So sad, another death

[Smitty]

Sorry, can't do links but sadly a 34 year old man has been attacked and killed in a park in Hampshire whilst out walking his dog. The out of control dog who savaged him belonged to a 20 year old with it seems, no connection to the dead man. The dog has been siezed by police (and hopefully destroyed).

I hope the attacking dog's owner gets a custodial sentence which reflects the enormity of the crime, surely manslaughter would be appropriate.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

That is appalling. Bad enough worrying about your dog getting attacked without risking your own life just walking your dog. Poor man.

 

[Archangel]

Horrific, poor man.

 

[TPO]

The article that I saw said that the man was a dog walker and he possibly had a seizure. The dog that he was walking, claimed to be an XL Bully, attacked him as he was on the ground fitting.

I'm assuming that the man arrested is the dogs owner. I don't under how he's culpable as XLs aren't a banned breed and from the article the owner wasn't present. However given the state of British journalism the article could be completely incorrect.

Isn't it sadly a "thing" that dogs have been known to attack people who are having fits or seizures?

Very sad all round. The poor man and his family.

 

[Clodagh]

Oh that’s just tragic. I think if it was someone just out walking and their dog was attacked and the owner killed then definitely manslaughter.
If what TPO says is right that’s just terribly, terribly sad.

 

[mini_b]

The article that I saw said that the man was a dog walker and he possibly had a seizure. The dog that he was walking, claimed to be an XL Bully, attacked him as he was on the ground fitting.

I'm assuming that the man arrested is the dogs owner. I don't under how he's culpable as XLs aren't a banned breed and from the article the owner wasn't present. However given the state of British journalism the article could be completely incorrect.

Isn't it sadly a "thing" that dogs have been known to attack people who are having fits or seizures?

Very sad all round. The poor man and his family.

Out of the last 10 fatal dog attacks in the UK, 5 were XL Bully dogs.

i cannot understand the growing trend for these.
Any dog can be dangerous in the hands of an idiot but I don’t know any “normal” person that requires something resembling a bear living in their house, one of these dogs won’t be far off my weight.

 

[meleeka]

It’s not far from me. The man that died was extremely popular and well loved Comments from locals say the dog was removed, but not destroyed. The owner has also been released on bail, without charge. I think there’s more to it, in that they aren’t sure if the dog actually killed him, or mauled him after he died. Apparently the police will update next week, presumably after an autopsy.

 

[splashgirl45]

How awful. Poor man and his family

 

[Tiddlypom]

Another attack, and a 4yo boy left with life changing injuries. A neighbour pulled the bull mastiff type dog off him and probably saved the lad's life. A woman has been arrested.

Liverpool dog attack leaves boy aged four seriously hurt https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-62539930

 

[Clodagh]

Another attack, and a 4yo boy left with life changing injuries. A neighbour pulled the bull mastiff type dog off him and probably saved the lad's life. A woman has been arrested.

Liverpool dog attack leaves boy aged four seriously hurt https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-62539930

It just makes you want to weep. When I look at the hoops we have to jump through to get a shotgun certificate and idiots can just go and buy these dogs that are bred for nothing more than to be powerful and fierce.

 

[splashgirl45]

Surely it should have been put down immediately, doesn’t matter nitpicking what breed it is, it’s a dangerous dog in that ownership. Once a dog has savaged a child I’m afraid it’s a one way street in my eyes. So sad for the child and his parents

 

[CorvusCorax]

You can't test a dog's bite strenth and other behaviours (which will be used as evidence in case of prosecution for breach of DDA) when it's dead.

 

[CorvusCorax]

It’s not far from me. The man that died was extremely popular and well loved Comments from locals say the dog was removed, but not destroyed. The owner has also been released on bail, without charge. I think there’s more to it, in that they aren’t sure if the dog actually killed him, or mauled him after he died. Apparently the police will update next week, presumably after an autopsy.

This is the problem when the papers breathlessly get hold of a 'someone died and there was a dog involved' stories.
People remember the 'mauled to death' headlines long after the actual facts have been established.
Tragic, whatever the circumstances.

 

[splashgirl45]

I thought they just used measurements to decide if it was classed as one of the banned breeds. So if my terrier while in my care attacked a child and left him with life changing injuries, as he isn’t a banned breed it would be treated in a different way. It would break my heart if that happened and I would take him to the vet myself to be PTS, I wouldn’t need telling ., but it would be very unlikely as if any children visit me the dogs are not allowed free rein..

 

[Smitty]

It just makes you want to weep. When I look at the hoops we have to jump through to get a shotgun certificate and idiots can just go and buy these dogs that are bred for nothing more than to be powerful and fierce.

This though. I can't buy a knife in a supermarket without being verified as fit to have one, but ANYONE can go and purchase a potential lethal weapon in the form of a dog.

 

[ycbm]

I passed a man on a walk today who had three identical looking dogs, thankfully on short leads. The looked to me a bit like staffies but were a lot, lot bigger than a good size staffie. I was quite afraid of them until he passed me, he didn't have a hope of holding three of them if they didn't want him to.

I'm very conflicted about his right to walk his perfectly well behaved pack of dogs and that of other walkers to be able to walk a public path without fear.
.

 

[Clodagh]

Surely it’s irrelevant if it’s a Labrador or a pit, if it’s killed somebody it should be pts.
I guess the point is it’s a different charge if you shouldn’t have owned it in the first place.
I think if you own a dog that injures someone you should be prosecuted as though you had done it yourself. So, manslaughter, GBH, whatever because in essence the owner is as guilty as the dog.

 

[JumpTheMoon1]

Too many idiots now with dogs off the lead.Will he go to prison ? i doubt it.An innocent person has died - he wont be the last.The laws need changing fast - even breeds classed as " Safe " can kill.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I'm very conflicted about his right to walk his perfectly well behaved pack of dogs and that of other walkers to be able to walk a public path without fear.
.

I fully understand your point but imo bringing in laws or restricting people's right based on something as subjective as fear would be a very scary road to go down.

I saw an article which I think was about this, and the photographs were all of the man in question with his two Rottweiler's which is a shame for the breed, as they're lovely dogs and not to blame here.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I fully understand your point but imo bringing in laws or restricting people's right based on something as subjective as fear would be a very scary road to go down.

I saw an article which I think was about this, and the photographs were all of the man in question with his two Rottweiler's which is a shame for the breed, as they're lovely dogs and not to blame here.

Indeed!
Go down that road and we could find horse riding prohibited anywhere except on private land with no rights of way across it, or in an arena, in case other land users fear that they are going to be mown down by a galloping horse.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...d-four-year-old-left-major-head-injuries.html

Why was this dog anywhere near a 4yo boy, bless him.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

That dog looks like a pit bull to me.

 

[bonny]

Just baffling to me that anyone wants to own a dog like that.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Me too.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

That dog looks like a pit bull to me.

I vaguely think I have read somewhere that a pink/coloured nose as opposed to a black one indicates some pit bull in the mix - I don't know how correct that is though. The thing is that the measurement basis would only work on a 100% pit, not a mix as this dog is much bigger looking to me than the pitbulls I have seen which are more 'tall staffy' in stature.

 

[MyBoyChe]

One of the things that always sticks with me is from around 45 years ago when I did some work experience at a local boarding kennels. The couple who ran it had 3 small children and half a dozen GSDs with free run of their house. I remember asking Barbara about this as I had grown up with labradors and was a bit surprised by her having this breed as a family pet. I always remember her telling me that any dog can be vicious in the wrong hands and having once been badly bitten by a labrador herself she wouldnt trust them with her own kids. It made me think and I have never forgotten it! In my view it is always always the owner to blame, the dog is being a dog and the owner should have thought harder before putting the dog in a situation where things go wrong. I know sometimes when we are out with our dogs we cant control our surroundings but its for that very reason we must know we can control our dog!!

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

One of the things that always sticks with me is from around 45 years ago when I did some work experience at a local boarding kennels. The couple who ran it had 3 small children and half a dozen GSDs with free run of their house. I remember asking Barbara about this as I had grown up with labradors and was a bit surprised by her having this breed as a family pet. I always remember her telling me that any dog can be vicious in the wrong hands and having once been badly bitten by a labrador herself she wouldnt trust them with her own kids. It made me think and I have never forgotten it! In my view it is always always the owner to blame, the dog is being a dog and the owner should have thought harder before putting the dog in a situation where things go wrong. I know sometimes when we are out with our dogs we cant control our surroundings but its for that very reason we must know we can control our dog!!

The thing is though, this woman wasn't in control of her dogs if she wasn't present with them at all times, no matter how well rounded and behaved they are. All it would have taken is one to stand on a wasp, or have one too many ear tugs, or for it's arthritis to have pushed it over the edge and so on, and it could have turned on the child. I am fully of the belief that if you have a young child and a dog, you should never leave them alone with the animal, and especially not if you have a pack of them.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I was an only child and a latchkey kid, I spent most of my childhood and teenage years, alone with a German Shepherd. A well bred/well raised one is one of the safest breeds around their own children, IME, to the extent that I was STUPID around strange dogs as I was convinced that they were all as good as ours.
Ours were also extremely tolerant of my toddler nonsense, which was not ideal obviously, but hey, a busy single working Mum hasn't got eyes in her arse.
We had one put to sleep because he literally would not let anyone near my Mum and I, including my father and it was not worth the risk to others (there was very little risk to me or her!!).

 

[twiggy2]

I vaguely think I have read somewhere that a pink/coloured nose as opposed to a black one indicates some pit bull in the mix - I don't know how correct that is though. The thing is that the measurement basis would only work on a 100% pit, not a mix as this dog is much bigger looking to me than the pitbulls I have seen which are more 'tall staffy' in stature.

The pink nose is a whole load of s###e, sorry but you can't tell a pit bull or pit bull mix by the colour of its nose.
I have met a few pits over the years and the 2 pure bred fighting pits both had pure black noses and were pure black dogs

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

The pink nose is a whole load of s###e, sorry but you can't tell a pit bull or pit bull mix by the colour of its nose.
I have met a few pits over the years and the 2 pure bred fighting pits both had pure black noses and were pure black dogs

I'm not sure it had to be so aggressively written but fair enough, every days a school day