Dog Attack Ashcroft Today

[twodoggies2001]

If these are the dogs I saw on the news they are NOT freaking pit bulls. They look like some type of American bulldog cross. I am so over these "witnesses" calling any attacking dog a pit bull.

Doesn't matter what breed they are. They are dangerous dogs and should be dealt with accordingly,as should the owner.

No one's disputing that, but in the bigger picture it matters a lot that the media are calling them the wrong breed.

[twodoggies2001]

If these are the dogs I saw on the news they are NOT freaking pit bulls. They look like some type of American bulldog cross. I am so over these "witnesses" calling any attacking dog a pit bull.

Doesn't matter what breed they are. They are dangerous dogs and should be dealt with accordingly,as should the owner.

No one's disputing that, but in the bigger picture it matters a lot that the media are calling them the wrong breed.

Yes, I agree with your point, but, there are a lot of people out there who are ignorant, through no fault of their own who are not familiar with dog breeds or dog behavior. These people see a dog and label it a Pit Bull. My mini schnauzers are often labelled Scotties or Westies.

[ruthless]

And the reason we even have BSL is because a Bull Terrier killed a child. Not an American Pit Bull Terrier. That's why misidentification is so damaging.

[ruthless]

If the media doesn't know the breed they should just call them dogs.

[Dame Aussie]

Whether you agree or not - the public have a perception of what a pit bull type is - that dog on the tape fits that criteria in the public eye....

Perhaps looks more like a Dogo Argentino.... which by the way is banned in australia..... so often when people do have a Dogo they call them other things.....

Well the public is wrong. They look nothing like put bulls and the public should educate themselves.

Would you say the same if it was your breed being misidentified and blamed for an attack?

[Dame Aussie]

If these are the dogs I saw on the news they are NOT freaking pit bulls. They look like some type of American bulldog cross. I am so over these "witnesses" calling any attacking dog a pit bull.

Doesn't matter what breed they are. They are dangerous dogs and should be dealt with accordingly,as should the owner.

Well tell all the people who's dogs have been seized and killed for nothing more than looking a certain way that. It DOES matter, for all pit bulls and their owners.

Also I never said they shouldn't be dealt with.

ETA: Typo

Edited May 27, 2013 by Aussie3

[megan_]

Those poor men, how terrifying for them.

Why do people find it so hard to contain their dogs?? No doubt there'll be a call for tougher laws now, when all we really need is our current ones enforced better :/

Why do people find it so hard to drive on the road without having accidents?

While I agree the dogs should not have been on the street, the issue I have with joggers is their arrogance in putting themselves in greater danger by continuing to run past a dog despite it being common knowledge that running stimulates a dog's prey instinct.

Sure people have a right to jog along a public road, just as they have a right to swim at a public beach or drive along a public road. But is it wise to continue to swim if a shark is sighted, or drive through a flooded causeway?

How hard is it for a runner to stop and walk past a loose dog?

Are you for real? The man goes for a jog and gets attacked by 3 large dogs - and it is his fault! I wonder if he had stood still, would the dogs still have attacked?

I walk my two dogs with joggers every day. The have never attacked a jogger and I find most joggers polite.

People with an attitude like yours are the reason we get more and more restrictive dog laws.

[nawnim]

How hard is it for a runner to stop and walk past a loose dog?

It is actually very inconvenient for a runner to have to stop for anything. It breaks their rhythm and it's often difficult to get going again especially if they are tiring. What do you think beep tests are all about?

[nawnim]

If these are the dogs I saw on the news they are NOT freaking pit bulls. They look like some type of American bulldog cross. I am so over these "witnesses" calling any attacking dog a pit bull.

I think what the general public mean when they say "pit bull" they mean a bully breed - doesn't matter if it is a cross or a purebred bull breed. To Joe Public a pit bull may be a stafford, amstaff, bulldog, pit bull, aussie bulldog, american bulldog etc or a cross of these breeds and those types dominate the stats in these horrific attacks. And to some people a pit bull is a type of dog. Even regarded dog people sometimes cannot always pick a 'pit bull' from amstaffs or their crosses.

I hope the two people involved heal quickly and the dogs are destroyed and the owner is punished severely.

I agree with this post. I have even been asked if my boxers were pit bulls, and until a few years ago I did not know what a pitbull looked like and I consider myself to be a dog savvy person. The issue is not the misnaming of the dog breed but that dogs have attacked and injured someone which dogs should not be able to do. The safety of the public (you and me) must be paramount.

Edited to change 'doggy' to 'dog savvy'

Edited May 26, 2013 by nawnim

[j]

An updated story, with a comment from the Australian Pitbull Association and the Police, saying the breed of dog has not yet been identified.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/screaming-for-mercy-man-branded-a-hero-after-rescuing-jogger-attacked-by-dogs-20130527-2n5wg.html

'Screaming for mercy': man branded a hero after rescuing jogger attacked by dogs

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/screaming-for-mercy-man-branded-a-hero-after-rescuing-jogger-attacked-by-dogs-20130527-2n5wg.html#ixzz2URbHoyrd

A man remains in a Sydney hospital with serious injuries after he was mauled by three dogs, reportedly pit bulls, in an attack described by one paramedic as among the worst he had ever seen.

A decision will be made on Monday about whether the dogs should be put down after they viciously attacked a 49-year-old man as he was jogging down a footpath in Ashcroft about 2pm on Sunday.

I come running out to my backyard and just seen these three pit bulls just had this bloke, virtually chewing him to pieces.

Chris Thompson, 40, was at his home on Maxwells Avenue, near the intersection with Cartwright Avenue, when he heard a man screaming for help.

He and another man raced out to the footpath to find three dogs attacking the jogger, who was bleeding heavily from deep gashes to his arm, armpit and chest.

"I heard a bloke screaming out for mercy," Mr Thompson told Sky News.

"I come running out to my backyard and just seen these three pit bulls just had this bloke, virtually chewing him to pieces."

Mr Thompson grabbed a pot plant and smashed it over one dog's head, while the other man grabbed a pipe and a hammer to try to beat the dogs down.

" just grabbed a pot plant and just cracked it overs the dog's head," Mr Thompson said. However he said the dog didn't let go of the jogger.

The animals then turned on the second man who was attempting to save the jogger.

"[He] went to grab one of the dogs and it's got his hand and pulled him down to the ground," Mr Thompson said.

Paramedic John Brotherhood said the jogger had suffered some of the worst injuries he had seen in his 27 years as a paramedic.

"It's a very brave act by those two men to help the other fellow," he told Sky News.

The jogger was taken to Liverpool Hospital in a serious condition. The second man who tried to help him was also taken to Liverpool Hospital with a hand wound.

Police said the second man who was injured in the savage assault was "a hero".

"He has come and assisted this bloke, he was being really savagely attacked," a police spokesman said.

A passing bus also is believed to have pulled up and passengers got off in a bid to help the jogger.

One witness told Channel Nine that he saw one of the victims covered in blood.

"The bloke walked down, he was covered in blood on the left arm and the right arm," the unidentified man said.

"I don't know what sparked them off but they were just turning on everybody. Anyone coming down, they went for them."

A council ranger later arrived at a nearby house and was seen dragging the dogs out to a van.

Police said in a statement that they would be "making an application for the dogs to be destroyed".

Andrew Richards, from the Australian Pitbull Association, said the dogs resembled an Australian Mastiff or American Bulldog.

He called on authorities to conduct a proper investigation into the attack before giving the dogs involved "the chop".

Police are yet to formally identify the breeds of the dogs involved.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/screaming-for-mercy-man-branded-a-hero-after-rescuing-jogger-attacked-by-dogs-20130527-2n5wg.html#ixzz2URbC42S0

[Red Fox]

I'm sure the owner will be able to clarify what breed of dogs they are...

[pepe001]

We will never change the public - pitbull means any bully breed to everyone except an actual APBT owner/breeder/enthusiast and always has. Maybe these people should only call their dogs APBT and not pitbulls to differentiate. Or the APBT Association change their name if they don't want it used as the cat is already out of the bag. I met a lovely tan bitch once who was called a pitbull but in the next sentence the owner said it was a English Staffy cross Amer Staffy so a pitty. I think we in the dog world need to get over the name and work on fixing the problem of aggressive dogs. I don't know how but no good getting upset over something the won't change.

This also happens with any breed of many animals. Any small goat is called a Miniature Goat. Very annoying when looking to buy Graded and Registered animals and every one you see for sale has nothing to do with registered mini goats and no comon ancestors. Any horse with a dishy face is called an arab. A small chook with short legs is a 'pekin'. I have got sale photos of pekins that are so far from what a pekin is it isn't funny - but they are called pekins.

[persephone]

How absolutely terrifying for the people involved

One dog is plenty to deal with, but a pack - just awful.

[persephone]

We will never change the public - pitbull means any bully breed to everyone except an actual APBT owner/breeder/enthusiast and always has. Maybe these people should only call their dogs APBT and not pitbulls to differentiate. Or the APBT Association change their name if they don't want it used as the cat is already out of the bag. I met a lovely tan bitch once who was called a pitbull but in the next sentence the owner said it was a English Staffy cross Amer Staffy so a pitty. I think we in the dog world need to get over the name and work on fixing the problem of aggressive dogs. I don't know how but no good getting upset over something the won't change.

This also happens with any breed of many animals. Any small goat is called a Miniature Goat. Very annoying when looking to buy Graded and Registered animals and every one you see for sale has nothing to do with registered mini goats and no comon ancestors. Any horse with a dishy face is called an arab. A small chook with short legs is a 'pekin'. I have got sale photos of pekins that are so far from what a pekin is it isn't funny - but they are called pekins.

YES.

(most tissues are 'kleenex'.. most bed coverings filled with feathers/synthetic, etc are 'doonas' ... yep.)

[twodoggies2001]

If these are the dogs I saw on the news they are NOT freaking pit bulls. They look like some type of American bulldog cross. I am so over these "witnesses" calling any attacking dog a pit bull.

Doesn't matter what breed they are. They are dangerous dogs and should be dealt with accordingly,as should the owner.

Well tell all the people who's dogs have been seized and killed for nothing more than looking a certain way that. It DOES matter, for all pit bulls and their owners.

Also I never said they should be dealt with.

Huh. You never said they should be dealt with? I don't, in all honesty feel it matters what breed was involved. These dogs should be dealt with accordingly. I do sympathize with with the fact that innocent dogs are being taken away from their loving owners merely because they look like a pit bull type, but it can be said that this has come about by owners who couldn't give a continental what their dogs get up to, and so the it seems most pit bull types are tarred with the same brush.

[Pailin]

Breed aside- it was a terrible incident and I hope all who were injured recover swiftly.

I would also like for it to become procedure that any dog/s involved in a serious dog attack incident under go a thorough study by an experienced dog behaviorist , including studying the home environment and interviewing the owners, neighbours etc.

Knowledge and insight is going to go further to preventing these things from occurring than blind panic and hysterical reaction.

I have to say that I admire the compassionate way in which the dog catcher/Ranger was handling the dogs especially given the circumstances.

[Dame Aussie]

If these are the dogs I saw on the news they are NOT freaking pit bulls. They look like some type of American bulldog cross. I am so over these "witnesses" calling any attacking dog a pit bull.

Doesn't matter what breed they are. They are dangerous dogs and should be dealt with accordingly,as should the owner.

Well tell all the people who's dogs have been seized and killed for nothing more than looking a certain way that. It DOES matter, for all pit bulls and their owners.

Also I never said they should be dealt with.

Huh. You never said they should be dealt with? I don't, in all honesty feel it matters what breed was involved. These dogs should be dealt with accordingly. I do sympathize with with the fact that innocent dogs are being taken away from their loving owners merely because they look like a pit bull type, but it can be said that this has come about by owners who couldn't give a continental what their dogs get up to, and so the it seems most pit bull types are tarred with the same brush.

That was a typo. Should have read "shouldn't be dealt with".

I never once condoned what these dogs have done.

I don't think claiming ignorance is acceptable either, but I'll give up now because people don't seem to see what I'm getting at.

[BlackJaq]

I wish the media could be convinced to crucify the owners instead of the alleged breeds when broadcasting this sort of news. Almost all the articles seem to be dedicated to breed guessing and rehashing the gory details, nobody has even mentioned that the owner should face punishment for failing to contain his dogs. Everybody has speculated whether they are pitbulls, bulldogs or freaking Marsians and nobody has even dropped a word wondering if they were socialized, vet treated and exercised regularly. Nobody wondered what kind of set-up they were kept in. How came they to be loose on the streets? Do they live on chains or loose in a backyard? Do they have indoor access? How tall is the fence meant to contain them? Is there a fence at all?

People really need to start looking for answers (and demanding them off the investigators) rather than just calling for dogs to be put to death and and disposed off ASAP. They should be temp assessed by a behaviouralist, vet checked for medical issues, autopsied after death and the premises they are kept on should be searched (as often times people owning offending dogs seem to have other issues like drug and violent crime offences behind them) and it should be determined exactly how and why those dogs were loose and what may have triggered the behaviour (poor temperaments? pack mentality? prey drive? high vale items? don't laugh, children have reportedly been mauled to death after walking into a backyard full of dogs whilst carrying a meat pie or other food).

Sometimes I wonder how many brain cells the public really have between them, to not even demand answers past the usual "it's a pitbull, that's why" and calls for more stringent pitbull laws, when none of these dogs ever come labelled with a pitbull stamp on their ass. Nobody knows for sure what is in a cross bred.

[nawnim]

If these are the dogs I saw on the news they are NOT freaking pit bulls. They look like some type of American bulldog cross. I am so over these "witnesses" calling any attacking dog a pit bull.

Doesn't matter what breed they are. They are dangerous dogs and should be dealt with accordingly,as should the owner.

Well tell all the people who's dogs have been seized and killed for nothing more than looking a certain way that. It DOES matter, for all pit bulls and their owners.

Also I never said they should be dealt with.

Huh. You never said they should be dealt with? I don't, in all honesty feel it matters what breed was involved. These dogs should be dealt with accordingly. I do sympathize with with the fact that innocent dogs are being taken away from their loving owners merely because they look like a pit bull type, but it can be said that this has come about by owners who couldn't give a continental what their dogs get up to, and so the it seems most pit bull types are tarred with the same brush.

That was a typo. Should have read "shouldn't be dealt with".

I never once condoned what these dogs have done.

I don't think claiming ignorance is acceptable either, but I'll give up now because people don't seem to see what I'm getting at.

If the name of the breed is such an issue why don't you change it? Drop the 'Pit' which makes people think of aggressive fighting dogs in a dog pit and call them American Bull Terriers or ABTs?

[redangel]

Personally I don't care what breed they are, I think as they are they a risk to society in this case and I think should be destroyed.

The "label" put on the dogs is always open to conjecture as there are so many crosses in this would lets face it unless they are papered, what they are is anybody's guess and nobody would be right...its a lottery.

Debating it is a waste of breath as everyone will make up their own minds to the breed. What is important is the fact of the deed that has been done, regardless of breed. I think people percieve the pro bull breeds people get the opinion that they are more worried about labels than deed as this is generally the more talked about issue when something like this crops up. Even here, before i log on this forum I know what is going to be talked about. As for lamenting that the poor dogs should have been contained,if a dog cannot be trusted in the open with contact with people well personally the dog isnt truly domestic and keeping it locked up is a sitting timebomb...where & when is irrelevant. Accidentally getting out happens.

As for the dogs I believe that they were not born by breed to behave like this. In my opinion many situation like this stem from dogs originating from being ill raised or overbred BYB dogs possibly of unknown/unchartered temperament. These poor dogs were doomed from the start if any of these factors were the case... factor in a possibly uneducated owner and well this may well be the result of that. Im sorry that these dogs are facing death because of the situation but I feel unless it can be proved rehabilitation is possible and sought- maybe it is what is needed.

The current report is stating that the breed is a bull breed, possibly amstaff or pitbull...the one thing that cant be denied it is a bull breed x by the photos. Now the patient in the latest report on tv is reportedly recovering from bites so deep, they near penetrated the heart If this is the case a child would most likely have been killed given the same situation.

My mantra would be if I had a dog in my keep that is unprovoked human aggressive I would opt pts. There are too many deserving dogs with good natures pts every day that need a good home. My sympathy is with the jogger who seems to be a innocent victim here.