poodlefan Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 (edited) Link to report A MAN and his Australian Bulldog have been stabbed while walking in Melbourne parkland after the dog approached another man. The dog owner was walking "Hank", off the lead in the city's south-east about 9am (AEST) today when the dog ran up to another male walker. Police say the walker became agitated and stabbed the dog in the head with a knife. When the owner tried to intervene the man stabbed him in the arm. A police spokeswoman said the dog did not approach the passer-by aggressively. "Our information is that he's just come up to say hello as dogs do," she said. The dog was treated by a vet and was expected to recover. The Dandenong man aged in his 50s was not seriously injured in the stabbing. Not when their owners are exercising effective control they don't. Edited May 9, 2011 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerRottweiler Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Still, you don't stab a random dog because it has come up to you. I'm not blaming the owner for this one at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 (edited) Still, you don't stab a random dog because it has come up to you. I'm not blaming the owner for this one at all. If you want to protect your dog from this kind of behaviour, then you don't let your dog run up to strangers. Lets face it, there's plenty of folk out there who are scared of dogs. Yes, knifing is overkill. So is kicking but who, other than the dog's owner IS responsible for keeping it safe? Edited May 9, 2011 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotwyr Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!! who walks around armed with a knife? Someone LOOKING for trouble me thinks! Carrying a concealed weapon is illegal isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!! who walks around armed with a knife? Someone LOOKING for trouble me thinks! Carrying a concealed weapon is illegal isn't it? Yes. If people are looking for trouble, then why provide it for them. No dog running up, no issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerRottweiler Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Still, you don't stab a random dog because it has come up to you. I'm not blaming the owner for this one at all. If you want to protect your dog from this kind of behaviour, then you don't let your dog run up to strangers. Lets face it, there's plenty of folk out there who are scared of dogs. Yes, knifing is overkill. So is kicking but who, other than the dog's owner IS responsible for keeping it safe? I guess I am looking at it from the legal viewpoint. Easy to pin this one on the guy who thought he'd stab a dog. An avoidable situation all in all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 I guess I am looking at it from the legal viewpoint. Easy to pin this one on the guy who thought he'd stab a dog. An avoidable situation all in all. Do you think he'd have stabbed the dog if it had left him alone? There are plenty of people out there who are scared of dogs. This wasn't a small dog. Why make your dog a target for any human aggression by allowing it to approach stangers? Playing the legal arguments out, if this dog "rushed" the person, that's technically enough for a DD declaration. All TOTALLY preventable. That's the point I'm trying to make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerRottweiler Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Oh okay. It just seems you are keen to blame this one on the dog owner. I'm not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 (edited) Oh okay. It just seems you are keen to blame this one on the dog owner. I'm not. I'll say that I think its totally the dog owner's responsiblity to keep his dog safe. No, its not his fault the dog got stabbed but he had the power to prevent it happening. No dog running up to another person - no possiblity at all that this can happen. You just never know how people are going to react. I can never figure out why people think their dogs should be allowed to do this Edited May 9, 2011 by poodlefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbi Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 (edited) I wouldn't let my child approach a stranger in a public place nor do I let my dogs approach strangers. The world is full of different types of people and some of them are scared of or downright hate dogs. People really have to think ahead and keep their dogs away from people for the dogs own safety, there are many violent people in our world unfortunatly as this over the top stabbing shows. Edited May 9, 2011 by Robbi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malamum Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I'm another one who thinks dogs shouldn't be walked off leash and allowed to just walk up to anyone they please. Doesn't mean I think the dog deserves to be stabbed, however dogs should not be allowed to just approach people or other dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casowner Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Agree a completely avoidable situation and whilst there is no excuse for injuring the dog or owner it would never have happened if the dog was leashed. Want your dog to run off leash - then go to an off leash area. People should not have to tolerate any dog running up to them unleashed if they are in a leash required area Who knows what anyone is carrying around in their bag or pocket, so why chance anything happening even the dog being yelled at, kicked or in this extreme case stabbed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeckoTree Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 (edited) Hi hotwyr, I actually carry a leatherman that has 2 3 inch lockable blades on it most days, I'm not looking for trouble, and its a utility tool that I have a lawful excuse to carry. One can generallty carry blades if they have a legitimate reason to do so. Self defence is not generally one of them but perhaps defence from a perceived animal attack is legitimate? I know of a story in perth that someone walking a cattle dog stabbed a staffy that rushed up to them, to my knowledge case dismissed. Even having a knife to cut up fruit for lunch if you have soft teeth is legit. all knives are just tools even those tactical type knives and have multiple uses. Some blades are outlawed however, double bladed, flick knifes etc. Now then just make sure you carry a watermelon around with you next time you want to take the machette out for a quick walk lol The amount of people carrying blades would be unknown in this country. I think it was OTT if the dog was just inquisitive and not aggressive, but also the mindset of the person comes into play, it could have triggered some real bad stress disorder from a previous attack who knows. Edited May 9, 2011 by -GT- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzy82 Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 He stabbed the dog in self defence. We don't know his story, he might have a good reason to be afraid of dogs and then some dog comes running up to him, so he defended himself. My dog is super friendly and I let her off leash in a nearby bush areas regularly, but I always put her back on leash if there are people approaching, and I never let her 'say hello' to strangers unless the stranger initiates it. It's just basic manners, you are always responsible for controlling your animal around other people, no matter what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life Of Riley Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 The report doesn't stipulate whether this was an on lead or off lead area. I understand that owners should have effective control over their dog at all times, but giving benefit of the doubt this may have been an off lead area and the dog may have just gone and said hello as the report stated. I would never let my own dogs off lead even at an off lead area and I agree that the dog should not have approached someone if it was under effective control, but someone stabbing a dog or person is completely unacceptable and I hope the person is arrested and thrown in jail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 The report doesn't stipulate whether this was an on lead or off lead area. I understand that owners should have effective control over their dog at all times, but giving benefit of the doubt this may have been an off lead area and the dog may have just gone and said hello as the report stated. I would never let my own dogs off lead even at an off lead area and I agree that the dog should not have approached someone if it was under effective control, but someone stabbing a dog or person is completely unacceptable and I hope the person is arrested and thrown in jail. Given that the attack transferred to the dog's owner, I'd say the stabber is headed for court one way or the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quickasyoucan Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I'm not up on criminal law but I thought the general premise was that you are only allowed to use reasonable force to defend yourself even if you are attacked by another person, ie if someone pushes you, you can't turn around and knife your assailant to death. Although that relates to humans I would have thought even if the dog was approaching the other person knifing it would not be a reasonable response. I personally hate it when people's dogs rush mine (even though he is not particularly bothered generally), and uncontrolled off leash dogs are a personal bugbear. However I don't condone the use of excessive violence in any situation and that falls under excessive violence to me. Either there is some backstory or the stabber sounds like he must have mental or other issues... that is not normal behaviour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda K Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 was it an off leash area where they were? If not, then the owner would be in trouble, but even if not, I don't appreciate dogs running up at me, no problems with them running around and enjoying themselves though, (mind you I would never stab them, but I might yell at their owner), but would expect the owner to have control by voice if they want to have them off the lead. Just sounds like a great big mess all round Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I wouldn't let my child approach a stranger in a public place nor do I let my dogs approach strangers. The world is full of different types of people and some of them are scared of or downright hate dogs. People really have to think ahead and keep their dogs away from people for the dogs own safety, there are many violent people in our world unfortunatly as this over the top stabbing shows. Nor would I. You never know how someone is going to react. It doesn't matter if it's an on or off leash area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 was it an off leash area where they were? If not, then the owner would be in trouble, but even if not, I don't appreciate dogs running up at me, no problems with them running around and enjoying themselves though, (mind you I would never stab them, but I might yell at their owner), but would expect the owner to have control by voice if they want to have them off the lead. Just sounds like a great big mess all round It doesn't make any difference if it is an offlead area or not. All dogs must be under effective control and that means being able to stop them approaching any human or animal that doesn't want to be approached, even in an off lead area. One of our local offlead areas has a path running through it that is used by lots of walkers and cyclers. Just because it runs through an offlead dog area doesn't mean that people using the path should expect to be harassed by dogs. There are no signs on the path to even tell them it is an offlead area because it is not their responsibility to stay out of the dog's way. It is up to the owner to keep the dog away from anyone or any dogs passing through. Who knows what has happened to the guy who did the stabbing before. He may just be a nut or he may have been a victim of a dog attack before and carries the knife for self defence. Dog owners need to realise that there are plenty of people who are terrified of dogs and they have just as much right to use a park, even an offlead area, as everyone else without being harrased by dogs. Also many of them are particularly scared of bull and guard breeds. If you are going to own a big or tough looking dog, no matter how friendly it is, you need to realise that lots of people are still going to be very scared of it and react badly if it runs up to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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