Do You Report People?

[juice]

Nope. Or I would be on the phone all the time.

I had a chi cross the road and bite my cattle dog, next morning owner was walking on the other side of the road again with it offlead, ran across the road and tried again, I went to kick it, and told the owner to keep his f%@king dog on a lead, he got the message.

If it was a re occurring problem, or a dog who was aggro, yes in a heartbeat, and I have done in the past.

[Guest donatella]

anyone know what the rules are in WA?

My dog only 3kg so probably wouldnt survive if it was attacked by a dog with a big weight advantage

This is the point I was about to make. No point in waiting for it to attack and you have a dead dog, act now before the mongrel gets the chance. I don't walk mine on the streets as I fear attack and mine wouldn't survive.

[melzawelza]

Given how wonderful (not) most Councils are about dog management, I would try confronting the owner as a first step. Common law gives people the right to confront their accuser, so reporting the dog doesn't give you anonymity, and it's much more likely to provoke fights and resentment than approaching the owner personally. That is, if the Council doesn't just ignore the complaint.

I may have misinterpreted what you mean here but certainly in NSW the GIPA Act protects the complainants identity and there are harsh outcomes for Councils or Council Officers that disclose personal information about a complainant to the person they have complained about. I would imagine other states have similar legislation.

[Steph M]

But sometimes I think for a community that wants to become dog friendly, we are very quick to report everything and soon our community will be very intolerant of dogs.

Generally I agree and can see how that would happen, but do tolerance and putting up with things that aren't so great seem to go hand in hand?

I wonder where the healthy medium falls.

I don't walk mine on the streets as I fear attack and mine wouldn't survive.

That is really a sad state of affairs, how miserable! You poor thing, that sucks.

How do you exercise the dogs, dare I ask? I think I would go stir crazy if I couldn't get Gus out for a walk when he's firing up!

[Guest donatella]

Places where I have more control, dog parks at off peak time (I'm a shift worker and can get them when noone else does), play sessions with other sized dogs at a friends house, the beach at quiet times. There are small dog parks around too that are great. They dont need a huge amount of exercise, they enjoy the physical stimulation but they don't enjoy playing with other dogs, they're pretty easily amused with a squeaky toy :)

[hankdog]

Our council has a pamphlet listing the fines for various offences including $550 for a dog rushing at a person or on leash dog. Round three with a nasty pair whose behaviour is escalating and I've dropped them a copy in their mailbox with a friendly- ish handwritten note asking them to please contain their dogs. Next time I'll photograph and ask the ranger to get involved. Occasionally dogs get out and no ones perfect but if its a pattern then it's time they started being more aware.

[hippo]

There's a house near mine that has various loose, DA dogs. My dogs have been attacked twice by them. Apparently the council can't do anything about it. If I call up to report the loose dogs, they will send a van out. If the dogs have retreated back onto the property by the time they get there, council workers cannot do anything as they cannot go on private property (which makes me wonder how they carry out their threat of 'register your animals, we're coming doorknocking'?).

The only suggestion that the council worker had was to report the dogs every time I saw them loose, as it went on their file and so if they ever do catch the mutts, they can say that it has been loose multiple times.

Same council that disregarded my video of a dog jumping 6" fences into my backyard and attacking my dogs there, as I had tended to the wounds myself and didn't have a vet report saying that it wounds were probably caused by a dog.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

council workers cannot do anything as they cannot go on private property

That's not true - The Victorian rangers, they can go onto any property to get a dangerous dog. They can't go inside a human dwelling place without a warrant. So if the dogs are not in the house, they can go get them.

Edited July 30, 2013 by Mrs Rusty Bucket

[mumof4girls]

I would , what I'f next time he attacks or attacks another dog .. Owner needs to be more responsible ,this dog has made an advance towards your dog twice , that's one to many for my liking .. Did you get the feeling he would of harmed your dog if the owner hadn't called him back ?

Can't hurt to report anyway , at least then the dog/owner has a file open on them so to speak ..

Scary stuff I really worry about this happening in our walks :-(

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

There's a house near mine that has various loose, DA dogs. My dogs have been attacked twice by them. Apparently the council can't do anything about it. If I call up to report the loose dogs, they will send a van out. If the dogs have retreated back onto the property by the time they get there, council workers cannot do anything as they cannot go on private property (which makes me wonder how they carry out their threat of 'register your animals, we're coming doorknocking'?).

The only suggestion that the council worker had was to report the dogs every time I saw them loose, as it went on their file and so if they ever do catch the mutts, they can say that it has been loose multiple times.

Same council that disregarded my video of a dog jumping 6" fences into my backyard and attacking my dogs there, as I had tended to the wounds myself and didn't have a vet report saying that it wounds were probably caused by a dog.

This is appalling. If the authorities won't act under these circumstances then when will they?

What are you supposed to do to keep your dogs safe??

I can't believe this stance when VIC has dangerous dog laws, it simply defies belief that they wouldn't prosecute the owners of these dogs with all the evidence that these are really dangerous dogs attacking yours ....

[Steve]

Ive never dobbed any one or any dog in but in all honesty Im over it -Seems to me that the situation has become much worse - not sure if its the number of dogs around or the number of aggressive dogs around but I reckon its an owner issue and Im fed up.

My son has been bitten in the last week - not enough to see blood but enough to make a bruise through his winter clothing and on Friday my friend and I were walking back to our car and she got skittled by a big dog running ahead of its owner off leash. Scared the daylights out of us and she had grazes everywhere - owner ran off laughing shouting "sorry about that but it was a good show " A- hole - she is 69 years old - real funny. Im over it . Time to dob em in.

[hankdog]

It's crazy isn't it, I read of someone turning up to defend their alleged pitbull and finding themselves in a hearing with three legal representatives and yet if you want to report an actual menacing dog there never is enough manpower to do anything about it.

[hippo]

This is appalling. If the authorities won't act under these circumstances then when will they?

What are you supposed to do to keep your dogs safe??

I can't believe this stance when VIC has dangerous dog laws, it simply defies belief that they wouldn't prosecute the owners of these dogs with all the evidence that these are really dangerous dogs attacking yours ....

I think the council has a lot of trouble with this particular house, so they really don't want to bother. Front of the house is full of old trucks, cars, boats and motorbikes, and driven by crazy kids who do double the speed limit on our streets (having driven behind them a few times).

I was of the belief that if a dog rushes another dog, it should be classified as a dangerous dog but was told by the council worker that it was only if a dog rushed a person. And that the council workers definitely couldn't go onto property. Don't know how they'd catch the dogs though, as I pulled over on the other side of the road when I saw it loose. When it saw me stick my camera out the window, it quickly ran back and hid under a truck.

Knox council, FYI. No slander here because this is what happened and they'd have it on file. I'd hope.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

This is appalling. If the authorities won't act under these circumstances then when will they?

What are you supposed to do to keep your dogs safe??

I can't believe this stance when VIC has dangerous dog laws, it simply defies belief that they wouldn't prosecute the owners of these dogs with all the evidence that these are really dangerous dogs attacking yours ....

I think the council has a lot of trouble with this particular house, so they really don't want to bother. Front of the house is full of old trucks, cars, boats and motorbikes, and driven by crazy kids who do double the speed limit on our streets (having driven behind them a few times).

I was of the belief that if a dog rushes another dog, it should be classified as a dangerous dog but was told by the council worker that it was only if a dog rushed a person. And that the council workers definitely couldn't go onto property. Don't know how they'd catch the dogs though, as I pulled over on the other side of the road when I saw it loose. When it saw me stick my camera out the window, it quickly ran back and hid under a truck.

Knox council, FYI. No slander here because this is what happened and they'd have it on file. I'd hope.

This outlines the Victorian rules. The thing about dog attacks is that the dog is guilty unless the owner can prove it innocent (eg at a dog event interstate at the time). There's no way the Knox council people are right. I would be contacting your state parliament rep or even your ward councillors - and pointing out that their staff are not enforcing the state law to the detriment of their residents' safety.

http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/pets/dogs/dog-attacks-dangerous-and-menacing-dogs/dog-attacks-faqs

There isn't an exception for attacking an animal vs a human. The rules are pretty much the same.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I would be taking this further, it is a totally unacceptable situation.

[dotdashdot]

This thread has made me think that maybe if I get harassed on my walks again, I should take photos and leave a little note in a letterbox.

It hasn't happened for a little while now (because I avoid that area) but I was approached by a barking JRT coming from it's house 200m away. No owner in sight, I just had to keep shooing it and keeping myself between the 2 dogs at all times because sure it would start something and Cleo being 10kg heavier could quite possibly hurt it more.

I've also had a dog (another little thing) run out of it's house where it had just had a bath, sniff then attack Cleo. We were walking past on the opposite side of the street minding our own business! The owner ran out with a towel and apologized but I was peeved.

Then I was walking to the Post Office the other week and a little Boston crossed the road and approached us barking. Again I just stood between it and my dog and started stomping and shooing it. The owner came out of the PO and apologized. I don't care if I look like a nutter, I'm not letting my dog get attacked!

I think because we're a small coastal village, and our council is 1/2 hour away, people don't know and don't care about the rules. I love that we have an almost empty beach to run my dog on, but I detest the attitude of most people around here about their dogs.

[silentchild]

I think because we're a small coastal village, and our council is 1/2 hour away, people don't know and don't care about the rules. I love that we have an almost empty beach to run my dog on, but I detest the attitude of most people around here about their dogs.

I think the attitude of not caring about rules are becoming more rampant in most places. Where I live people used to be pretty good about following the rules but lately I've been seeing more and more people who don't care - letting their off leash dogs rush up to people and other dogs, me and my dog have also been rushed by off leash dogs whilst just walking minding our own business on the footpath - beside busy roads! Then when I call out to the owner to control their dog, they tell me I'm an idiot. I've seen dogs chase and harass other people walking past while their owners stand by doing nothing even when they can see the person being harassed is clearly uncomfortable. It's not even the same repeat offenders, it's just always random different people at different times which makes me feel that attitudes of a lot of dog owners in general have gotten worse. Have also become increasingly annoyed that more and more people are letting their dogs off leash and running amok at the on-leash park I normally go to with my dog, even with a playground and children running around playing ball. The park has huge signs everywhere saying dogs must be on leash so they can't say they don't see the signs. The off leash park is just next door barely 2 mins away! Why don't you take your dog there instead! /rant

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I think it's a bit of a worry that councils don't seem to have any money or inclination to enforce their own rules - from parking cars safely without obstructing roads, to letting dogs run loose crapping everywhere.

Our council is down to one ranger for dogs, illegal parking, litter dumping - everything. And one footpath sweeper for the whole area and a lot of other stuff like weeding and tree lopping contracted out.

[Liebhunde]

I live in Sydney's Inner West and in early May my sister and I were walking her two Labs..Ina a dog park we were attacked by two Giant Schnauzers who broke away from their owner. I had control of the older Lab but the younger one was chased and mauled by the Schnauzers..owner could not control them.. the Lab they were after was running back to my sister when the Scnauzers charged knocking my sister flying to the ground in the process...After a furious chase up and down the park and the Lab bitten in the process all the dogs were brought under control. WE told the woman with them we were going to report her. Which we did ...to he Police and to Council. I wanted them to be declared dangerous as this was the second time my sister and her dog had been attacked by these dogs. WE made the report and were told by the Ranger only this week that people should report such incidents as otherwise their hands are tied. I really want these dang dogs declared dangerous and be muzzled in public and have to weara coller letting people know .... Blow this not wanting to declare a dog dangerous. They bleeding well are!!

It seems however that they will be declared a nuisance dog and will have a period of about six months good behaviour imposed and if they put a paw wrong then more serious results will occur. Fines etc...

Don't pussy foot around if a dog behaves in an unacceptable way...do something about it...

[mita]

Lawyer friend of our family walked past a house, with gate open & owners & their dog in the yard. Dog flew out of the yard onto the footpath... & bit him, a sharp nip. Full view of owners. He said, 'Your dog bit me!'. They ignored him & went into their house followed by the dog.

With that, a couple came over from the opposite house & said to him. 'We saw that dog rush out at you. It's always doing that at people walking past. Someone should go to a lawyer & sue those owners who don't care.'

'Actually,' he said, 'I am a lawyer.'

The couple got all excited, 'Well, now that dog will get its come-uppence. He's bit a lawyer!

Edited August 1, 2013 by mita