
I suppose you'd have to know who they were, too.

I would, however, report it to the dog warden (assuming your LA have one)! They may have multiple other reportings of this dog and might know the owner. Can go and put a bit of pressure on them to be less careless (and less of a dick!) in future. If they're decent they might team up with HA or similiar (if applicable) to go and visit and have a word.

I hope your dog has a speedy recovery!!

This has made me so on your behalf. Hope the dog bites him on the dick. (Sorry, not helpful!)

Thanks for all your messages - I didn't want it to appear like a Rottweiler bashing post I forgot to add that my dog's a yorkie so only mentioned the other dogs breed to show how bad the attack was - big strong dog V little yorkie.
My dog had a restless night his legs are obviously very sore and stiff- back to the vets this morning
I am going to report the dog to the dog warden today - I don't know where they live but I know the dog's name and have since heard it's attacked another dog before

Makes you think what will you do in this situation.
If the dog keeps on attacking, how long would you wait before you step in!

OP: Your dog was on lead so I would have kicked the Rottie as soon as it started attacking your dog. You are defending your dog from an attack, no point waiting for his owner to respond IMHO.

I also avoid certain breeds and very large dogs.
Yes, any normal person would be mortified with this situation.
But if the other owner is unwilling or unable to recall his dog and stop the attack, you have to step in straight away and use reasonable force.

I have witnessed owners getting all aggressive after their dogs were kicked/hit to stop them attacking.
Swearing and trying to start a fight as someone else had touched their dogs.

Very frightening but I would do anything to protect my dogs.

I was in a similar situation. An off lead dog starting mauling my dog who was on lead. I started shouting to the other owner who also lives on the same street to recall her dog but she just stood there screaming like a girl. I kicked the dog a few times but it was having no effect. Then I muster all my strength and really kicked the dog which stopped the attack. Her dog seemed ok at the time. But later that evening I had a visit from the police informing me that the she thought I was being out of control as I managed to fracture the dog's rib and threaten to press charges.

My father had a similar experience, too. His Yorkie was nearly killed by a large dog that picked her up and shook her as if she were prey. She was terribly hurt but pulled through -- out of sheer pluckiness I think.

And a former neighbour of mine had her small dog killed in the same way.

It happens so often. I'm sorry, OP, and I'm very glad your dog is recovering.

I think that the really dangerous incidents come when the larger dog starts treating the smaller dog as if it were prey -- not fighting it as another dog, but attacking to kill, as they would a rabbit or some such.

A dog-on-dog fight is usually relatively inhibited, but when a dog sees a small dog as prey, rather than as a dog, he will approach it completely differently. I think that explains why even very gentle, sociable dogs will sometimes kill. Certainly the dog that attacked my father's Yorkie was a friendly one who was just "playing" as he would with a squeaky toy. That's very chilling because it means you can't infer from a dog's good nature that it won't present a hazard to small dogs.

Did anything cone of it, JKramer? I hope you weren't in trouble for defending your dog.

Nothing came out of it.
Just that I get dirty looks whenever I see her or her family members walking their dog.
I try and walk in the other direction when I see them.
I apologised for fracturing the dog’s rib but they never took responsibility and thought I was unreasonable.
They never said sorry about the attack and thought I used too much force.