Dog Mauls Owner, Puppy On Beach

[k9angel]

The father of a young woman brutally mauled by a dog at Whitfords beach has called for dangerous breeds to be muzzled.

His daughter was walking her four-month-old golden retriever puppy Oscar when a bull terrier attacked at the popular beach yesterday afternoon.

"She was on the beach with her puppy and a guy with his dog was coming the other way," her father John said.

"The guy said 'don't worry, he won't hurt you', and the next thing you know he's gone for the puppy."

The bull terrier's owner tried to pull the dog away as John's daughter Kellie, 26, grabbed it by the ear in a desperate attempt to drag Oscar free.

Covered in blood and suffering extensive bites to her hands and arms, she grabbed her injured puppy and ran down the beach.

John said she was in so much pain and shock she had to call a friend to take her to hospital and her puppy to the vet.

Oscar was last night in a critical condition awaiting surgery on puncture wounds.

John said Kellie, a graphic artist, was in pain but said she did not want the bull terrier put down.

He said either the local council or RSPCA should assess the dog. He called for laws to force owners of dangerous breeds to muzzle them in public.

"I assume this dog's still on the loose and if he's just turned suddenly like that there's obviously a problem," John said.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/15119099/dog-mauls-owner-puppy-on-beach/

Poor girl and her pup. That must of been so terryfing, I hope they both heal ok.

As for the owner of the dog responsible, no words.

[mixeduppup]

poor girl and dog.

I wonder if the Bull Terrier had ever shown aggression before. Just wondering why she let her puppy get so close to a large breed and why the owner of the terrier let his dog get so close to a strange puppy.

[Skye GSD]

Bull Terriers are not that big but they are extremely powerful. I was so upset seeing this on the TV news as it highlights the dangers that new puppy owners can put their dogs in to without realising. Just because your own dog is great with other dogs (or it is a puppy) does not guarantee its safety around other dogs. I am not an advocate for BSL but strongly believe that there should be dire consequences for owners of dogs that injure others. No mention of what the offending dog's owner did to help the poor girl and pup - only hope he comes to the party and pays for vet & doctor bills and then seeks help for his obviously dog-aggressive dog.

[BC Crazy]

So very sad for 4 month old puppy & his devoted owner. Hope puppy pulls through & doesn't have any issues as a consequence of this vicious attack

I can't help it but am 'out of there' at the sight of a Bully anything heading our way. I am afraid of them & they are just so powerful. Having said that any dog is capable of having

a brain snap & it only takes a split second. I am always extremely careful & keep my 2 away from unknown dogs regardless of size/breed. Paranoid yes but you just can't be too careful.

I hope the BT owner is held accountable for the expenses of this poor little puppy. It is the very least he could do IMHO.

[conztruct]

So very sad for 4 month old puppy & his devoted owner. Hope puppy pulls through & doesn't have any issues as a consequence of this vicious attack

I can't help it but am 'out of there' at the sight of a Bully anything heading our way. I am afraid of them & they are just so powerful. Having said that any dog is capable of having

a brain snap & it only takes a split second. I am always extremely careful & keep my 2 away from unknown dogs regardless of size/breed. Paranoid yes but you just can't be too careful.

I hope the BT owner is held accountable for the expenses of this poor little puppy. It is the very least he could do IMHO.

As a BT owner I totally agree with you and I do exactly what you do. I don't allow my dogs anywhere near unknown dogs - people probably think I'm very unfriendly but when another dog is coming the other way, I move as far away as possible. While I'm very confident of the temparament of my dogs, I still don't take chances because it's not worth it.

[hortfurball]

Poor girl, poor puppy, and poor BT owner - sounds like he was as surprised as the girl. Why would you reassure someone unless you genuinely thought your dog was ok?

I really empathise with the girl, dog bites hurt like the devil. Hope poor little Oscar will be ok physically and mentally.

I avoid busy dog beaches and judge very carefully when there is another dog approaching on the beach we do go to.

[Skye GSD]

So very sad for 4 month old puppy & his devoted owner. Hope puppy pulls through & doesn't have any issues as a consequence of this vicious attack

I can't help it but am 'out of there' at the sight of a Bully anything heading our way. I am afraid of them & they are just so powerful. Having said that any dog is capable of having

a brain snap & it only takes a split second. I am always extremely careful & keep my 2 away from unknown dogs regardless of size/breed. Paranoid yes but you just can't be too careful.

I hope the BT owner is held accountable for the expenses of this poor little puppy. It is the very least he could do IMHO.

As a BT owner I totally agree with you and I do exactly what you do. I don't allow my dogs anywhere near unknown dogs - people probably think I'm very unfriendly but when another dog is coming the other way, I move as far away as possible. While I'm very confident of the temparament of my dogs, I still don't take chances because it's not worth it.

Totally agree with above comments - unknown dogs with unknown temperaments = recipe for disaster. So hoping for good recovery for the poor puppy and his owner. My GSD can still be reactive and I have lost count of the number of times people have approached me with their dog with the common greeting "my dog is friendly" to which my reply is always "mine is not!!". Not always a good line to make new friends but they usually get the message.

[Purdie]

I have owned a BT and a BT cross.No way they were ever off lead in public.They were friendly with other dogs but if another dog wanted to start something they were capable of finishing it so were never given the chance.I had to learn to read other dogs when out walking and would avoid most of them.They had play time with dogs they were introduced to and new in a fenced yard.I'm wary of any off lead dog that i don't know.Perhaps some would think i'm overly cautious.

[BlackJaq]

I wonder what "breeds" this guy would consider "dangerous" and how he is going to decide which crossbreds are "dangerous" and which aren't?

Maybe we should just force all dogs to wear muzzles in public?

Or how about we get real and start really punishing bad owners instead of dogs that look a certain way.

Any dog can be reactive and any dog over a certain weight, let's say 10 kg or so, can do some real damage, bully or not so unless we are going to muzzle ALL dogs maybe we should just make sure owners are a bit more aware and careful with their dogs in general. It seems out of 10 dog owners I meet, about 9 and a half are convinced that their dog is completely unable to even contemplate the thought of hurting someone or something. In my book that is pretty close to delusional...

[BC Crazy]

So very sad for 4 month old puppy & his devoted owner. Hope puppy pulls through & doesn't have any issues as a consequence of this vicious attack

I can't help it but am 'out of there' at the sight of a Bully anything heading our way. I am afraid of them & they are just so powerful. Having said that any dog is capable of having

a brain snap & it only takes a split second. I am always extremely careful & keep my 2 away from unknown dogs regardless of size/breed. Paranoid yes but you just can't be too careful.

I hope the BT owner is held accountable for the expenses of this poor little puppy. It is the very least he could do IMHO.

As a BT owner I totally agree with you and I do exactly what you do. I don't allow my dogs anywhere near unknown dogs - people probably think I'm very unfriendly but when another dog is coming the other way, I move as far away as possible. While I'm very confident of the temparament of my dogs, I still don't take chances because it's not worth it.

Totally agree with above comments - unknown dogs with unknown temperaments = recipe for disaster. So hoping for good recovery for the poor puppy and his owner. My GSD can still be reactive and I have lost count of the number of times people have approached me with their dog with the common greeting "my dog is friendly" to which my reply is always "mine is not!!". Not always a good line to make new friends but they usually get the message.

I have to do the exact same thing GSD as I have a very reactive girl also. Lucky we aren't out for a social gathering. Most people get it but you do get some that 'keep coming' to which I have to be more assertive with vocally. Just because she 'looks friendly' & she can be very friendly. But she can also be quite nasty & it's the unpredicibility of Stella that I have to strictly monitor.

I have also witnessed an adult dog that had a brain snap, not a BT. The adult dog in the blink of an eye picked up an young puppy while 'playing' with him in the shallows at the beach & shook the poor puppy to death

The whole scene will be etched in my mind forever. It was horrendous. Something I wish I hadn't seen but I have taken a huge lesson from. You can NEVER be too cautious with your beloved best friends.

Edited October 16, 2012 by BC Crazy

[Maxiewolf]

I think it is silly to call for the muzzling of "dangerous breeds" it will start off like that then it will be every dog over 10kg's has to wear a muzzle, then every black dog, then every furry dog...

I'd put muzzles on my dogs If I had to, just to protect them against the liability if another dog bites THEM - well they where muzzled. So the un-muzzled dog should get the blame, not my dogs just cos one is a bully breed and the other is a dobermann.

I feel sorry for this girl and her pup, and unfortunatly I see so many people walking small puppies in situations that they dont belong in at such a young age. Was like that guy that walked into the shop and slid his beagle pup along the floor right up to Brutus's nose... didnt even ask me if my dog was okay with other dogs

Again.. its the humans not the dogs, and dogs will get the blame cos its easier...

[Skye GSD]

I think it is silly to call for the muzzling of "dangerous breeds" it will start off like that then it will be every dog over 10kg's has to wear a muzzle, then every black dog, then every furry dog...

I don't think we should judge the father's comment too harshly - he was obviously in shock and people usually come out with statements that portray their mindset at the time. God forbid it ever happens to me because my statement would probably go along the lines of "give me a gun and I will personally kill that ********** dog - and the ******* owner is next in line".

But we are not in that position and hopefully never will be.

Edited October 16, 2012 by Skye GSD

[BC Crazy]

Yes, I think if just a moment we slipped into the fathers shoes & witnessed the horror of this situation. I know even when I saw that poor puppy get killed that day on the beach, I went into shock, was a blubbering, numb, hysterical mess & I didn't even know the puppy or people involved.

They'd have to lock me up in a padded room if something like this happened to one of my dogs.

People react differently when "in" the moment.

Edited October 16, 2012 by BC Crazy

[m-sass]

So very sad for 4 month old puppy & his devoted owner. Hope puppy pulls through & doesn't have any issues as a consequence of this vicious attack

I can't help it but am 'out of there' at the sight of a Bully anything heading our way. I am afraid of them & they are just so powerful. Having said that any dog is capable of having

a brain snap & it only takes a split second. I am always extremely careful & keep my 2 away from unknown dogs regardless of size/breed. Paranoid yes but you just can't be too careful.

I hope the BT owner is held accountable for the expenses of this poor little puppy. It is the very least he could do IMHO.

As a BT owner I totally agree with you and I do exactly what you do. I don't allow my dogs anywhere near unknown dogs - people probably think I'm very unfriendly but when another dog is coming the other way, I move as far away as possible. While I'm very confident of the temparament of my dogs, I still don't take chances because it's not worth it.

Totally agree with above comments - unknown dogs with unknown temperaments = recipe for disaster. So hoping for good recovery for the poor puppy and his owner. My GSD can still be reactive and I have lost count of the number of times people have approached me with their dog with the common greeting "my dog is friendly" to which my reply is always "mine is not!!". Not always a good line to make new friends but they usually get the message.

Reactive GSD's are usually the result of breeding dogs short on nerve or the mentality that reactivity is required in the breed for protection qualities..........we manage and deal with what we have but it would be refreshing to see some breeders who knew what they were doing with the reproduction of powerful breeds.