Toddler Attacked By Dog In Hair Salon

[Akayla]

loveseverydog - look people are going by what has been said by two people. Yourself the friend of the owner and another person on here who is friends with the parents. Neither of you were witnesses as ar as I can tell. You both have very different accounts.

No one here is saying the dog should be destroyed so no one is going on about it like a total mauling. BUT it has been reported as biting this child and unless you have some kind of degree and have inspected the child youself then I dont where you can say nothing happened.

I dont want to get in an arguement with you but statements like this :

"Agree! Just because a business is "Public Access" doesn't mean that it's open to be a playground. And the dog in this matter (salon) was away from the salon minding his own business.

Provoked? No sign of actual bite.

Fell? Most likely!!!!!!".

Im finding it a bit insensitive. You might be right and it was just a fall but you dont know that for sure and making out that it was nothing to the child is just offensive. I know you are sticking up for your friend but if you were my friend Id ask you to stop in respect for the other party especially since this might go through court.

Id be truelly saddened if the owner took the same approach as you as to just instantly dismissed this. What if the dog did bite, what if there is a good reason and what if he is inclined to do it again but harder next time? If you dont even look into it you are in my opinion not a responsible dog owner.

[Akayla]

As a mother of a toddler, I am appalled at the "support" this dog is given, the blame placed on parents and toddler by some and the downplaying of the incident.

This dog is reported to have bitten a child, which required medical treatment. I don't care if the sirens were on or not, it doesn't change the fact the dog bit.

I take my toddler (nearly 3) the hairdressers with me all the time. It's safe. Because he's given clear boundaries and obviously some of us can control our children more than others can control their dogs. And in my opinion - hairdressers are for HUMANS. Dog groomers are for DOGS. I don't take my child to the hairdressers to teach them how to socialise with dogs.

I get so peeved with dog owners who think that we should all love their dogs as much as them, their dogs are taken to places where people (and children) are. My daughter was once nipped by a dog in a coffee shop. She wasn't even looking at it - she was sitting drinking her drink and it came under her chair from behind and nipped the back of her leg. Since when do dogs go to coffee shops. And hairdressers.

Seriously, love that we all love our dogs, but keep them in appropriate places.

Dogs today have almost become accessories. When I was a kid, the dog was what was found in the backyard, or in the park. Not the sodding shops !

I don't think what happened to your child in the coffee shop Slk, is what happened in the hair salon where the dog approached the child to bite her???. A dog biting an innocent child doesn't automatically deem the dog's at fault. It's up to the parents to teach a child how to behave around other peoples dogs like I was taught to leave them alone.

The dog did not approach the child. Three witnesses claims that the dog was in its' same poition when they saw the child crying - minding its own business.

Also how did they "see" the dog if it was in a totally different area from salon? Especially three people.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

loveseverydog - look people are going by what has been said by two people. Yourself the friend of the owner and another person on here who is friends with the parents. Neither of you were witnesses as ar as I can tell. You both have very different accounts.

No one here is saying the dog should be destroyed so no one is going on about it like a total mauling. BUT it has been reported as biting this child and unless you have some kind of degree and have inspected the child youself then I dont where you can say nothing happened.

I dont want to get in an arguement with you but statements like this :

"Agree! Just because a business is "Public Access" doesn't mean that it's open to be a playground. And the dog in this matter (salon) was away from the salon minding his own business.

Provoked? No sign of actual bite.

Fell? Most likely!!!!!!".

Im finding it a bit insensitive. You might be right and it was just a fall but you dont know that for sure and making out that it was nothing to the child is just offensive. I know you are sticking up for your friend but if you were my friend Id ask you to stop in respect for the other party especially since this might go through court.

Id be truelly saddened if the owner took the same approach as you as to just instantly dismissed this. What if the dog did bite, what if there is a good reason and what if he is inclined to do it again but harder next time? If you dont even look into it you are in my opinion not a responsible dog owner.

i totally agree. whilst i do not want children running round in hairdressing salons and whilst my hairdresser has her dog in the salon i do not think it responsible to cover your eyes to the fact that the dog MIGHT have been in the wrong. please feel some empathy towards the small child who for whatever reason got a very big fright that day in the salon.

if it were my dog i would want to be very sure that it did not bite the child without warning and even if it did warn for sure it would never be in the salon again and it would not be near children unsupervised.

there are always two side to any story and in this story there is a dog and a child, neither who can speak for themselves so they both should have us listening very carefully so we can look out for both of them.

[BittyMooPeeb]

Everyone (cept me ) seems to be missing the point here, and that is that the media deliberately and grossly exaggerated what happened, and printed a report of an incident with no evidence.

A split lip is NOT "serious facial injuries":

The 22-month-old girl suffered

serious facial injuries

after she approached the husky inside the salon, near Chapel Street's Jam Factory, around 10.20am. (The age)

There does not appear to be ANY evidence that the child was attacked by the dog, and there is no evidence that the child was bitten:

Ambulance officers were called to Ghassan Hair Style near the Jam Factory in South Yarra at 10.20am, after the

salon owner’s pet dog attacked the 20-month-old girl

,

biting the infant on the face

. (the Herald Sun)

Plus the Herald Sun posted a picture of the dog's owner with the caption:

Unpopular:

The owner of the husky that attacked a toddler on Chapel St, Ghassan Saouda.

Source:

Herald Sun

What a biased, emotive statement!!

If I was the owner of the Salon I would be suing the arse off The Age and Herald Sun!

God help any dog that happens to be lying around near to where a child falls over . What next? A toddler falls over next to me in a shopping centre and I am arrested for assault???

[RL1]

What's wrong with the child being made to sit in a chair and behave............didn't do me any harm

I don't think that's possible.

If that was my Salon, i'd have them all strapped to a trolley and muzzled Hannibal Lecter style. That will shut them up.

Edited December 22, 2009 by RottyLover01

[Souff]

Just love how this thread has become about the child being in the wrong place ??????? It's a human establishment. Mum's get haircuts and not everyone has babysitters on tap (me for one!). Jeez, perhaps the child was there for a haircut - perhaps we should just legislate that children are not allowed out in public because they are a menace and touch stuff.

And that we allow all hairdressing salons to be dog minding centres ......

And just for the record, none of the child's critics were there and saw what happened.

Souff

[Souff]

Parents need to take responsibility for looking after their own children and not expect staff of businesses they use to do it on their behalf. If I ran a hairdressing salon and a customer let their child run rampant I'd be telling them to get their child under control or ask them to not return unless they can find a babysitter. I know I would lose customers this way but it is not my job to look after someone else's kids.

ETA: Other patrons shouldn't have to put up with it either.

Did you actually see this toddler running rampant?

[Diablo]

As a mother of a toddler, I am appalled at the "support" this dog is given, the blame placed on parents and toddler by some and the downplaying of the incident.

This dog is reported to have bitten a child, which required medical treatment. I don't care if the sirens were on or not, it doesn't change the fact the dog bit.

I take my toddler (nearly 3) the hairdressers with me all the time. It's safe. Because he's given clear boundaries and obviously some of us can control our children more than others can control their dogs. And in my opinion - hairdressers are for HUMANS. Dog groomers are for DOGS. I don't take my child to the hairdressers to teach them how to socialise with dogs.

I get so peeved with dog owners who think that we should all love their dogs as much as them, their dogs are taken to places where people (and children) are. My daughter was once nipped by a dog in a coffee shop. She wasn't even looking at it - she was sitting drinking her drink and it came under her chair from behind and nipped the back of her leg. Since when do dogs go to coffee shops. And hairdressers.

Seriously, love that we all love our dogs, but keep them in appropriate places.

Dogs today have almost become accessories. When I was a kid, the dog was what was found in the backyard, or in the park. Not the sodding shops !

I don't think what happened to your child in the coffee shop Slk, is what happened in the hair salon where the dog approached the child to bite her???. A dog biting an innocent child doesn't automatically deem the dog's at fault. It's up to the parents to teach a child how to behave around other peoples dogs like I was taught to leave them alone.

The dog did not approach the child. Three witnesses claims that the dog was in its' same poition when they saw the child crying - minding its own business.

What we are overlooking in this discussion is this: It doesn't matter who is at fault, but what does matter is that dogs have teeth and they can use them. Fine's, dogs PTS or a jail term doesn't bring back an eye for example, and correct scarring and trauma that a child can suffer from a bite........the deed's done, nothing can turn back the clock and undo it.

However, there are people who can prevent these situations occurring with children if they use their brains and that's the parents........that's really the bottom line in the true light of day.

[Souff]

However, there are people who can prevent these situations occurring with children if they use their brains and that's the parents........

AND the owners of the dogs can also use their brains and prevent these situations occurring!

The owner of the dog in this case has a duty of care towards the customers who come into the salon and has taken a risk by having a dog in the salon,

a risk that can have a very high cost for the dog, for the customers or for the owner.

This risk to all would not have been there if the dog had not been there.

That my friend is the bottom line.

Souff

[loveseverydog]

As a mother of a toddler, I am appalled at the "support" this dog is given, the blame placed on parents and toddler by some and the downplaying of the incident.

This dog is reported to have bitten a child, which required medical treatment. I don't care if the sirens were on or not, it doesn't change the fact the dog bit.

I take my toddler (nearly 3) the hairdressers with me all the time. It's safe. Because he's given clear boundaries and obviously some of us can control our children more than others can control their dogs. And in my opinion - hairdressers are for HUMANS. Dog groomers are for DOGS. I don't take my child to the hairdressers to teach them how to socialise with dogs.

I get so peeved with dog owners who think that we should all love their dogs as much as them, their dogs are taken to places where people (and children) are. My daughter was once nipped by a dog in a coffee shop. She wasn't even looking at it - she was sitting drinking her drink and it came under her chair from behind and nipped the back of her leg. Since when do dogs go to coffee shops. And hairdressers.

Seriously, love that we all love our dogs, but keep them in appropriate places.

Dogs today have almost become accessories. When I was a kid, the dog was what was found in the backyard, or in the park. Not the sodding shops !

I don't think what happened to your child in the coffee shop Slk, is what happened in the hair salon where the dog approached the child to bite her???. A dog biting an innocent child doesn't automatically deem the dog's at fault. It's up to the parents to teach a child how to behave around other peoples dogs like I was taught to leave them alone.

The dog did not approach the child. Three witnesses claims that the dog was in its' same poition when they saw the child crying - minding its own business.

What we are overlooking in this discussion is this: It doesn't matter who is at fault, but what does matter is that dogs have teeth and they can use them. Fine's, dogs PTS or a jail term doesn't bring back an eye for example, and correct scarring and trauma that a child can suffer from a bite........the deed's done, nothing can turn back the clock and undo it.

However, there are people who can prevent these situations occurring with children if they use their brains and that's the parents........that's really the bottom line in the true light of day.

Yes, dogs do have teeth, but the fact remains that the toddler who was "allegedly" bitten at the salon, didn't look like she was attacked or mauled. If the dog did bite the little girl, it would've been plain to see on the news. I think therefore, it's only heresay what actually happened there. Almost 5 weeks and still no evidence of a bite.

[loveseverydog]

However, there are people who can prevent these situations occurring with children if they use their brains and that's the parents........

AND the owners of the dogs can also use their brains and prevent these situations occurring!

The owner of the dog in this case has a duty of care towards the customers who come into the salon and has taken a risk by having a dog in the salon,

a risk that can have a very high cost for the dog, for the customers or for the owner.

This risk to all would not have been there if the dog had not been there.

That my friend is the bottom line.

Souff

"Duty of Care"? Does every owner of every business (any industry) has to look after other parents' children as well? Did you know that they had a 4 yo there at teh salon at the same time that was running a muck? Jumping up and down stairs, and generally trying to get attention from everyone? Her parents didn't even tell her to behave or sit down. The dog on the other was sitting down in the back part of the premises away from these people. Dog or not, the mother should've been more careful.

[poodlefan]

Have any you actually gone down there and made your own investigations?

Have you? Or are you relying entirely on one side of the story. The truth is out there LED but most of us can't access it. Seems to me that the child was bitten. We're only arguing about how that occured and who was responsible.

How can you rely solely on information told by the media?

Because in the absence of personal knowledge of the event, that's all that's available.

Honestly, it angers me to think that there are a lot of unitelligent adults out there.

Seems to me that ignorance (not lack of intelligence) was the culprit here. Anyone who knows a damn thing about dogs would NEVER put dog, food and a child into a scenario and not take into account the chance of resource guarding. Strange dog + food + toddler = recipe for disaster. That's what played out.

If you were one of the many thousands of people that have patted this dog while walking up and down Chapel Street, you will say "i can't believe that husky would ever attack".

Dogs described by their owners as loving family pets kill children. Any dog will bite if sufficiently provoked. Our duty as adults is to protect dogs and children by preventing accidents such as these. A dog unused to children (if that was the case here) is even more reason for preventative action. Your average member of the public knows sweet FA about dog behaviour or body language. A quick browse of bite statistics makes that glaringly obvious. This incident is now one of those cases reported.

Did you know that this Husky hasn't been charged with an offence and yet he's locked up with 10 mins in a concrete yard to stretch his legs every 24 hopurs?

He won't be charged.. ever. If anyone is charged it will be his owner.

Did you know that the toddler in question, was treated in the ambulance, and that the ambulance was there for over 20 minutes before thet drove off to the hospital without the sirens screaming?I bet NONE of you did.

Does that mean the child wasn't bitten? Of course not. Its not her fault. Its not the dogs fault. That only leaves the adults who were there. Those of us who like our dogs to remain out of the clutches of the authorities act in their best interests by keeping them safe. That means never exposing them to situations where they may be provoked to bite. Its up to dog owners to protect their pets from the unwanted attention of children, other dogs and fools.

Kids are quick - they can be somewhere before you turn around.

Foresight is a wonderful thing.

Edited December 23, 2009 by poodlefan

[janemc]

However, there are people who can prevent these situations occurring with children if they use their brains and that's the parents........

AND the owners of the dogs can also use their brains and prevent these situations occurring!

The owner of the dog in this case has a duty of care towards the customers who come into the salon and has taken a risk by having a dog in the salon,

a risk that can have a very high cost for the dog, for the customers or for the owner.

This risk to all would not have been there if the dog had not been there.

That my friend is the bottom line.

Souff

"Duty of Care"? Does every owner of every business (any industry) has to look after other parents' children as well? Did you know that they had a 4 yo there at teh salon at the same time that was running a muck? Jumping up and down stairs, and generally trying to get attention from everyone? Her parents didn't even tell her to behave or sit down. The dog on the other was sitting down in the back part of the premises away from these people. Dog or not, the mother should've been more careful.

Given you were not there please have some respect for the situation and not mouth off. All you have is what your friend is telling you and that is all. The owner, your friend, remember was not even there. This is a very sad situation for all and does not need someone like yourself coming onto a forum and mouthing off, making allegations. The child's family are not on here bad mouthing the owner/ hairdresser or dog so please have some respect.

[huski]

Given you were not there please have some respect for the situation and not mouth off. All you have is what your friend is telling you and that is all. The owner, your friend, remember was not even there. This is a very sad situation for all and does not need someone like yourself coming onto a forum and mouthing off, making allegations. The child's family are not on here bad mouthing the owner/ hairdresser or dog so please have some respect.

Hold on Janemc, you weren't there either, were you? You're doing exactly the same thing as LED, "bad mouthing" the other party when you weren't there when the incident occured either.

Edited December 23, 2009 by huski

[poodlefan]

Just out of interest LED, was the Husky young, male and entire?

[janemc]

Given you were not there please have some respect for the situation and not mouth off. All you have is what your friend is telling you and that is all. The owner, your friend, remember was not even there. This is a very sad situation for all and does not need someone like yourself coming onto a forum and mouthing off, making allegations. The child's family are not on here bad mouthing the owner/ hairdresser or dog so please have some respect.

Hold on Janemc, you weren't there either, were you? You're doing exactly the same thing as LED, "bad mouthing" the other party when you weren't there when the incident occured either.

how am i bad mouthing? Is asking that lovesalldogs remain respectful bad mouthing? I havent said the owner is this and that or the hairdresser is this or that or did or did not do this or that.. I think I have said that its a tragic situation for ALL! I just don't see the value in her or him having to put the family/children down the way he or she is because the family are not on here making personal reference to the hairdresser/owner.

[loveseverydog]

Have any you actually gone down there and made your own investigations?

Have you? Or are you relying entirely on one side of the story. The truth is out there LED but most of us can't access it. Seems to me that the child was bitten. We're only arguing about how that occured and who was responsible.

How can you rely solely on information told by the media?

Because in the absence of personal knowledge of the event, that's all that's available.

Honestly, it angers me to think that there are a lot of unitelligent adults out there.

Seems to me that ignorance (not lack of intelligence) was the culprit here. Anyone who knows a damn thing about dogs would NEVER put dog, food and a child into a scenario and not take into account the chance of resource guarding. Strange dog + food + toddler = recipe for disaster. That's what played out.

If you were one of the many thousands of people that have patted this dog while walking up and down Chapel Street, you will say "i can't believe that husky would ever attack".

Dogs described by their owners as loving family pets kill children. Any dog will bite if sufficiently provoked. Our duty as adults is to protect dogs and children by preventing accidents such as these. A dog unused to children (if that was the case here) is even more reason for preventative action. Your average member of the public knows sweet FA about dog behaviour or body language. A quick browse of bite statistics makes that glaringly obvious. This incident is now one of those cases reported.

Did you know that this Husky hasn't been charged with an offence and yet he's locked up with 10 mins in a concrete yard to stretch his legs every 24 hopurs?

He won't be charged.. ever. If anyone is charged it will be his owner.

Did you know that the toddler in question, was treated in the ambulance, and that the ambulance was there for over 20 minutes before thet drove off to the hospital without the sirens screaming?I bet NONE of you did.

Does that mean the child wasn't bitten? Of course not. Its not her fault. Its not the dogs fault. That only leaves the adults who were there. Those of us who like our dogs to remain out of the clutches of the authorities act in their best interests by keeping them safe. That means never exposing them to situations where they may be provoked to bite. Its up to dog owners to protect their pets from the unwanted attention of children, other dogs and fools.

Kids are quick - they can be somewhere before you turn around.

Foresight is a wonderful thing.

I see you're not one of the "ignorant" ones around this forum.

How can we know for sure this child was bitten? Would a hospital report satisfy you? Well, one came back sayng that the child was treated for a cut to the side of her mouth. she might've even fallen over and bit her own self. This is where we can't rely on the media. They blow everything out of proportion. A bite and attack would be extremely obvious on day 1 if it were the case, but 4 weeks already and still no sign of that.

BTW: the parents have two dogs of their own at home.

[loveseverydog]

However, there are people who can prevent these situations occurring with children if they use their brains and that's the parents........

AND the owners of the dogs can also use their brains and prevent these situations occurring!

The owner of the dog in this case has a duty of care towards the customers who come into the salon and has taken a risk by having a dog in the salon,

a risk that can have a very high cost for the dog, for the customers or for the owner.

This risk to all would not have been there if the dog had not been there.

That my friend is the bottom line.

Souff

"Duty of Care"? Does every owner of every business (any industry) has to look after other parents' children as well? Did you know that they had a 4 yo there at teh salon at the same time that was running a muck? Jumping up and down stairs, and generally trying to get attention from everyone? Her parents didn't even tell her to behave or sit down. The dog on the other was sitting down in the back part of the premises away from these people. Dog or not, the mother should've been more careful.

Given you were not there please have some respect for the situation and not mouth off. All you have is what your friend is telling you and that is all. The owner, your friend, remember was not even there. This is a very sad situation for all and does not need someone like yourself coming onto a forum and mouthing off, making allegations. The child's family are not on here bad mouthing the owner/ hairdresser or dog so please have some respect.

I respect what you're saying here, but the Parents friend "lisah" did come on board doing her own thing and making allegations of their own. One of the staff that was there is a very good friend of mine and she saw a lot more than you and I did.

I AM giving this situation some respect! I have gone down there and tried to learn as much as I possibly can. What have you done? You just assumed.

[loveseverydog]

Just out of interest LED, was the Husky young, male and entire?

I'm not sure what "entire" means, yes he is roughly 16months old male. I've visited him at the pound where he is kept, and the Pound carers comment on how placid and beautiful he is. They would know how to handle dogs from their own experiences.

[casowner]

Just out of interest LED, was the Husky young, male and entire?

I'm not sure what "entire" means, yes he is roughly 16months old male. I've visited him at the pound where he is kept, and the Pound carers comment on how placid and beautiful he is. They would know how to handle dogs from their own experiences.

Entire means "undesexed"