If you were chased by a dog would you call the police?

scatty_mare

scatty_mare

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An old lady near here was walking her dog off the lead on a public bridleway and met a lady with her daughter on a pony. The dog ran towards the pony, the owner called it, it came back and she put it on the lead.
The pony meanwhile, had spooked, spun and cantered up the bridleway, girl fell off but wasn't hurt.

If you were the mother what would you have done?

This lady shouted and swore at the dog owner, accused her of harbouring a dangerous, out of control dog and has called the police.

The police are now forcing her to rehome the dog!

What is the world coming to??

If this is the way things are going I'm going to call the police and get all the village kids arrested for entering the annual scarecrow competition and erecting spooky beings all over the place to freak my horse out!

ETA the dog in question is an elderly, arthritic, tail-waggy labrador.
 
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The police cannot force her "to rehome the dog" without charging her. I think someone is confused.
 
Firstly, I have heard this through some liveries on my yard so things may have been twisted in the telling - but as I understand it, the mum of the girl who fell (who is a nasty piece of work anyway) has made a formal complaint to the police that this lady is incapable of controlling the dog, that the dog chased her daughter's pony and caused injury.
What I heard is that they are saying, either you rehome the dog or have it put down, or you will go to court.
Just really, really sad for an elderly person to have to give up their companion.
 
Tinkerbee said:
Sounds odd. Why would rehoming the dog make any difference?
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Indeed :confused:

I wouldn't call the police for any old dog, but there was an occasion once a few years ago when we (my friend and I) were attacked by two large dogs, which also attacked several walkers in the area on the same day. I called the police and the dogs were captured and put to sleep. They were seriously vicious and I'm very glad that my friend and I were on my sensible veterans at the time, not to mention the two young girls and puppy that I advised to turn for home further up the bridleway...
 
Should the dog have been on a lead?!! I think so myself.

There is a problems all over the country with loose dogs, in particular those accompanying riders, as when there is a problem the rider cannot deal with the dog and the horse. I believe the BHS is looking into this issue.
 
I wouldn't call the police no. And the police can not make you rehome a dog, they can advise you to rehome but they can not make you do it
 
scatty_mare said:
Firstly, I have heard this through some liveries on my yard so things may have been twisted in the telling - but as I understand it, the mum of the girl who fell (who is a nasty piece of work anyway) has made a formal complaint to the police that this lady is incapable of controlling the dog, that the dog chased her daughter's pony and caused injury.
What I heard is that they are saying, either you rehome the dog or have it put down, or you will go to court.
Just really, really sad for an elderly person to have to give up their companion.
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Tell them to go ahead and try. There are specialist Solicitors who deal with cases for dogs, I can't bring them up off the top of my head but you would be better posting this in Dogs where you will get better advice.

I find it really unusual that the police would be so 'hardcore' on an elderly lady and her elderly dog given that this was just an unfortunate situation. If it is indeed true, I would advise her to seek advice of canine and legal experts. No way would I give up my dog in that situation.
 
I really can't see that the police would be wasting court time with this. No one was attacked by the dog. I think that if I were the elderly lady, I would stand firm, and keep my dog!! Is there not anyone who can help her out in this?
 
Seems rather harsh, especially if the dog was as described, I take the "occasional" running barky dog with an apologetic owner as par for the course when out riding, the blatantly nasty viscious dogs off the lead with ignorant nasty owners are a different thing.
 
Just to add in reply to the question.

It depends, but yes I would call the police in some circumstances...
 
In our area, its Dogs Wardens who'd be dealing with this, not the police - and I think they'd probably have taken a less confrontational stance than has been taken here.

On the one hand, one has to feel sympathy for the rider of the pony who fell - OK so she wasn't injured, BUT it could easily have been different. I've certainly been in a situation where a dog was nipping round the heels of my friend's mare while we were out hacking, and luckily she had the presence of mind to "chase" the dog with the horse, but this could have been a very nasty situation - coz I think the dog really might have done something bad on this occasion.

But the "aaaawwwwhhhhh" factor is with the little old lady who may be losing her dog. Unfortunately dogs will be dogs and if horses run, many dogs would be inclined to run after it. If she's on a bridleway, then why on earth didn't she put the blimmin dog on a lead in the first place? All this could have been avoided. Unfortunately some people have no idea what their dogs are capable of and have this naive idea that their pet Fido won't ever do anything "doggy" like chase other people's dogs, horses, or sheep. Its never their fault.

However, I do feel sorry for the poor old dear, in a way. This does seem rather harsh - and uncompromising.

Personally I think I'd rather have my dog destroyed than give it up for "rehoming". Coz if the dog has a "history" then they often will never get rehomed and just sit in the dogs home for the rest of their lives pining away. We've got a rescue dog and she's a darling, but can be very nervous sometimes, and I think it was being in kennels that did it rather than the treatment she had before, poor girl.
 
lhotse said:
I really can't see that the police would be wasting court time with this. No one was attacked by the dog. I think that if I were the elderly lady, I would stand firm, and keep my dog!! Is there not anyone who can help her out in this?
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Well that's what surprised me really, I can't understand what law has been broken - because the law is that your dog needs to be kept under reasonable control, which I would have thought off the lead and coming to call would be.

I hope that it has all been dramatised and she doesn't have to give up her dog. It just made me think - if your horse is spooked by for example an inconsiderate cyclist and it causes an accident, what then?

Suppose it depends on the circumstances.
 
If it is as you have described then no I wouldn't but I would have been hugely cross at the owner.
Lately I am getting more and more infuriated with dog owners completely oblivious to the harm that letting a dog jump and bark and chase a horse could do. I have had 2 run in's in the last 3 weeks. The first one was awful and could have been hugely dangerous and I was left in the road whilst the owner eventually put the dog on the lead, told him he was a good boy and walked off. I was livid, not with the dog but with the owner. I later found out this had happened before and I did go to the police just to speak to them to find out what happens in this situation. The one the other day, was just as you described, 2 lovely labs running over to say hi to a new big friend but this new big friend was new to me and nearly crapped himself next to a ditch. Their owner didn't even call them back so I sort of swore under my breath not to him but loud enough to hear.
Sounds like the OP situation is a bit like chinese whispers and has been blown out of proportion as it would take more of an 'attack' and injurys for the police to do anything. They told me it would be a good idea to speak to the animal control first so they could have a word.
 
may i say every situation is different - growling hell bent dog to hurt to damage is one thing but this sorry - dog ran to pony pony spooked - hell they are animals themselves. like said a growling ferocious dog looking to bite mmmm but . . . . . . .wish knew true story here though :) xx
 
The mother of the child on the pony -is probably getting stroppy as she let her childs pony get away from her?
And is just trying to make out old ladys dog is vicious so she doesnt look bad:o
But there are lots of stories of people and their loose dogs scaring horses all the time...even a "friendly lab" can be seen by some horses as huge horse eating dragons?
So its blame on both sides? dog not on lead-and owner would know if bridlepath used regularly by horseriders and ponies on lead reins with a child on should be a little more trustworthy? IMHO:o
 
My reason for posting this sketchy story without really knowing the facts is just because I was so surprised that someone would call the police for something that really seemed quite insignificant.
It made me think, and it's interesting to find out what other people think too about these situations!
 
It sounds like the dog was under control? Yes it ran towards the horse, but - and correct me if I'm wrong about this - if it is an old, arthritic dog it's hardly going to be going very quickly, is it? Also it went straight back to the owner when called.
Also I'd expect a childs pony to be able to cope with dogs...
 
scatty_mare said:
Firstly, I have heard this through some liveries on my yard so things may have been twisted in the telling - but as I understand it, the mum of the girl who fell (who is a nasty piece of work anyway) has made a formal complaint to the police that this lady is incapable of controlling the dog, that the dog chased her daughter's pony and caused injury.
What I heard is that they are saying, either you rehome the dog or have it put down, or you will go to court.
Just really, really sad for an elderly person to have to give up their companion.
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If the dog ran off then it is a fact that it was out of control. Rehoming dogs makes no sense. Shooting the bastards on sight is the only way to go.
 
i would get rid of the pony if it cannot cope with an OAP and her elderly dog approaching in a public place!!!!!hope someone helps the dog owner to sort this out
 
lhotse said:
I really can't see that the police would be wasting court time with this. No one was attacked by the dog. I think that if I were the elderly lady, I would stand firm, and keep my dog!! Is there not anyone who can help her out in this?
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I don't think round here the police would even be interested in taking a statement, not with just 1 dog off a lead who came back when called..my daughter on her pony was chased by 2 loose retrievers on a bridleway, that had been set loose at the far end of the bridleway by the owner/dog walker, they ran up and barked, her pony stood and faced them for a minute or two but eventually as no-one appeared to call them off pony decided he'd had enough and bobbed off. Police didn't want us to report the incident nor wanted to take a statement since we didn't know whose dogs they were or where they lived (bank holiday so dogs were being walked, we'd never seen these dogs before), they didn't feel they would be able to trace them.
Can't see police can make her re-home the dog.
 
Well I have had to report a dog to the police however it was a young and vicious husky with a muppet owner who had no control and it bit my mare and tried to bite me on the beach one day. I initially reported it to the dog warden and logged a call but no official complaint with police. My complaint was more about owner than dog as he had so little control that the only way we could catch dog was let it follow me the half mile home (with the horrible thing snapping at Dolly despite her kicking it) and then owner cornered it in a stable. That was fine but was officially reported to the police two weeks later when we found it in a field with one calf cornered and driving cows & calves mad. Only for the bull running it poor calf would have been seriously hurt. So yes I would have called the police but in a very different situation where dog both drew blood, threatened me but was also a liability in a public place!
 
We should bear in mind that if the child had suffered a serious injury requiring the use of an ambulance the police would have been involved anyway I think... the out come could have been very different.

Here in Scotland the Outdoor Access Code states that

"during the bird breeding season April -July (I assume inclusive) KEEP YOUR DOG ON A *SHORT* LEAD OR UNDER *CLOSE* CONTROL (I assume at heel) in areas such as moorland, forests, grassland, loch shores and the seashore.

" in recreation areas and other public places avoid causing concern to others by keeping your dog under close control or on a short lead"

How long before ALL dogs must be kept on a lead at all times unless working or at home? We are farmers with several paths and tracks over our land used by walkers, cyclists and riders.... no problem with that BT dogs are becoming a more of a problem than they used to be
 
It is very sad that the lady (whether she is elderley or not doesn't enter into it) didn't understand that a bridlepath is a public highway & the dog should have been on a lead legally. Whether you agree that is a good thing I'm afraid doesn't count in law. From a personal point of view I wouldn't have been happy riding along with a child & being confronted by a loose dog around the horses legs having heard of so many bad outcomes from such encounters. I feel a warning from the police for a first reported offence should have been enough, if the incident was repeated then that's different.
 
As has already been said I would be questioning the handling if the pony, getting soo upset by a doddering old dog.

I have never seen a dog on a lead on a bridle way round here, so the police would have their hands fill warning e eryone.

By definition the dog was under control as it came back when called.

As the mother of a 5 year old I feel sorry for the girl, mother sounds like an idiot!

Felix, shut up!!!!!!!
 
scatty_mare said:
An old lady near here was walking her dog off the lead on a public bridleway and met a lady with her daughter on a pony. The dog ran towards the pony, the owner called it, it came back and she put it on the lead.
The pony meanwhile, had spooked, spun and cantered up the bridleway, girl fell off but wasn't hurt.

If you were the mother what would you have done?
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What would I have done?

Nothing, yes the dog was off the lead but the owner called it and it came back.

If I called the police in situations like this back out the previous yard (where there were acres and acres of private hacking and people would walk their dogs wherever they wanted, which of course the shouldn't have) I would never be off the phone!
 
Daisydo said:
As has already been said I would be questioning the handling if the pony, getting soo upset by a doddering old dog.
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If pony had a previous history of having been worried/attacked/upset by a dog then it would be quite understandable. I am not saying the way the mother has proceeded is right but my previously very dog proof mare is now a nervous mess around them through being attacked. I am working hard to desensitise her but it ain't easy
 
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