Another fatal dog attack

Sleighfarer

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Maybe I'm missing something here, but as far as I can see the dog is mooching about minding its own business, as the owner points out. It doesn't have to be on a lead. The dog should be wearing a collar - that is the law - but the police don't seem to be concerned about that. It could be that the car park doesn't count as a public place, I don't know. Instead, they tell him his dog is out of control, when it quite obviously isn't. I'm not saying it's a good thing for dogs to be off lead in car parks, but I think the police are on dodgy ground here. I'm not surprised people are taking the owner's side. The dog actually looks a nice sort, and is not bothering anybody.

Oh, I know, I know, the owner probably has an interesting relationship with the police already and the dog has cropped ears, but that's neither here nor there. The police can't go around putting their own spin on the law to suit themselves.
 

cauda equina

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Is it not the case that under the DDA a dog is deemed to be out of control if someone fears it may attack or injure them?
Maybe that was why the police officer wanted him to put it on a lead
 

stangs

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Is it not the case that under the DDA a dog is deemed to be out of control if someone fears it may attack or injure them?
Maybe that was why the police officer wanted him to put it on a lead
But surely there has to be a valid reason for the person to be worried that the dog may attack them? E.g., someone with a phobia of dogs would fear that any dog off leash might attack them, but that doesn't mean they have the right to ask any dog walker around them to put them on a lead.

The dog is responding to commands, staying with his owner, not fixated on anything. What more do you need for it to be deemed in control?
 

Sleighfarer

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Is it not the case that under the DDA a dog is deemed to be out of control if someone fears it may attack or injure them?
Maybe that was why the police officer wanted him to put it on a lead
I don't know, but if that is the case then all dogs and their owners are vulnerable to people making complaints because they just don't like the look of the dog. There's no sign of anybody else in the video, and we don't know how the police got there. The whole thing just looks ludicrous to me because the police themselves are not scared of the dog. If they really thought it was going to attack or injure somebody why aren't they taking precautions? Or waiting for the dog unit they are threatening the owner with?
 

Errin Paddywack

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But surely there has to be a valid reason for the person to be worried that the dog may attack them? E.g., someone with a phobia of dogs would fear that any dog off leash might attack them, but that doesn't mean they have the right to ask any dog walker around them to put them on a lead.

The dog is responding to commands, staying with his owner, not fixated on anything. What more do you need for it to be deemed in control?
A collar on at the very least. It is a legal requirement for dogs to have collar on with a tag giving owner's details. The dog looks a sweetheart but if you needed to get hold of him unless you had a slip lead handy there is nothing to get hold of. It seems to be the fashion for staffy/bull types not to have collars on when loose.
 

ycbm

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Maybe they know the dog, or other dogs owned by that person, is trained to attack on command?

He could drop the lead, of course, but then at least the intent would be clear if they didn't hear the command.

Since they have a huge police presence there while they search a rusty white van in the carpark of a swimming pool, then I assume they have very good reason for the request.
.
 

skinnydipper

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Highway Code, Rule 56.
Dogs. Do not let a dog out on the road on its own. Keep it on a short lead when walking on the pavement, road or path shared with cyclists or horse riders.


Road Traffic Act 1988.

27 Control of dogs on roads.​

(1)A person who causes or permits a dog to be on a designated road without the dog being held on a lead is guilty of an offence.


What is a road?

A car park is not a road. However, it is a “public place” and so otherwise included.
 
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Landcruiser

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I witnessed a Lab jump up at an elderly man last summer completely unprovoked and he had to be rushed to hospital as - not to be too graphic - he needed his muscle stitching back in. I'm not bashing Labs - I've got one myself - but for every 'Well a Lab/Golden/Spaniel wouldn't have done that...' story, I guarantee you'll find someone who has one to tell.

I'm not saying it's nothing to do with breed - I fully acknowledge that breeds each have their own traits, but tarring all big dogs with the same brush is not helpful. Dogue de Bs aren't known for having aggressive traits. In your story it just sounds like a strong dog which is entirely different to having a dangerous one out to kill.
A lab is the only dog I've ever had in over 8 years of vet reception work that tried to bite me. He actually lunged up at my face as I approached him and his owner. We asked owner to muzzle him for visits after that, can you believe we had to?
 

Errin Paddywack

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A lab is the only dog I've ever had in over 8 years of vet reception work that tried to bite me. He actually lunged up at my face as I approached him and his owner. We asked owner to muzzle him for visits after that, can you believe we had to?
Back in the 70's my sister used to go to a dog training club. She said that the only dogs she had problems with there were labs. Many different breeds in the classes but it was always the labs that would go for her dog. She got her leg badly bitten once by a lab attacking hers. Her dog was a totally non aggressive terrier cross.
 

splashgirl45

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I’ve had a black lab off lead attack my previous lurcher who was on lead and not even looking at him, my collie was attacked by a chocolate lab off lead and mine was on lead,
owner called out to say hers wasn’t good with other dogs, not sure how that helped… I kicked it but not before it had bitten mine. It was a deep puncture wound on her back , owner paid my vets bill
 

splashgirl45

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A 5 month old baby should be kept separate from any dogs , my nieces when under 10 were never left alone with my dogs even though I’m 99% sure they wouldn’t be a danger. So many people don’t see the dangers , it seems that quite a few of the attacks have happened in peoples homes by dogs known to them so I think there should be guidance issued , maybe by the charities so there is a code of practice for dog ownership. It could also include basic etiquette , like if someone is approaching with their dog on a lead, it’s polite to put yours on etc
 

conniegirl

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Good god who on earth leaves an infant alone with a dog, let alone a dog of that size.

I thought i was being overly cautious telling my parents that they couldn’t bring thier new golden retriever to visit until they had had it at least 6 months and found out what its like with kids
 

CanteringCarrot

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It is too much! For sure.

Plagued with idiots.

A dog that randomly attacks a puppy is not a dog to have.

While some breeds have a strong tendency toward same sex aggression, and/or will attack what they seem as vulnerable or prey, that can be managed, but it takes a boat load of training, setting them up for success, and vigilance, and some dogs are just "off" or not really suitable for existence.

I think we have idiots that don't train their dogs, or exercise them properly, as well as breeds put in the wrong surroundings or home. People buy dogs without much thought. If I buy a LGD I need to remember that it's a LGD which is different from say, a retriever.

We also have indiscriminate breeding. No temperament testing or anything. People buying breeds because they "look cool" or whatever.

I know many people around this forum don't believe in castrating or spaying, especially at a young age (I don't necessarily either), but people are too dumb to have intact animals (the people themselves probably shouldn't be intact either but that's another matter). I'm not saying that any of these idiots would spay or neuter even if someone knocked on their door offering it for free though.

It's just ridiculous the number of dog attacks, and the number of animals and humans that are being injured, and in some cases fatally injured.

I'm not hear to argue, more of a rant.
 

conniegirl

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I will say we had a worrying situation yesterday at the local duck pond.
Ellie was feeding the ducks and was very excited doing so.
An American bully type started paying far too much attention to her and seemed fixated.
We picked Ellie up and left but not before the owner tried to get a stick from it and the growl it issued made all my hairs stand on end. It meant business.

So we left. I’d rather be safe than sorry. We are now looking for a different duck pond to visit.
 

SilverLinings

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Fortunately the victim in this case appears to have survived, but two dogs were shot by the police and their owner needed to be tasered; it looks like the dog's behaviour became increasingly threatening and the owner refused to get them under control or hand them over to the police.

The report is quite sparse, and it is not clear exactly what happened or how badly injured the woman was who was attacked, but it sounds like another case of out-of-control dogs and an owner who wouldn't take responsibility.
 

SilverLinings

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I read about that this morning it's terrible 😔
I just can't imagine what the owner was thinking to react so inappropriately to his dogs attacking a woman that it causes the police to taser him. It doesn't sound as though he was tasered because he became angry when the police shot his dogs (which may be sort of understandable depending on the circumstances), but that it was due to his behaviour when the police were trying to get the dogs under control.
 

Pinkvboots

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I just can't imagine what the owner was thinking to react so inappropriately to his dogs attacking a woman that it causes the police to taser him. It doesn't sound as though he was tasered because he became angry when the police shot his dogs (which may be sort of understandable depending on the circumstances), but that it was due to his behaviour when the police were trying to get the dogs under control.
I know I think half the problem is the kind of people that have these dogs they have a very bad attitude and a love for violence and aggression unfortunately.

Not everyone off course but I think a big percentage do.
 

Moobli

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It’s a horrible video. I don’t enjoy seeing dogs being shot but having viewed it, I don’t think the police had much choice. Let’s face it, if the dogs had already attacked a woman and they were going to be seized they’d have likely been pts anyway. The police gave the guy ample opportunity to comply but he continually acted aggressively and it does look like he encourages the dogs to run at the cops who then reacted to the threat.
 

Sleighfarer

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Highway Code, Rule 56.
Dogs. Do not let a dog out on the road on its own. Keep it on a short lead when walking on the pavement, road or path shared with cyclists or horse riders.


Road Traffic Act 1988.

27 Control of dogs on roads.​

(1)A person who causes or permits a dog to be on a designated road without the dog being held on a lead is guilty of an offence.


What is a road?

A car park is not a road. However, it is a “public place” and so otherwise included.
It's funny because after I read this the other day I went out and the first thing I saw when I turned out of my gate was an off-lead Labrador walking towards me along the pavement, his owner a few steps behind. I wonder if he's read the Highway Code.
 

skinnydipper

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It's funny because after I read this the other day I went out and the first thing I saw when I turned out of my gate was an off-lead Labrador walking towards me along the pavement, his owner a few steps behind. I wonder if he's read the Highway Code.
Could be one of those special people who think rules don't apply to them.
 
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Keith_Beef

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It's funny because after I read this the other day I went out and the first thing I saw when I turned out of my gate was an off-lead Labrador walking towards me along the pavement, his owner a few steps behind. I wonder if he's read the Highway Code.

In my experience, people tend to think that the Highway Code only applies to motor vehicles. Most people that I know only ever read the Code when learning to drive, and forget all the rules about "the road user" on foot or on horseback.
 

Moobli

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What I do find a bit unnerving though is that any of us, especially with large working type breeds, could end up in a similar position to that man. Taken at face value as we don’t know whether the man has a history of violence, drugs etc, the police demand he hand the dogs over for assessment (not something I’d want to willingly do) because of a claim they attacked someone. I’ve yet to see reports on what the attack involved but did see it widely reported that no one went to hospital. Many dogs would act similarly to the dogs in the video when confronted with an intimidating mob advancing on them and the owner clearly getting angry and agitated. So I find it a worrying precedent that police can shoot such dogs, while still accepting that in this case they were possibly left with no viable alternative.
 
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