Woman's Fingertip Bitten Off By Bull Terrier

[BoxerB]

If the JRT was off leash then its owner is at fault - did the other break free or all the time it was being "attacked" was the other dog still on lead? Stupid reporting yet again. Either way people need to leash their dogs and have under effective control./

Yeah and it is the leashed dog that is in the pound, not the unleashed dog??

Go figure!

this needs re-quoting!!

[RubyStar]

This one really touches a nerve with me. I have a typically friendly dog (Lab), to dogs and humans, who does not appreciate unknown dogs, of any size, to run up to her - especially while she is onlead. I do not let her approach other dogs but unfortunately do not get the same respect and I am sick of dogs running up to her. This could be us, and her in the pound if she felt sufficiently threatened and it wouldn't be her fault. Why isn't the approaching dog who initiated this in the pound?!?! Why can't people keep their dogs under control, and if you can't, keep them on a frickin' lead.

This same dog of mine was "attacked" by a JRT at the beach when they came into our space. This dog was hanging off the scruff of her neck with its teeth and my poor girl could only just stand there with this WTF look on her face. Imagine if it had been the other way round?

I'm sorry this woman got her finger bitten off, but she wasn't mauled by a human aggressive dog, and probably not even by a dog aggressive dog. She just got in the way of a dog who probably got jack of dogs getting in its face while minding its own business on lead, and if she had control of her own dog in the first place, she'd still have her finger.

[persephone]

No dog/human attack .. just a bite , and a misplaced digit in the way

I wonder, in the investigation will dog behaviour professional be offered a chance to explain about the state of mind in fighting/stressed dogs , and of people , frantic to stop a fight?

I , and I know others here, who have also been bitten when we tried to stop a fight .... hardly an attack on us .

[melzawelza]

The Companion Animal Liason Officer at this Council is well trained in dog behaviour (used to work as a behaviourist) and has her head screwed on very well.

She may not be the one managing the case and making the final decision but I have faith that if she isn't she will discuss all the things you mention Persephone with the person who is. Hopefully that will ensure that the outcome is appropriate given the fact that by all reports the BT was not the attacking dog.

The dog has been released back to his owner yesterday so lets hope justice prevails.

[Staffyluv]

The Companion Animal Liason Officer at this Council is well trained in dog behaviour (used to work as a behaviourist) and has her head screwed on very well.

She may not be the one managing the case and making the final decision but I have faith that if she isn't she will discuss all the things you mention Persephone with the person who is. Hopefully that will ensure that the outcome is appropriate given the fact that by all reports the BT was not the attacking dog.

The dog has been released back to his owner yesterday so lets hope justice prevails.

That is great news..

I have been thinking about this since I saw it this morning and was wondering if anyone knows how old the BT is??

I thought maybe the elderly owner had the dog to make her feel safe in a somewhat unsafe world.

[melzawelza]

The Companion Animal Liason Officer at this Council is well trained in dog behaviour (used to work as a behaviourist) and has her head screwed on very well.

She may not be the one managing the case and making the final decision but I have faith that if she isn't she will discuss all the things you mention Persephone with the person who is. Hopefully that will ensure that the outcome is appropriate given the fact that by all reports the BT was not the attacking dog.

The dog has been released back to his owner yesterday so lets hope justice prevails.

That is great news..

It is... I know the girls at the pound well and they said he's a really lovely dog.

[Steve]

So does the JRT owner get a fine?

[persephone]

:) Glad the BT is back home !! I hope the JRT owner has learnt a valuable lesson ... flesh & fight- you'll get a bite !

[Steve]

:) Glad the BT is back home !! I hope the JRT owner has learnt a valuable lesson ... flesh & fight- you'll get a bite !

and no leash in an on leash area gets you trouble AND I HOPE A FINE.

[melzawelza]

So does the JRT owner get a fine?

Up to the Council's discretion once they've concluded the investigation.

[Steve]

So does the JRT owner get a fine?

Up to the Council's discretion once they've concluded the investigation.

Ill bite - why is it up to the council's discretion ?

[melzawelza]

So does the JRT owner get a fine?

Up to the Council's discretion once they've concluded the investigation.

Ill bite - why is it up to the council's discretion ?

It's always up to the individual Council's discretion what action to take following a dog attack or any breach of the Act. One Council would fine this woman, another Council would decide that losing her finger is punishment enough and warn her. You'll get a different response to the same attack depending on where it happened. Some will declare the dog dangerous, others will declare it a nuisance, others will issue a Court Attendance Notice and go for a Control Order instead.

[Steve]

Would appear to be wide open to corruption then.

If the law says the dog should be on a leash or she will be fined how can they give an opinion- the dog was either on leash or not in an on leash area -

Bad enough no one is policing dog laws but when they get the offence rubbed up their noses they get to choose for one and maybe not another - what a joke.

[tdierikx]

Is it 100% proven fact that the BT was the one to nip the lady's fingertip off? In the heat of a dog fight, either dog could have caused that sort of damage to a human finger, and JRT's aren't piddly weak biters either...

Wouldn't it be interesting if it were her own dog that caused the damage?

I suppose we will never know the full story though...

T.

[mac'ella]

Is it 100% proven fact that the BT was the one to nip the lady's fingertip off? In the heat of a dog fight, either dog could have caused that sort of damage to a human finger, and JRT's aren't piddly weak biters either...

Wouldn't it be interesting if it were her own dog that caused the damage?

I suppose we will never know the full story though...

T.

agreed there, we have a JRT at the park which can be a bit aggressive, on one occassion it bit its owners hand when he stopped it from going another dog,done a bit of damage for a small dog.

[BlackJaq]

This one really touches a nerve with me. I have a typically friendly dog (Lab), to dogs and humans, who does not appreciate unknown dogs, of any size, to run up to her - especially while she is onlead. I do not let her approach other dogs but unfortunately do not get the same respect and I am sick of dogs running up to her. This could be us, and her in the pound if she felt sufficiently threatened and it wouldn't be her fault. Why isn't the approaching dog who initiated this in the pound?!?! Why can't people keep their dogs under control, and if you can't, keep them on a frickin' lead.

This same dog of mine was "attacked" by a JRT at the beach when they came into our space. This dog was hanging off the scruff of her neck with its teeth and my poor girl could only just stand there with this WTF look on her face. Imagine if it had been the other way round?

I'm sorry this woman got her finger bitten off, but she wasn't mauled by a human aggressive dog, and probably not even by a dog aggressive dog. She just got in the way of a dog who probably got jack of dogs getting in its face while minding its own business on lead, and if she had control of her own dog in the first place, she'd still have her finger.

Agree, this could be any dog who feels threateed by an uncontrolled off leash dog, regardless of size or breed.

What might have only been a nip to the other dog's cheek can easily hurt a human hand and badly and I also think the woman should be fined.

I find it outrageous that the Bully is being made out to be the bad guy, but I guess that was to be expected.

I also can't believe how easily "Pitbull" flies off the keyboard these days. A Pit and a Bull Terrier look nothing alike and I'd bet the reporter probably wouldn't recognize either if shown a photo....

Edited August 30, 2013 by BlackJaq

[german_shep_fan]

This one really touches a nerve with me. I have a typically friendly dog (Lab), to dogs and humans, who does not appreciate unknown dogs, of any size, to run up to her - especially while she is onlead. I do not let her approach other dogs but unfortunately do not get the same respect and I am sick of dogs running up to her. This could be us, and her in the pound if she felt sufficiently threatened and it wouldn't be her fault. Why isn't the approaching dog who initiated this in the pound?!?! Why can't people keep their dogs under control, and if you can't, keep them on a frickin' lead.

This same dog of mine was "attacked" by a JRT at the beach when they came into our space. This dog was hanging off the scruff of her neck with its teeth and my poor girl could only just stand there with this WTF look on her face. Imagine if it had been the other way round?

I'm sorry this woman got her finger bitten off, but she wasn't mauled by a human aggressive dog, and probably not even by a dog aggressive dog. She just got in the way of a dog who probably got jack of dogs getting in its face while minding its own business on lead, and if she had control of her own dog in the first place, she'd still have her finger.

Agree, this could be any dog who feels threateed by an uncontrolled off leash dog, regardless of size or breed.

What might have only been a nip to the other dog's cheek can easily hurt a human hand and badly and I also think the woman should be fined.

I find it outrageous that the Bully is being made out to be the bad guy, but I guess that was to be expected.

I also can't believe how easily "Pitbull" flies off the keyboard these days. A Pit and a Bull Terrier look nothing alike and I'd bet the reporter probably wouldn't recognize either if shown a photo....

Yep, and srsly, the only reason this made the news was due to the media's anti bull breed campaign. Sorry JRT owner but sometimes you obv just have to learn to be responsible the hard way...

[trinabean]

So with more of the facts known now, the article should read more like this:

http://www.news.com....2-1226706778657

A PITBULL terrier Bull Terrier has bit off the tip of a woman's finger as she tried to stop it from mauling her Jack Russell while she was walking in Sydney.

The dog has been taken under the control of City of Sydney Council.

The pitbull's Bull Terrier's owner, an 80-year-old woman, had been walking the dog on lead in an on-lead only area of Pyrmont early on Wednesday morning when it attacked defended itself against the approaching Jack Russell, which was running around the park off its leash.

The pitbull mauled Bull Terrier bit the 43-year-old woman as she tried to protect her Jack Russell.

Police separated the dogs and the woman was taken to hospital for surgery.

Pitbulls are one of five breeds of dogs that fall under the "restricted" category in NSW, which are required to be on a leash and muzzled when in a public place.

However Bull Terriers are not a restricted breed. They are not required to be muzzled in a public place. And the woman was quite legally walking the dog in an on-lead only area. Which is more than can be said for the Jack Russell's owner, who allowed her unleashed dog to rush up to the on-lead Bull Terrier.

Read more: http://www.news.com....7#ixzz2dMQj3Nqu

I'm not having a go at you Dogmad, but the situation sounds like it was quite different to how the media portrayed it. Do the media ever issue a correction on these sorts of stories?

Edited August 31, 2013 by trinabean

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

So with more of the facts known now, the article should read more like this:

http://www.news.com....2-1226706778657

A PITBULL terrier Bull Terrier has bit off the tip of a woman's finger as she tried to stop it from mauling her Jack Russell while she was walking in Sydney.

The dog has been taken under the control of City of Sydney Council.

The pitbull's Bull Terrier's owner, an 80-year-old woman, had been walking the dog on lead in an on-lead only area of Pyrmont early on Wednesday morning when it attacked defended itself against the approaching Jack Russell, which was running around the park off its leash.

The pitbull mauled Bull Terrier bit the 43-year-old woman as she tried to protect her Jack Russell.

Police separated the dogs and the woman was taken to hospital for surgery.

Pitbulls are one of five breeds of dogs that fall under the "restricted" category in NSW, which are required to be on a leash and muzzled when in a public place.

However Bull Terriers are not a restricted breed. They are not required to be muzzled in a public place. And the woman was quite legally walking the dog in an on-lead only area. Which is more than can be said for the Jack Russell's owner, who allowed her unleashed dog to rush up to the on-lead Bull Terrier.

Read more: http://www.news.com....7#ixzz2dMQj3Nqu

I'm not having a go at you Dogmad, but the situation sounds like it was quite different to how the media portrayed it. Do the media ever issue a correction on these sorts of stories?

I agree, the media should issue a correction. Owner with the JRT was obviously very irresponsible and stupid - I have a JRT myself and whilst she's friendly, she doesn't appear that way and recently a friend had looked after her - loosened her collar which I hadn't realised and as I walked her, she slipped her collar, ran across the road to greet a Maltese and scared the crap out of the dog, its owner and me.

My concern with the elderly having very strong dogs is that one fall at that age and they may never get up.

I rehome to elderly people regularly, most recently a 76 yr old. They generally don't have heaps of strength at that age and most don't want to even be pulled slightly by a dog when out walking.

[trinabean]

So with more of the facts known now, the article should read more like this:

http://www.news.com....2-1226706778657

A PITBULL terrier Bull Terrier has bit off the tip of a woman's finger as she tried to stop it from mauling her Jack Russell while she was walking in Sydney.

The dog has been taken under the control of City of Sydney Council.

The pitbull's Bull Terrier's owner, an 80-year-old woman, had been walking the dog on lead in an on-lead only area of Pyrmont early on Wednesday morning when it attacked defended itself against the approaching Jack Russell, which was running around the park off its leash.

The pitbull mauled Bull Terrier bit the 43-year-old woman as she tried to protect her Jack Russell.

Police separated the dogs and the woman was taken to hospital for surgery.

Pitbulls are one of five breeds of dogs that fall under the "restricted" category in NSW, which are required to be on a leash and muzzled when in a public place.

However Bull Terriers are not a restricted breed. They are not required to be muzzled in a public place. And the woman was quite legally walking the dog in an on-lead only area. Which is more than can be said for the Jack Russell's owner, who allowed her unleashed dog to rush up to the on-lead Bull Terrier.

Read more: http://www.news.com....7#ixzz2dMQj3Nqu

I'm not having a go at you Dogmad, but the situation sounds like it was quite different to how the media portrayed it. Do the media ever issue a correction on these sorts of stories?

I agree, the media should issue a correction. Owner with the JRT was obviously very irresponsible and stupid - I have a JRT myself and whilst she's friendly, she doesn't appear that way and recently a friend had looked after her - loosened her collar which I hadn't realised and as I walked her, she slipped her collar, ran across the road to greet a Maltese and scared the crap out of the dog, its owner and me.

My concern with the elderly having very strong dogs is that one fall at that age and they may never get up.

I rehome to elderly people regularly, most recently a 76 yr old. They generally don't have heaps of strength at that age and most don't want to even be pulled slightly by a dog when out walking.

That sounds like a valid concern Dogmad, and one I hadn't thought of.

Edited to add: Mind you I suppose it depends on the dog a bit? A lady I know is in her 70's and had the most beautifully-behaved Boxer girl. The dog was well-trained and calm, walked beautifully on lead. She was a more mature dog though too, not a boisterous pup.

Edited August 31, 2013 by trinabean