Another dog tragedy

I am always in uncomfortable when I am in a place that serves food and there are dogs there.

German shepherds are good,trainable dogs. That is why the police use them. I have no issues with them though, like any dog, you wouldn’t want an untrained one out on the street, especially in packs.

I want to book a UK holiday and am concerned about dog policy because my dog has been attacked by a big dog before (Unprovoked) and I don't like dogs off lead coming up to me.

We went to a place last year where I had assumed there would be a dogs on lead policy (but there was not) and a dog ran all over our picnic. It could so easily have been much worse.

It is not the dogs it's the owners. A properly trained and cared for dog isn't as likely to attack.
There are a lot of dogs where I go to walk. Most are no problem butI have been scared by a dog running up to me baring it's teeth and snarling. The owner appeared about ten minutes later. I was too scared to pass this dog. He didn't apologise for the aggressive behaviour and was aggressive himself. Says it all really.

Agreed nanna.

Germanshepherdsmum

You all know the breed of dog I keep. All have been rescues. They are properly looked after and supervised, never let off lead in a public place and always muzzled on a visit to the vet. The garden is very securely fenced. They are very loyal and intelligent dogs and thus favoured by the police. They are tremendously strong and certainly capable of killing. They are loved and loving, gentle pets, but could be very dangerous in the wrong hands and with the wrong treatment. Comments?

They are loved and loving, gentle pets, but could be very dangerous in the wrong hands and with the wrong treatment.

I think that is the only comment needed. Intelligent, responsible owners, are not the problem.

Germanshepherdsmum

Microchipping is compulsory, but who is going to check that a dog has been chipped unless it has strayed or been taken into custody by the police? The details on a microchip are unlikely to be kept up to date by the sort of people that keep the type of dog favoured by drug dealers. Vets don’t check at routine visits.

There are banned breeds and the list can be updated. If you suspect someone of having a banned dog the police will investigate and, if it is a banned breed, seize it.

What more can possibly be done?

That's the thing though - I'm not sure what more can be done. There are many dogs out there which have not been microchipped - you only have to look on some 'lost dogs' forums online to see that. You can pass all the laws you want - but who is going to enforce them? The police are overstretched as it is. As others have pointed out, responsible dog owners will comply with the laws - the irresponsible ones don't give a monkeys.

Hugo, the cockapoo.

This story is ongoing as the poor little dog is still fighting for his life and it’s not sounding too hopeful. His injuries are horrific and it seems that the wounds are badly infected. His owner was interviewed on the radio again this morning giving an update.

WARNING the link has pictures.

www.lbc.co.uk/news/dangerous-dog-brighten/

Germanshepherdsmum

You all know the breed of dog I keep. All have been rescues. They are properly looked after and supervised, never let off lead in a public place and always muzzled on a visit to the vet. The garden is very securely fenced. They are very loyal and intelligent dogs and thus favoured by the police. They are tremendously strong and certainly capable of killing. They are loved and loving, gentle pets, but could be very dangerous in the wrong hands and with the wrong treatment. Comments?

I can see many similarities with Germanshepherdsmum. My dogs are Rottweilers.

Well socialised, trained, never off lead in public and much loved! My garden is secure and if anyone visits...they are in another part of the house.
Mine are affectionate and very loving and gentle, they are also very protective - it's their nature and because of their size and strength, without an experienced owner, they could be a nightmare.

I've lost count of the number of people who talk about them being trained to 'protect me', no it's my job to care for and to protect them...to keep them safe.

I think a lot of people want dogs as status symbols, as guard dogs, sadly as weapons and I don't know what the answer is but as a society we need to try and find one before more tragedies occur.

Precisely Blondiescot. I genuinely don’t know what more can reasonably be done other than adding further breeds to the banned list as they appear. If anyone sees what they believe to be a banned breed they must report it to the police - the onus is on each and every one of us rather than simply expecting ‘something’ to be done.

The whole "it's not the dog it's the owner" litany doesn't wash with me.

However well-trained the dog is and well-meaning the owner, a dog is an animal and when it has an off-day it can be dangerous. We might let of steam by shouting at someone, but if you are a dog, you bite someone - simple as that.

The Rottweiler who go it's teeth onto my sleeve as I was passing by was too powerful for the young woman who had it on a lead. I can't imagine why anyone would want a dog like that. It was terrifying.

I agree Luckygirl.

Blondiescot

Germanshepherdsmum

Microchipping is compulsory, but who is going to check that a dog has been chipped unless it has strayed or been taken into custody by the police? The details on a microchip are unlikely to be kept up to date by the sort of people that keep the type of dog favoured by drug dealers. Vets don’t check at routine visits.

There are banned breeds and the list can be updated. If you suspect someone of having a banned dog the police will investigate and, if it is a banned breed, seize it.

What more can possibly be done?

That's the thing though - I'm not sure what more can be done. There are many dogs out there which have not been microchipped - you only have to look on some 'lost dogs' forums online to see that. You can pass all the laws you want - but who is going to enforce them? The police are overstretched as it is. As others have pointed out, responsible dog owners will comply with the laws - the irresponsible ones don't give a monkeys.

Won't be easy at first. In some countries, dogs have to be registered with local authorities and national register, with full details of breed and owners address, phone, etc. They have to be microchipped and have essential vaccinations, and many breeds are just not allowed.

This is not overseen by Police, but by a separate authority, and paid for by enforceable yearly fees paid by owners- and often a maximum number of dogs allowed per household.

But NO ONE is having a go at you GSM I m sure your dogs are beautiful, well cared for and in no way a threat to anyone nor was my beautiful kind sweet mongrel that I had for many years but we all know there are many dogs and owners that don’t fit that description
Of course more can and must be done
Banned list to be reviewed, possible extended and religiously adhered to Dogs on banned list (who slip through) should be destroyed at owners expense or returned to the country they came from
Dogs are not allowed in shops or eating places (as it used to be until it was recently relaxed )
Every town should have a Dog warden so no dogs should be lost or wandering without a leash ( this would help genuine people whose dogs got out accidentally)
Puppy farms should be more extensively sought out and shut down
Any information regarding dog fighting or irresponsible dog handling should be much more fully investigated and dogs removed from these ‘dregs’ not a smacked hand a complete removal (of their £4000 fighting machine)
It’s no good shrugging shoulders and saying no more can be done No one should lose their life in sch a horrific way to a so called domestic animal we are not living with wild elephants or rhinos wandering around

Maybe we need a law whereby all dogs must wear a muzzle in public?
It would be easy to spot ones that weren't.
There could be a campaign to report offenders and name and shame, and fine the owners.
Sorry can't think of anything else to suggest ☹️

In some countries too, all new dog owners have to follow a 'new dog owner course' - attending several compulsory 1/2 days to acquire basic understanding of main issues and risks. Just as you have to to be able to drive.

I see more and more of these Bully XL’s and many have their ears cropped, American style. This is illegal in this country but nothing is done about it. I’m an animal lover and I’m not scared of dogs but when I was dropping one of my grandsons off at a party before Christmas there were two of these dogs running loose. I wouldn’t get out of the car. There were two men stood outside a van smoking and inside the back of this van were 3 more! One of them did its business on the pavement outside someone’s house and these men couldn’t have cared less. The van registration was on my dashcam so I checked when I got home and it hadn’t been taxed or MOT’d since 2015! Any police officer stopping them with 5 of these huge animals in the back would need back up. These dogs are truly frightening. I don’t know if one of these was involved in the latest incident but I wouldn’t be surprised.

We have a dog warden. When he was called out when a viscous dog had got loose around here and had bitten a man who tried to pacify him, the dog went for the warden who was as terrified as everyone else.

So what happened next? Was the dog caught. Was the dog shot.

I love animals, always have, always will. But if a Dog is so terrifying that the Dog Warden, who should have suitable training, cannot catch it- then it should be dart sedated, or shot.

GSM

I cannot believe that you as an obviously responsible dog owner wants to continue the present free for all, where anyone can buy any dog regardless of the welfare of the animal or people it would come into contact with.

If you want a Farm animal you need a vets approval and the animal has to be registered with LA, there is a cost of course but that would be small compared with the other cost of keeping dogs

It's a frightening problem. Dog licences are always mentioned when these tragedies happen but the lawless types who own these dogs won't bother to get them, will they?

I've always been rather scared of dogs and won't walk through our local park or nature reserve anymore because of many dogs being off the lead. I wouldn't stand a chance.

The reports in the press are saying that the woman killed was a dog walker. That would account for the large numbers of dogs that the police have. A walker near me walks 5 dogs, I have thought that it's a lot to control.

I don’t for a moment think anyone is having a go at me BlueBelle and I haven’t suggested that they are. I can however say that any intruder or anyone threatening to harm me would most certainly be attacked. For that I make no apology.

No dog warden (and there more than people might realise) can be in all places at all times.

I don’t know how puppy farms can be sought out. If anyone suspects the existence of a puppy farm and reports it then it will be investigated. The police and RSPCA have powers.

I don’t agree with a statutory ban on taking a dog into a shop (though I never do it and most food shops would ban dogs other than assistance dogs) or eating establishments - that isn’t where the problem we’re now discussing lies.

Laws are in place and the list of banned breeds can be, and is, updated, As I said above, the onus is on all of us to report.

As long as totally irresponsible people are prepared to buy a dog 'cheap' without doing the necessary checks- seeing the dog with owners and mother in the home, etc, puppy farms will exist- unless there is a real will to eradicate.