Wheeze - It's good that the police took it seriously. In terms of you reporting it to ensure the safety of others, I would like to think that everyone in your situation would have done exactly the same thing.
Wheeze - It's good that the police took it seriously. In terms of you reporting it to ensure the safety of others, I would like to think that everyone in your situation would have done exactly the same thing.
It has seriously made my head spin.
I'm the kind of guy who feels like I have a missing limb if I don't have a dog. Grew up with a labrador who was my best mate and have had 3 of my own. Put last one down last year aged 14. Bit raw to get another at the moment. I love dogs and pride myself in knowing how to handle them.
But this f*cker was something else. There was no pre-amble, no warning, nothing but a single well executed intent to kill. And it very nearly did.
Jeez.
Simon Blease
Monmouth
That is awful. I hope the dog owner is being prosecuted. Why on earth do people have dogs they have no control over? That attack sounds and looks horrific. I can understand how you are still in shock. I hope you recover quickly both in mind and body. Best wishes Wheeze xOriginally Posted by Wheeze
I don't know RTS.
The owner turned himself in when he knew I was reporting the incident and the dog was put down same day. No need for prosecution because that would only have resulted in a destruction order which has already happened. As for whether I want to pursue a private prosecution, the answer is no. I just want to move on.
Simon Blease
Monmouth
As you have said, your love of dogs is well documented on this forum. I hope you're on the mend physically & mentally. Rest assured you have behaved correctly given the circumstances.
I've just decided I don't trust you anymore.
Agree entirely. And fortunately the dog's owner did the right thing too, eventually.
I've put down 4 dogs already this year for biting people. In each case the owner has been devastated but made the choice of their own accord. I can only reassure and advise them that it is the correct course of action. Rehoming is not an option.
Hospital admissions from dog bites have gone up by over 70% in the last 10 years. It begs the question, why? More dogs? Less responsible ownership? Less willing to do away with problem dogs? Rise of 'Facebook charities' rehoming problem dogs? People not putting dogs on leads or using those silly extendable things?
I quite like dogs, I earn a living from them and I've got one, but I do think given the increase in problem behaviour (owners and dogs!) it's time that dogs were kept on leads in popular parks and footpaths at all times. In fact, I think they should be banned from my local park entirely and I do not say that in jest. I'm fed up with my children and I being jumped on by other dogs and I'm fed up of walking in dog poo and having to wipe it off my child's buggy. I brought my dog up to stay next to me and any hint of a potential flash point he's on the lead. In the park, on a towpath, passing a runner/horse/cyclist- he's on the lead, it also means I know when he's done a poo and he hasn't just sneaked off to do one on the path to be picked up by some unsuspecting buggy wheel.
I hope you get better quickly Wheeze. In a way it's a blessing it was you and not some three year old child.
This post is going to be all over the place, but starting off I should say that I have had so may run-in with brain-dead dogs and owners that I would be the happiest person in the country if every dog disappeared. My wife and kids would happily have a dog but I am completely against it. The two reasons being it would be locked up in the house all day while we are at work and that is just not right, how many dogs are stressed out by that? I would love to have a dog on my runs, it can be lonely running along on dark winter evenings, but I know I would not do the "poop scoop" thing, no way I would have a bag of shit in my bum bag so I would then be one of those disgusting owners. About the lead thing - if the poor animal is not allowed to have a run around when outside then yet again it is increasing its stress levels. Suppose what I am saying is that you should not have a dog unless you can take care of it properly and have somewhere safe to give it plenty of exercise.
As I have said on this forum before we regularly have dogs on our Thursday Pennine training runs and beside nearly tripping over them a number of times they are great.
On the other hand, the benefits of dog ownership or dog contact are well documented. When my Mum was recuperating from breaking her hip they brought petting dogs into the ward and the joy it caused was palpable. Some work places are now allowing dogs in and notice improvement in mood and therefore productivity.
Its the horrible poo and the control issues that are the downsides...both of which are down to the owners.
see......I'm trying to rehabilitate myself!
Simon Blease
Monmouth
All the best Wheeze.
As alluded to by Pat, I think a lot of the problem is households which want a dog and so get a dog despite there being nobody at home all day because everyone is out at work. A dog shut up all day must surely be at greater risk of developing behaviour problems.
I'd love to have a dog, as would my partner, but we don't for exactly this reason. (And also because we're climbers as well as runners and I don't want to be one of those people who take a dog along when rock climbing and leave it alone at the foot of the crag to annoy/terrorise other people)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote