Zug Zug

My heartfelt sympathies.

It was also said the child was told to stay away from the dog by the dog's owner which the Mum denies was said. If true why did the owner take the dog into the gazebo? Where they invited in? Did they ask to borrow shade as often happens? Like it or not we have only heard one side of the story. And no offense but it is a biased side, same as if the dog owner was on here telling their side. Emotions, understandably, are running high, every single person in the area would have heard, seen something different and all would believe they are telling the truth. I hope the child recovers 100% physically and mentally. Of course we don't know the whole story. But whether or not they were invited to share the shade is not important I don't think. I may invite a person to visit my home - but if that person comes over and then beats me up with a baseball bat they can't say 'well I had her permission to be there'. Because that permission always implies a certain level of expected behaviour (in this case from the dog). One of the sad things here is that these people are possibly friends, and it is very likely that the person was invited into the gazebo on that basis. This thread has become quite divisive and I think that is unfortunate. I suspect it is very likely that both the mother of the young boy and the owner of the dog have followed this thread, and wisely stayed out of most of this discussion. To both of those people I would like to say this - I really feel for both of you. You must feel awful about what has happened. I hope that you are both able to heal and move on from this awful incident. While there has been a lot of talk in here about who is considered to be at fault in some way, no-one here believes you intended what happened and deep down we all know it was an awful accident, and something that has hurt you both. My aunt's dog attacked me quite badly many years ago. I was hospitalised, although most of my wounds were to my arms and hands (not my face - I was an adult). It caused real tension between us for many years. Then finally, years later, we talked about it. She still had the dog, but he was old by then. He still wanted to kill me, and on this particular day I was standing in her back room looking out her back window at him frothing at the mouth on a thick chain trying to break away to charge at me. I asked why she didn't put him down. She said she just couldn't do it. She loved him. She wasn't trying to defend it - just trying to explain it to me. Neither of us were angry in this conversation - I remember us both choosing our words very carefully and both being a bit nervous speaking about it so directly. It was a topic we usually avoided discussing. I rarely visited her while he was alive. But on this day I was helping her move some furniture. I was very relieved when this dog finally died (he injured a few people in the end). I think we were all lucky the injuries weren't far worse. But I did come to realise that she deeply loved this dog, he loved her back, and she felt awful about the things he did. She died a few years ago, and it was playing on her mind in her last hours, and she apologised to me again on her death bed. Which is just so sad really, isn't it? That it got between us all that time, and obviously played on her mind. It wasn't really her fault - it's just that it happened so fast and she couldn't stop him. In the end she did stop him (she pulled him off me with chains - no easy task) and she did the initial first aid on my hands while I cried. I'm sure she was almost as shocked as I was. I feel a lot of sympathy for her now. I don't blame myself either - it was just that's how her dog reacted and it took us both by surprise. No-one wants their dog to hurt another person. Of course we all have responsibilities. But we are also all human.

You might be missing the point I think. If what we've been told is correct, this little boy was in his Mum's gazebo, along with several other children. The dog was brought in by the dog's owner. I have heard of other situations where kids have scaled fences to enter a dog's yard etc. and in a situation like that I think your point may be valid.

I see that remark as being rude & insensitive & quite stupid under the circumstances. Even if the child was a silly little brat that ran up to the dog, which he obviously is not, no mother with a child that is badly injured & traumatised needs to be told this or be told how to feel about the dog at this moment. Hopefully the child will come out of this ok mentally & physically & kind words to this effect is all she needs right now. The rest can be sorted later, including the fate of the dog. Bravo Christina! And I also agree with the point above about needing to accept that children and dogs are both a bit unpredictable at times. Education of kids is important, but supervision of dogs and kids is still needed. I have 2 dogs, both very good with kids. Even so, if a child is near them, I have my hand on the collar. I am saying sure she's friendly you can pat her - but I am also ensuring the pat is a gentle one and the dog knows I have the situation under control. I believe it is my responsibility, in this situation, to protect both the child and my dog. There are still risks. Life comes with risk. What if my dog got away from me? Or escaped our yard? If my dog hurt someone's child like this I would be devastated. What's the alternative - no dogs? No kids? We do the best we can and hope it's good enough. We can judge all we like, but it won't change what happened. I don't envy whoever is investigating - everyone involved must be distraught and it would be a harrowing process to work through.

The Animal Welfare League provides this service in South Australia, for a fee. I used it for my dog Mozart last year, and got him back in a little box so I could sprinkle his ashes at his favourite piece of beach. I liked the fact that the money was hopefully doing good for another dog as well. Not sure if they also do this in Victoria?

Wise words as always.

I agree. I am really quite annoyed that the owner is making claims in her statement that she asked my son to move back from the dog, which is completely untrue. I have witnesses who confirm that she did not say anything to my son at all. I feel that she is making excuses for her dog and trying to lay the blame on my son. However, I strongly feel that there is NO EXCUSE for a dog to attack a child whatsoever, regardless of how close he was to the dog. If the dog is capable of an attack he should never have been at the show and certainly not have come into a gazebo where there were 4 children. I totally agree Shezz - and hope very much that your son recovers quickly and completely. It must have been an awful experience for you. In my experience a lot of people just automatically defend their dog - almost like a gut reaction - even if deep down they are very sorry about what has happened. I hope that, in the clear light of day, they have an opportunity to think through what has happened and do/say what is right.

Oh dear - kids are just at eye level with larger dogs, and so many of their injuries are to the face. I really do hope he is not badly hurt or scarred. It's a little odd that the story was on the news (ch 7 anyway) but not on their website and not on the Adelaide Now website. Makes me think perhaps some more information has come to light, and that perhaps 'dog attack' may not be an accurate description in some way...?

Just hoping for some good news about the little girl. Video footage shown on the news reel showed lots of images of SACA park and showed an ambulance stretcher/bed being wheeled off (presumably with the girl in the bed...?) Which worried me They were saying it is the 2nd dog attack within the City of Port Adelaide Enfield in recent weeks, and they are now talking about the possible need for stricter rules about dogs. But if they were within the SACA grounds, I don't know it just seems like Council rules would be kind of obsolete but obviously I have no idea what happened. ETA: Oops Paptacular just read your post! Snap.

Me too - poor boy how can he see? Good on you for taking him in and taking such good care of him. Will he need a skin-tuck at some stage so he can see out?

Dental cleaning by the vet is done if your dog's teeth get quite bad, and requires a general anaesthetic. I've had to have my older dogs done several times unfortunately. Anaesthetics come with risks and I'd prefer never to have to do this again if we can avoid it. I think some good bones to chew is a MUCH better option - especially for the dog. My vet has recommended a bone every other day. And yes it is replaces a meal, not additional. So Bella's got the right idea :) I've been using lamb necks. They are nice and big, strong and the dogs are getting lots of chewing value out of them without destroying them or biting chunks off. I'm really happy. I find chicken necks are gone within seconds - and swallowed which worries me a bit. So I prefer the lamb necks, although a bit harder to find they are worth it. I used to give Denta bones and Denta stix. The dogs absolutely love them as a treat/reward, but IME they are not an effective method to keep their teeth clean.

I just saw a quick teaser for tonight's news, and it mentions that a young girl has been taken to hospital after being attacked by a dog at SACA park this weekend (not sure if it was yesterday or today). Sounds awful - does anyone know what happened? I'm hoping the little girl has not been seriously hurt.

I went along to the Tarlee oval today, to watch the sheepdog trials. To anyone who is reading this and who lives in SA, it is well worth a visit tomorrow to see all the dogs and their handlers working sheep. Someone said today that the best dogs do their runs tomorrow. We had a great day today. High suspense, some naughty sheep, some wonderful dogs and handlers. And one (only one) female handler amongst all the men and she put in a fantastic run with her dog and not only got her sheep through all the gates etc., and completed the course (this is a LOT harder than it sounds), but she also got the 2nd best score of the day. These people are real dog-lovers, and the things their dogs will do for them (from a very long distance) are truly inspiring. It costs nothing - and Tarlee is only 1.5 hours north of Adelaide. Everyone was super-friendly and welcoming. We had some great chats with people about their dogs. And at afternoon tea time, they put on Devonshire Tea in the Institute building. And strudel cake. And other things. It doesn't get much better than that.

The mourning widow is absolutely gorgeous

2 dogs - an old poodle x 13 yrs old, and a young standard poodle 5 months 2 is enough for me. I badgered my husband a few years ago to get a puppy, when both our dogs were very old. But he said no, not until one of them passes on. That happened eventually, and I now have my standard poodle pup (something I have always wanted) I think he was right. A puppy is a lot of work and I've chosen to love a high maintenance breed. They need lots of grooming, training and exercise (but that's the fun stuff isn't it?). There are only so many hours in the day. So I think 2 is the magic number for us.

Sounds like pain - and could be an upset tummy from eating something he's not used to. If so, he should be starting to feel better today...? If not, I'd be popping down to the vet I think.

Toy - Bichon Frise Small - Border Terrier, Min Poodle Medium - Lagotto, Portuguese Water Dog Large - Standard Poodle, Irish Water Spaniel Giant - Borzoi, Deerhound

Oh no - I was looking for that as well. I imagine they may have had multiple orders for the same one perhaps. I've heard his DVDs are fantastic. I've never seen one myself but would really like too.

Yes, breed makes a huge difference. I have a DA oodle at home. She looks completely sweet and friendly. She is in fact a great dog, but she is not good with most dogs she doesn't know. The number of times I've tried to tell people to keep their dogs away, no she's not friendly, please keep your dog away, NO SERIOUSLY SHE'S REALLY NOT FRIENDLY YOU NEED TO GET YOUR DOG AWAY, NO YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO ME...! I always keep her on lead in public. But so often people just will not believe me until their dog has just about jumped all over her and she has finally lunged and snapped. Then they get their dog away. But yes she's only small so no damage done. And I'm not pretending this is an equivalent situation to an off-lead staffy or pittie charging towards me across a park. There is a difference and the main one is my oodle weighs 9kg soaking wet.

So my understanding from reading this is, they have used 2(b). As no proof other than heresay (not a proof) has been established. I believe 2(b) is unconstitutional; it relies solely on the council rangers discretion, and therefore should be easily challenged by an efficient legal council. I am not a lawyer, but I do know how to read. Shiner as you say, you are not a lawyer. You are not able to give legal advice. The OP is asking for help, but I don't believe this would be a helpful avenue and it could be counterproductive. Also, there is a very big difference between a Council (i.e. a local government) and legal counsel. This person needs real legal advice. Not armchair advice that is really just someone's opinion. She is trying to get her dog back.

Common puppy problem. Most important thing is don't reward the barking. Make sure it never pays off (by making the door open, by getting you to pay the pup attention, etc. etc.) My puppy has also discovered his voice over the past month or two. When he barks in his crate, we pull the blanket over the top to isolate him from the action. It reduces the stimulation he is exposed to, and also ensures he is not given attention for barking. It seems to be working (so far so good). Luckily he doesn't bark much outside or during the day. But it's still early days yet.

A Bob-A-Lot It also doubles as a source of food during the day

I agree with earlier advice that you should seek legal advice. A few reasons for this, including: 1. they will give you an accurate representation of your legal rights and options 2. they may be able to negotiate with the Council on your behalf 3. they will certainly be less emotionally affected by what has happened, so more able to put your case logically and calmly In relation to the last point above, while I completely understand how distraught you must be feeling, it is important to remember that you need to convince the Council that you are trustworthy and capable of taking this situation in hand. So the calmer you are able to appear, and the more organised you seem in terms of fencing and being able to deal with the issues that need to be addressed, the better. It can be very hard to remain calm in a situation that genuinely really upsets you (and with good reason). In my time, I have found 2 things that can help when I am feeling this way: 1. approach all meetings like a business meeting - dress up in business-like clothes and try to cast yourself into that frame of mind that says 'I am strong, calm, capable' (which among other things means no crying, no raised voices, no calling your dog your 'son' in that environment - save all that for your family and friends who will be more supportive and understanding) 2. if I feel emotions getting hold of me, I quietly put one of my hands under the meeting table and dig a fingernail into my thumb so that it hurts me a little - this seems to do something to the brain and the tears or anger often subside really quickly and this gives me a chance to get back into a more businesslike frame of mind It might seem unimportant, but I have learned from experience that a calm, matter-of-fact demeanour can make all the difference when things get difficult. In this situation I think your feelings are completely justified and understandable. It's just that, when push comes to shove, they may be working against you by creating an impression that you are not sufficiently stable to be trusted to safely manage a dog they consider to be menacing or dangerous. Good luck - it must be so difficult for you and I do hope you are able to bring Pookie home soon.

That would be terrifying. I would be furious if that happened to me. Thank goodness the little girl was not hurt, but I imagine it will be hard for her to forget. What is the dog attack billboard?

If that breeder keeps their dogs in good condition, does health testing, and carefully selects dogs for breeding - on what grounds should they not be accepted? If the arguments are about animal welfare and integrity of breeders, then surely that's what the MDBA should be reflecting? I own a purebred poodle and adore him, but I have no objection to the existence of poodle/labrador x-breeds if they are well bred, well cared for, and fully health tested. If not, then they don't belong in the MDBA or anywhere else. But I think we should concede that all of these breeders are not equal.