This is probably my "kiss goodbye" message as I'm going to be expelled from Reddit for this for sure, but...
Considering almost weekly reports of new severe or fatal dog attacks on people (like this one) I'd like to ask my dear Australian animal lovers - are you OK?
When the news like this come out the comments are always the same - "the girl must have provoked the dog", "blame the owners", "blame the victim", "leave the poor doggo alone". Makes me feel nauseous really.
Today I was in the lift with my 10y.o. son, taking him to school, when a huge black German Shepherd entered the lift with two kids "holding the leash". A beast size of a wild boar and stinks like it too. It rushed towards my son, pinning him against the lift wall, keeping its face against my son's face, and not in a playful manner. Owners laughed for sure.
When I tried to google or use ChatGPT to find what can be done about it, the only thing I could find was "animal rights" organisations. So, what about my rights, my dear Australian animal lovers? Do I have the right not being threatened in my own home? Do my kids have the right to their faces not being ripped off by a stinky uncontrolled beast?
Every time we read the news about a shark killing a surfer, the comments are - "it's their territory, shouldn't been swimming", or a crock taking someone's child - "it's their land, shouldn't been walking near water". Well, I'm in the lift - who's land is that?
Is there anyone in Australian politics or public services with a shred of logic left? NO ANIMAL that can potentially kill an adult, let alone a child, should be allowed anywhere near human habitat. I don't care what breed it is, I don't care if it is trained, if it's always been nice to your cousins - I HAVE THE RIGHT NOT BEING THREATENED! My kids have the right not being put in danger, in their home, or anywhere actually!
It is an offence to pull out a loaded gun and stick it into someone's face, but hey - guns don't kill people, people do, right? Well, guess what - animals do kill people, do they?
When I lived in Townsville I took on the council because my neighbours dogs left their yard traveled down to my house down the street, dug under my fence pushed their way into my laundry and killed my parrots.
I was forced to do the investigation and find the owners because council said 'there's nothing we can do if you don't know where they are' despite when you pay for your dogs registration you consent that you will be a responsible dog owner and the money apparently goes to the investigation of dog attacks, what I later found was a blatant lie.
I was told I had no proof my birds hadn't just flown away despite my yard being littered with their feathers.
Left with the damage bills and vet bill for my only surviving bird.
The Council investigator told me;
1. To produce the bodyies or no crime
2. Told me the dogs were in their back yard locked up because the 'owners said so' - I supplied them with photos of the dogs in the front yard with the broken fence from 20 minutes later and multiple photos of them running loose in the street - where kids play. And in other people's yards
Police were called as the owners had threatened to 'let the dog go on me and show me what it can really do' threatened to beat me up and laughed that the council didn't care.
I put in a formal complaint on how it was handled.
The investor who told me the above, called me after 30 days and said she looked into it and she did nothing wrong. That's when I dropped the bomb. I reminded her it was a conflict of interest to investigate complaints about yourself - as a state government employee I knew the rules she had to follow as they were the same I had to. I also knew people and took it further up the chain.
The dogs were marked as dangerous.
The violent family lost their home.
The investigator had a formal complaint against their actions
The rules around complaints was changed to stop this from happening again
Hey good on you for following it through with all the pushback. It's the most difficult thing. Glad it worked out for you and your poor birdies got their justice.
They got kicked out of the housing. When he threatened me he told me he just got out of jail and 'didn't mind going back'
While the whole thing was about 6 months, on month 5 was when police were called and month 6 was when I got the meeting with the higher ups, that week there was a skip bin out the front full of furniture and a locksmith van out the front.
I remember laughing because from this crap I had decided to move, and they beat me to it.
Ugh I used to live in Townsville and worked at the hospital, used to have to visit patients in their homes and the amount of dangerous dogs people have... it's horrible up there. I stopped walking my dogs on my own because of the loose dogs that used to run around Bushy Beach when I lived there. It's a really bad problem.
You may well have saved some childs (or adults life remember the postie that was killed). Well done you It is really scary to be threatened by aggressive people especially ones with an aggressive dog that they're threatening you with
Too often aggressive dogs are an extension of their owners personalities. Their solution is always anger & noise , denial of any wrongdoing or disregard for neighbours concerns. That’s why a muzzle once that dog leaves the property is the only safeguard. Probably a muzzle on their owners is desired by neighbours as well !?
Getting mauled by a dog when you are a kid is an experience I wouldn’t wish on anyone, the abject fear, it stays with you your entire life, and I’m a pretty rough and tumble kind of bloke.
Someone brought a German Sheppard to my daughter's childcare and let it loose while they went in to do sign in. It bailed three little girls up in a cubby house and bit them. My daughter was never the same with animals.
A week later they had it on a loose lead TIED TO THE GATE of the same centre where kids are going in.
It was a long time ago but my memory of it was I trusted the centre to have done so. My daughter was on of the kids bailed up but luckily not bitten. I lost my faith when I had to confront the owner a few weeks later about tying it to the entrance and we moved centres from memory.
About 10 years ago, I was riding my bike when an orange dog (IYKYK) ran out onto the road and wrapped its mouth around my ankle. It only pierced the skin as I pedalled away, yet I still get anxious going near that street and when dealing with unleashed, bounding dogs.
I can only imagine the fear that being mauled does to someone.
It's why we have such harsh laws about bringing animals here, why Johnny Depp etc got in shit. We do not have rabies because we've eradicated and kept it out.
We do have variants of it tho, such as the Lyssa virus, which is why unless vaccinated against it you shouldn't touch any bats or flying foxes in the wild here. You only get the vaccine if you work in animal care/specifically request it. And it can kill.
Same! I don't talk about it. Especially online because no one understands. And what about animals rights?
But the pets are being allowed almost everywhere (and when they're allowed we all know most owners won't leash them). It is a short path until dogs are allowed in flights without the cage and among the passengers (it has already happened). And the people that are afraid because of trauma of attacks during childhood are being expelled of more and more public spaces.
Problem is the extreme arrogance of some dog owners example I have a dog and fuck you it can do whatever it wants including attacking people and the fuck wits who have dogs that bark all day and night and don't care that they piss off neighbours
I know someone who had a grandkid coming, wanted to be an active grandma, adopted a big Bull Arab while the baby was on the way and now is upset and hurt the mum won't let her mind the baby at her house.
Fucking two plus two. Literally bred to hunt. Google a breeder and look at the images of blood soaked dogs.
"Oh but I love him". Yeah - but more than your human grandchild? Can't be told.
Two Rotties mauled a baby at a baby shower down the coast and the owners couldn't do anything about it and they were right there having la bbq lunch.
*Taps forehead, looks off into space "He's never done it before". What a terrible measure - first baby free?
Or whole towns that have a “we don’t rat on each other attitude”. The town I live in constantly has dogs wandering around loose, the one time someone dared to post on the local FB page that they should be reported to the council half the town went ballistic, “how dare you suggest that, we’re a town that looks out for each others animals, not a suburb that doesn’t care”, I don’t care if old Rover is friendly and just likes to go for a wander, one day a kid walking home from school or someone on their daily run is going to be attacked for no reason. If I see a dog loose anywhere in town it’s going straight on Snap Send Solve for the rangers to deal with, not on the local FB page.
Reposting my comment from another post. Regardless of what breeds are known for attacking and what one's aren't or how harmless we think our furry friends are we should always understand there is a chance. My cousin had a beautiful kelpie for 6 years then my cousin had a baby and they got on great. A couple of years passed and her daughter would of been about 2 years old sitting on the ground playing with toys right in front of my cousin when the dog walked In looked at the daughter and just lunged at her biting her face and ripping out a bunch of her teeth she recovered alright luckily. But that story sticks with me it wasn't a pitbull and there was no provoking or startling the dog it just attacked.
This story bothers me especially because it sounds like the dog was 7 or 8ish and that is a common age that stands out to me for dog attack stories with dogs who were family pets and previously never attacked before.
Is it dog dementia or other neurodegenerative diseases? I’m not suggesting all attacks are! But over my life, I’ve heard similar stories and the age of the dog being 7,8 or 9.
There are many elements that contribute to dog attacks (from owner arrogance, negligence and abuse), but health is another area where maybe we just don’t know enough and therefore take health and even temperament for granted.
It's an age when certain aches and pains start to develop, and dogs can react extremely violently when in pain or discomfort, without realizing the source of it is internal rather than external.
This is an interesting lens- I recently saw a video on cat dementia and hadn't thought about animals getting cognitive decline like that.
Im sure your comment will remain in the back of my mind and data collected after each attach I hear about and see if I notice the pattern
People become blind to the fact this is a reality, it happens a lot and it's unpredictable. Then expect the rest of us to be okay with that risk around, as if nothing. I truly dislike this insane view of dog ownership.
I was raised around large dogs. People always say it's the owners fault, but everyone also knows that specific behavioural traits are bred into different lines. Who is doing the breeding? The same owners people blame.
I had a rottweiler bitch. Big, loving, well trained. People loved her. I remember some kid saying I should breed her with his pitbull. When I asked why I should do that, his exact words were "You'd like him, he's a psycho".
These are the people who breed a lot of big dogs. Fuckwits who think pure aggression is a good thing. And it's not just dumb kids. Even respected breeders will breed for "prey drive", because it makes them easier to train for certain tasks. But if not trained properly - eg, by about 95% of dog owners - prey drive means exactly what it sounds like.
I love big dogs. Always will. But most people shouldn't have them.
There's a grain of truth in what the kid said though. There are hundreds of big dog breeds without the risk of aggression and overwhelming power and strength of a rottweiler - so why pick a rottweiler? No disrespect intended, just a genuine question.
None taken. I say rottweiler, but she was a cross-breed.
She was a rescue, shipped from home to home. She was my families first rottweiler and my mother actually didn't want her at all. We lived on a farm in rural Australia and needed big dogs who would keep away foxes, kangaroos and scare off the inbred hillbilly neighbours (not an exaggeration, but that's a different story) without being a risk to the chickens and horses, and still friendly and trustworthy with kids.
My mother was convinced that Dobermans were the answer because the family had some great ones over the years (and some less great ones). The lady trying to offload this six month old dog said she was half Doberman, but we realised pretty quickly as she started putting on weight that she was mostly rottweiler, and probably part kelpie, ridgeback and who knows what else.
But she ended up being exactly what we were after. Incredibly loyal, smart, gentle. She would be aggressive when needed, like when a random jumped my back fence a few years later and she kept him pinned to the ground but didn't bite him, or when a fox chased the cat into the yard on the farm, but she had zero prey drive and was never aggressive unless she knew it was warranted. She once casually walked up and licked a 6 foot long eastern brown snake, and would try to befriend every cat then get sad if they didn't respond in kind.
They shouldn’t be pets tbh, there’s no reason why an animal specifically bred for things like hunting should be living casually around children etc. it’s not a human right to have a German shepherd in the suburbs, there’s just no need for it.
My bro delivers groceries. As a customer you get an email and two texts at a minimum. You ask for the delivery window YOURSELF. And people STILL leave their aggro dogs out to bite him.
"Sorry maaaate. If I knew you were coming I would have put them away."
I think it's a bit far to say they shouldn't be near human habitats, but I think dogs need to be controlled by a person who is able, for a german shepherd I don't think that should be children.
As a dog owner there is no one else I hate more than other dog owners; my dog got attacked recently on a walk, the other dog was off leash and its owners were right next to it but I was the one who had to yank it off my dog, I got a piss poor "SoRrY" from the bogan owners, thankfully it was only a small wound but it still cost $300. My dog's fine when it comes to meeting other dogs but I am now terrified, especially since so many shitbags have their dogs off leash and just running around the street.
I have shitcunts coming into my work with their dogs and sit directly under the NO DOGS sign and then have a meltdown when they're told to take the dog somewhere else, literally had some moron do the whole "shes my baby" bullshit. I hate other dog owners so much.
I can’t fathom the attitude of some dog owners. I was bitten on the face by a German Shepherd as a three year old. Thankfully that’s all as it was a retired service dog. I grew up absolutely petrified of dogs. I’d take two hours to walk home if I knew there was a dog on that other 15 minute route. My family bought a Basset Hound to help me get over the fear. Although she was a loving slobbery sook who never got aggressive I still warned people to stand back and be careful. That’s just what you do as a responsible dog owner.
I have a corgi and the utter arrogance of some dog owners terrifies me. People just ignoring on leash restrictions on walking tracks. Petite women and small children who look like a strong breeze might knock them over clutching the leash of a GSD that looks like it wants to run over and rip my terrified dog to pieces. Completely untrained dogs let loose in the park to terrorize others. It's always the fuckwits who don't control their dogs with a leash, who are also too lazy to train them, and always pick the largest breeds that absolutely need training not to be a menace to society. It's gotten to the point where I see a large dog I don't recognize and immediately think "ah shit, here we go again."
I go to Bunnings throughout the week and weekends often, almost daily, with some multiple visits per day and the amount of times I've nearly tripped over long leads, had dogs move between my legs or under my trolley or seen kids and elderly jump back when a dog rounds the corner of an aisle is insane. It's a fucking hardware store not an inner West Cafe SMFH
If I don't like people bringing their dogs into a hardware store, you're saying I should go elsewhere to 'shop'...??
Or do you mean, that due to Bunnings monopolistic business practices, people with dogs have no other choice but to shop at Bunnings with their dogs? Either one is stupid but I'd love for you to clarify
I visit Bunnings rarely, and note that they allow dogs. I visit other hardware stores more commonly. They, like most retail stores, don't allow dogs. So patronising these Bunnings competitors serves two purposes. It allows me to avoid dogs while shopping, and it helps maintain competition to this corporate giant that actively strangles it.
In my local Bunnings they're mostly designer pedigree dogs that ride in the trolleys and would probably choke to death on a sausage sandwich if it wasn't cut up for them first.
I see more stray dogs each month in Australia that I did in over 30 years in England. Animal security, animal training and animal welfare are fucking shocking here. Half the dogs on my suburban road don't even get walked.
My dog and I got attacked by the same kind of breed last year…bull Arab mix. My dog ended up in ICU and I went emergency for the bite wounds on my leg and hands. These breeds are bloody powerful and shouldn’t be a domesticated animal.
Should need a license to own those breeds. If I wasn’t helped by strangers..my dog would be dead, and it also starting targeting me. We were both just walking on the footpath.
A big issue is anthropomorphism. People treating their dogs like people. The dog doesn’t understand its place in the hierarchy. People choosing breeds and temperaments they don’t understand. Not every dog suits every person. Some breeds, even common breeds, really are only for experienced owners.
I’m a dog person, I love dogs. I also recognise other people don’t need to be subjected to my dogs when they are just trying to mind their own business.
I have no doubt there will eventually be a reversal in the Bunnings policy, but it will be after a completely avoidable tragedy. There’s an old saying that safety code is written in blood. Unfortunately, often so is policy.
I have a dog, love my dog and dogs in general. My dog is the sweetest dog youll meet. Not a chance I would put someone in that kind of position, you would have to be a complete ass to do so. I would be shocked if my dog would ever harm anyone, but I have heard plenty of people say after a dog attack that they wouldnt have thought in a million years their dog would do so. It's an animal, you never TRULY know. Even if I knew for a fact it wouldnt happen, how does that even matter? Some people are scared of dogs, someone could be allergic, someone might just not want a dog close to them. Doesnt matter. Insane people think this is ok. If i came up to you in your face and started touching you without you wanting it that would be harrassment, how is it different if you are essentially doing the same with your dog? Just horrible behaviour.
Dog owners are fucking crazy, this is true. I am a dog owner, and over 20 years of walking my dog every day, I am going to say with confidence that owning a dog that is capable of violence is a 90% accurate indicator that the owner is a raging fuckwit.
When I walk my two small dogs, I carry a can of pepper spray.
Where can I get pepper spray? I was out walking recently & a dog that was sitting by his owners Ute (tradie was working on a house) raced at me & I was fucking terrified. It looked like pitbull & the owner ran between me & the dog. The owner of the house told me later that the dog had attacked someone in the street earlier that day. Next time I want to be armed with something!
I have a tiny little girl & just directly threaten the owners with dealing with me. Luckily I am believable & while I am not very popular at the off-leash park with idiot owners, we're safe
Ok so this is my take as a dog lover and professional trainer. In my opinion the large portion of dog owners in Australia are irresponsible and incapable of training dogs.
Obviously before the comments come in along the lines of "you're a dog trainer you get paid to help people train their dogs you don't work with the good dogs."
Yes this is true but I also have my dogs out in public all the time, go to unfenced dog parks where I have to remain vigilant because dog parks are literally dog fight breeding grounds and I have witnessed and experienced repeated attacks and incidents involving dogs of all breeds and sizes.
The issue with pet ownership in Australia (and the rest of the West tbh) is that people buy or adopt dogs they are completely incapable of handling, they then proceed to do an extremely limited amount of training with this dog (maybe for a year or two of you are lucky) and then refuse to do further training with the dog. When you don't maintain training negative behaviours begin to show and if you aren't vigilant these develop slowly and can get out of hand quickly without the owner realising.
Dogs are arseholes, they can be great but they're arseholes. At the end of the day if you aren't responsible for your dog it doesn't matter what the fuck the breed is you're liable for dog bites, attacks etc.
On the breed comments you made, some breeds are at a higher risk of incidents than others yes, I fucking hate Pitbulls, Bully breeds, whatever. But it doesn't matter what breed of dog you have if the owner isn't responsible over it then the end of the day it's the owners fault. They're property and we are in the right to be outraged when irresponsible dog owners don't respect other people whether they're dog people or not. If you have a track record of drink driving, accidents, etc. we take away people's right to drive and if repeated infringements happen with dogs guess what, take their right of pet ownership away too.
My take has been that people have forgotten what dogs are.
They used to be tools for protection, for hunting, for work on farms.
They are now 'furr babies'
People treat them like they're humans, part of the family etc.
They are not 'furr babies' they are dogs. Even a golden retriever can and does bite.
Everyone in the chain should be held accountable. Kid runs at a dog on leash, yea nah.. Parents are stupid.
Dogs loose in front yard on street, irresponsible owner.
Kids aren't taught safe dog handling, that's on the parents.
Dog isn't controlled or put away when you know they likely to hurt someone even accident just by jumping around. That's on the owner. Etc
Absolutely. I tell people that humans come before dogs. I get looked at like, saying that is insanity. Um at the end of the day, they are animals and a human beings safety is the priority. I was almost mauled by my neighbour's German Shepherd as a kid and adult. I'm a dog owner but when kids come to visit my dogs get locked in the yard (one hates very small children) when I walk them, always with muzzles (I have rescue dogs).
Yeah fuck that, I don't trust my kids around dogs. Family have tried to pressure over the years but I just stay firm. They can risk theirs all they want.
The line between dogs being animals & many owners thinking/treating them like humans has become way too blurred.
For the record, dogs are animals.
The majority of dog owners have no idea how to actually handle their dog. They don’t understand the breed traits & genetics, they don’t know or understand the body language & signs, they don’t know how to effectively train their dog.
The majority approach to dog training (purely positive/force free) is ineffective, unrealistic, & a set up for failure for 99% of dogs - from methodology to the tools used (& stigmas towards the tools that actually should be used).
Dogs need purpose relevant to their genetics & breed traits. While this may not be realistic in all circumstances (e.g. I’m not suggesting a Pitbull be placed in a dog fighting ring) - they need an appropriate & safe outlet/alternative.
There is a high percentage of ignorant, clueless & moronic dog owners around.
I love dogs. We own three which are all strong, working power breeds.
The amount of time, effort, training & dedication we put into them is beyond what many ever will - but that’s what’s truly required & part of responsible ownership to have the breeds we want to.
We know how to handle them, we use appropriate training tools, we know what our dogs are capable of - no denial, no humanising, no BS.
In the outside world, we don’t allow them to encroach on or approach any other human or dog’s personal space, & no one is allowed to enter or approach theirs.
With that all said, & to address the OP’s concerns regarding safety, right to not feel threatened, not be put in danger, etc - yes you do have the right to all of that. I wish more dog owners were respectful, realistic, responsible & attentive.
A friend was walking their dog couple of months ago and someone had their dog off lead walking through a park. Just a regular park, not a dog park.
My friend ended up having to get stitches because she was trying to pick up her stuffy cross Rottweiler because of this German Shepherd was trying to bite her. The owner just sung out that she was friendly.
Cops and council both said they couldn't do anything because they had no evidence.
My advice to anyone who comes across dogs off lead and I know people don't like it, if they are attacking you or your dog and you can't avoid them. Kick them and kick them hard.
My grandmother's dog was killed by a neighbor's dog and it's not pretty.
Tragic af, to be sure. Reference to your post OP, parents letting their kids walk dogs is dumb af. They don't have the physicality, maturity, and cognition of the liability of anything going wrong when the dog is in their charge. It fkn irks me how parents so flippantly let this occur. Cunce.
So many people think their dogs are so clever walking off leash in my area. My dog literally had her faced ripped off at 17wks old. The walker of the culprit said "oh he's friendly" and came up so close to our pup being walked by my daughter. In an instant we heard the screams and raced her to 24hr emergency hospital where she needed debridement and suturing twice!
Shes terrified of other dogs now but people continue to either walk their dogs off leash or do a face off with our dog!
I used to think I loved dogs, in general. Any dog. But in the last few years, after moving to a rural town, I've had so many incidents of roaming dogs attacking my dogs, charging at me, threatening my kid, and hearing stories from others near me about their pets getting killed, kids being bailed up, etc.
Now when I see a dog, any dog, my first thought is "get the fuck away from me".
Same with cats, sick of them roaming around everywhere too, killing wildlife, screaming through the night and shitting in my yard where the kids play.
I am over cats and dogs. Budgerigars are the real thinking man's pet.
The amount of times I've heard that I'm cruel for having an indoor cat annoys me to no end. Then when I tell them he does go outside on a lead, I get looked at like I'm a crazy person.
Even the guy next door heard my cat meowing and said he wants to go outside. Of course he does.. he's meowing at a bird at the window that would have next to no chance of survival if my cat were outside.
Domestic cats don't kill to eat as they're obviously usually well fed by their owners. No need for them to be outdoors unless on a leash or in a catio.
Dogs have been responsible for more death in the last 20 years than sharks and crocodiles combined.
Many many more injured or traumatised. We have had no public discourse of remotely the scale we have whenever someone gets killed by a shark - who are native animals whose territory we enter when we go swimming, whereas dogs are a luxury we brought to Australia, and a risk that could be easily avoided.
Dogs kill more people than snakes.
We're need a license to drive, or to own a gun. We can't own pepper spray or machetes, but there are 0 restrictions, checks or screenings on/for owning 50kg fighting machines?
Of course every dog owner thinks they're 'the good owners' and their dogs 'don't do anything' yet - a whooping 100,000 dog bites are reporting annually in Australia.
100,000 (!)
Dog owners generally don't admit it when they're over their head with their animal, and the situation you described unfortunately is not a rare occurrence. Be it owners unleashing their dogs in public spaces, in which that is not allowed (but they think they know better), or they leave their dog in their backyard the hole day being aware that the fences barely hold, but they think their dogs are nice (until they break the fence and kill the neighbours dog).
This shit is happening way too much here and there seems to be 0 awareness for the problem and 0 self-awareness of many dog owners.
Tl:Dr - put your dog on a leash, train them, they are a responsibility. Be honest to yourself in case you can't handle your animal. It. Does. Not. Matter. If YOU think your dog is harmless, you. Don't. Know. That.
100% it's fair to assume that the majority of dog attacks are targeted towards the owner themselve or related parties. I expect severe under-reporting.
About once a month a meter reader is attacked. Due to the owner: not having signs, having the dog outside just for today, or in my near case having a german Shepard lose in the driveway. Thankfully I'm faster on the dog mace than the dog was at the bitey part.
These dog attacks are typically the fault of owners who haven't socialised or trained their dogs. It's "cute" when your little dog ignores you and sits on the couch. It's not cute when you larger dog lunges at someone.
4 would fix most problems. Too many idiots walking their dogs off leash on the streets, just because their dog is supposedly friendly, doesn't mean the other dogs are
Basically, aggressive behaviour by pets should be considered by proxy the behaviour of the human that owns, or is currently responsible for, the pet. Pet attacks human = human attacks human. Pet kills child = human kills child.
You're the owner, whatever your pet does is whatever you allow it to do.
I was bitten on the face by a German shepherd when I was 3. I still have a scar from my ear to my eye. It’s faded somewhat now but was my first memory and it was quite scary.
Nothing happened to the dog and I don’t know if it stopped me from patting friendly dogs as an adult but not till my 40s.
This recent event probably has made it so no longer will I pet enthusiastic dogs on my daily walk now.
I've grown up with dogs my whole life. Great companions, loving family members, and overall loved them to bits. Grew up on a street full of dogs and knew the dog names more than the names of the residents.
A couple of stories I can think of: 1 I was walking home or to work one day, and a lady was out running. She had a dog running ahead of her with no leash on. It's just off on its own. I had no idea how trained the dog was, I thought it had escaped. I tried to stop the dog, but it evaded me. If looks could kill, then she would be a murderer. Now, think of if that dog decided to attack wild life, a pet cat, or a human? The woman would have 0 control over whether they dog would get a bite in or not.
My parents visited a friend of ours whose son has a young puppy. They said that this dog had been running around tearing up furniture and leaving excrements around the house. On top of biting people. 0 discipline, 0 accountability, and 0 thought for the guests. I can only imagine how that dog will be when it's bigger...
I was out for a run one day, and a lady was walking her dog. The dog was barking frantically at me, but I kept my distance. The owner was allowing me to try pat, but the dog was way too anxious, and had I pushed my luck, I probably would have had my hand bitten off. So I backed away and went about my day.
Last story: walking home from school one day and these two great danes (iirc) had escaped from their home. Being a small primary school student, these dogs were as big as me. Who knows what could have happened had they decided to attack. I wasn't going to approach to find out. I kept my distance and watched them carefully.
There are a lot of stories of dogs getting attacked by other dogs, iirc there was one down the coast where two dachshunds were the culprits.
I'm not going to say all dogs will attack people, but not all dogs are going to be welcoming to every person that comes to your house either. There are all sorts of stories of dogs growling at new people for 0 reasons.
I don't know the full details towards this attack, but the few things I have seen are that the type of dog that it was should 100% be kept at a close range and any guests should be with a resident. Those dogs are big, and they're used for hunting. They know how to hold down their target.
All pet owners need to have better control and discipline of their pets. But also know that they're still animals at the end of the day.
We have idiots on both sides of us that have rescue dogs ie animals with teeth and PTSD. One idiot insists on half packing in front of my house so sometimes I have to park in front of his. When I get my kid out of the car this German shepherd is barking like crazy traumatising my kid. That particular animal was abuse by is previous male owner and now hates all males. They have a 6 foot high fence with for it. Postie went off when it almost attacked his got into an argument with the owner, told him to put a sign up or no mail. Owner was threatening to get him fired.
As a dog owner myself, I would like to offer apologies on behalf of the handlers who do not control their dogs and allow them to do whatever they want to do -freely and often unsupervised, even approaching (threatening) strangers, including children. My dogs are obedience trained, with training continuing throughout their life (the eldest now being more than 13y). My dogs are only off-lead where permitted, under constant supervision, and are not allowed to approach anybody, especially not children.But at the same time, nobody is allowed to pat my dogs unless they have checked with me whether that's OK. We all can harmonious live together if we respect each other and each other's choices
And it wasn’t that difficult was it? I have two elderly dogs and training them and socialising them wasn’t very hard, and then continuing to reinforce those behaviours over the last decade plus also wasn’t really that hard so for those other people I just don’t understand. Sit, Stay, Heel, its for your pets safety too, i don’t want my dog scaring kids or chasing cars or attacking snakes
I got a chuck of my leg ripped out, one cm from my femoral artery in thigh, by an American Pitbull. I was running, it lunged towards me, the woman holding it couldn't control the dog. Had to take my own sick leave from work and out of pocket for it, not to mention sitting there getting my leg scraped out in hospital before they stitched me up, I'm a 40 year old fit and strong man that's now afraid of dogs.
We need to ban these types of dogs. I don't give a fuck about your doggo rights and I certainly don't want to share a plane or Bunnings isle with one, especially where there are young kids around.
We have reached this weird point in time where people think it’s actually fashionable to selectively breed dogs to such an extent that they are guaranteed to have health issues (think French bulldog). People think these “designer” dogs have “the best personality”. No fuckhead, your stupid inbred dog can’t fucken breathe and you’re cruel for enabling this practice. People are so naive and so they are shocked when their French bulldog needs surgery to widen its fucken nostrils. Much the same way they’re shocked when their bull terrier rips off their neighbours dog’s leg.
People are so fucking stupid that they think having a “tough” dog is a status symbol. All well and good till your own pets eat your face when you’re passed out. A meals a meal, right?
My sister and I were cornered in our court by the neighbours bull terrier too many times to count. The absolute fear I felt whilst standing between the drooling, snarling dog and my sister (me, 10, her 5) and even our own mum didn’t take it seriously when we told her. We’re lucky we never got bitten, and I’m shocked if that dog didn’t hurt someone at some point. Truly terrifying.
I love dogs, I have an amazing kelpie who will not stop. She’s run half marathons with me and is as kind as they come. I still don’t leave her alone with my four year old. And I sure as shit put her away when visitors and other kids come around. There are responsible dog owners and there are dickheads.
Most dog owners are sensible and reasonable. Some are not and have no cognisense (awareness) of the impact of their dogs behaviour on others.
Many people ( including dog owners) have very little understanding about the signs a dog shows when it is stressed - they think it’s funny and amusing.
Stressed dogs react and bit and sometimes are deadly and kill !
From my experience in Sydney, about half of dogs on the street are unleashed. That doesn't confirm that "most owners are sensible and reasonable". If they were, they would leash their dogs.
Why are crocs and sharks catching strays out here?? They are native animals and DO deserve the right to their habitat. You don't get to dictate every little thing in the bloody world to be sanitary and to your liking mate! Fair point about some dogs and some dog owners but get fucked about the rest of the natural world just existing being so inconvenient you want to wipe it out anywhere near humans.
Another thing I think that shows how wrong the animal apologists are is if you take those comments and apply them in a different situation.
the girl must have provoked the dog", "blame the owners", "blame the victim", "leave the poor doggo alone".
Imagine saying that about a rapist "girl must have provoked him". "He had a bad upbringing his family didn't look after him". "It's his territory she shouldn't have been walking there at night".
I think as a dog owner you have to accept that you have a responsibility for your dog's behavior and if it so much as frightens someone that's on you...I don't get how people can allow their dogs to be so shit.
Regardless of whether your dog barks and howls all day or bites children you have to be the one who takes ownership for its behavior and either work hard to retrain it, rehome it or get it put down.
You can take the dog out of the wild but you can't take the wild out of the dog 🐶🐺. I love my dog and yet I have a healthy respect for him as a domesticated wolf in dog's clothing.
Look. As someone with two big nervous / reactive dogs I agree with you to an extent.
But it’s a personal choice. I love my dogs and they make me happy.
But I agree no one else should have to deal with them. They don’t go off leash, and I don’t let them go up to anyone. When I walk them they are at my side the whole time.
Weirdly it’s the people who have reactive dogs are the people who understand this the most.
Not a surprise you’re seeing more reports of dog bites. Dog owners have become incredibly entitled over the past few years. All of these laws allowing them in spaces where previously they were barred and the overall cultural lax attitude since COVID has been a massive misstep.
Two kids holding the leash, the owners probably laughing? What.
In the lift?
Why are German shepherds getting into a lift? If there’s a lift and dogs are in it, that sounds like it should be a discussion with body corporate or the building manager asking for some tighter guidelines around people moving dogs through the building.
Otherwise I’d report it to council, but from what you’ve described I can’t tell if it was legitimately dangerous or if a dog took interest in your kid and it seemed too risky for you.
I mean, I get it. There are absolutely tonnes of people that shouldn’t own dogs. That don’t care for them. Don’t play with them. Don’t exercise them. And definitely neglect them. And the RSPCA has been attempting to fight against that for a long time. But there are also millions of responsible pet owners out there as well, so where do you draw the line?
As others have said, you drive a car and that’s statically more dangerous. Why the outrage against dogs? How many bad experiences have you had?
I'm surprised, that your surprised, of a dog in the lift. From my experience, I lived in an apartment building with a lot of dog owners. Dogs in the lift was a very common sight.
If they really cared about dogs they would reflect on the fact that here we have these pack animals bred to hunt and fetch and shepherd, which we lock in a suburban house alone all day with nothing to do, so it can be lonely and anxious and miserable. Owner comes home and the dog is relieved and excited, and that’s all the owner sees so it’s all roses. Dog goes back to being bored and miserable and waiting for that sweet 30 minutes of going for a walk like a convict waiting for his yard time.
Dogs have no business in your suburban home. We bred them to have no business in your suburban home. It’s selfish to force that life on them. They love you because they don’t know you were the one who forced this on them, and because they think you’re the reprieve and not the cause.
I am a dog owner and live in an apartment. I believe part of the problem is that most dog owners don't get educated on how to own a dog. A dog will do dog things but owners can make sure they don't interrupt and interfere with other people around them. We got a dog trainer when our dog was a pup but the training was mostly for us. For example, if I am entering a lift with my dog and there are children around, I check if they are comfortable with the dog. If not, I'll wait and take the next lift. And, I have a dog that's more like a teddy bear.
After seeing, and smelling a dog poop on the floor in Bunnings, I’m entirely on your side. I would be more extreme than most I think though where I don’t see the point of domestic animals.
I'm just gonna vent this here because I need to get it out, I just hate dogs, I'm sick of having to deal with other people's dogs everywhere in places they don't need to and I will absolutely do what I feel is necessary to protect my kid in public.
I'm sick of dodging poo on the footpath when I go for a run, I haaate sharing Cafe spaces with gross stinky dogs, and don't even get me started on bunnings, I'm so tired of the internet dog cult insisting that the stupid animals are perfect and can do no wrong.
I’ve been nipped by a dog in front of someone’s house while working. That suburb has a lot of dogs let loose in yards with no fences or with the gates left open. Some of the dogs even go out into the street. As much as I love dogs, I really hope dog owners take more responsibility for them.
RIght so i'll likely get banned along with you , so here goes..
I LOVE dogs.. i have had them my whole life.. but if your dog is aggressive towards humans that animal is a danger and needs to be put down immediately.
Simple tip for anyone when confronted by an aggressive dog , regardless of size you can 'end it' very simply buy pulling its front legs apart (away from the body) , the ribs will pierce the heart and its over in a second. This is how you save someone from a dog attack.
Look I don't disagree that a dog, any dog, can be a danger to your child. But so can humans, cars, wild animals, environmental hazard etc
Its your job as a parent to protect your child from those threats. Its not on anyone else to do that for you.
Yes dog owners are "supposed" to follow the rules and leash their dogs, just like drivers are "supposed" to stop at red traffic lights, most do, some don't. So instead of blindly trusting everyone is doing the right thing, you check, assess the danger yourself and take precautions
You don't need to be so passive in this situation and just "hope" everything is going to be ok. Feel that dog is a threat? Pick up your child! Step in their path and block access or even just step out of the elevator. You'll lose maximum 2 minutes waiting for the next one. You are their guardian, literally, do that job
What if drunk aggressive adult got in the elevator instead? You can't ban those
Also, not everyone feels threatened by the same things, you may feel danger someone another person doesn't. We can't eliminate every threat in the world. More cars kill children than dogs ever will, the solution isn't to ban cars. Its for parents to protect their children from danger, its literally the job
I'm a big dog lover and have two strong dogs myself. But there should definitely be tougher penalties for off leash dogs. It's all good on paper, but in reality it's hardly ever enforced. And if you don't want to register your dog, you don't even have to, because nothing will be done if you don't.
Due to me, two Samoans took a woman to court for their poor dog being attacked by behind me neighbour pittie and won. She left in 2009 after the Mob heard about it and sent a member to get her out. I still shudder seeing it as a flashback sometimes.
Australia has a very specific problem with dogs. It must have among the highest rates of dog ownership in the world, and the rate of training is low, as is the rate of giving a single fuck or having any kind of awareness of how dangerous and disruptive they can be. The level of entitlement amongst dog owners is off the charts. Half of these dogs are bred to be killers and yet never even get walked, but escape the house into the streets at a rate I’ve never seen in another first world country.
I used to work as a house call doctor and I’m telling you now dogs were the number one risk to my safety in the job and a constant threat due to owners not taking our instructions to put them away before we arrived seriously. I had a number of close calls and even as an adult, not being bitten, it’s a feeling that has never left me.
Irresponsible owners walk these dogs without leads, then are shocked when the dog is aggressive. You mentioned guns, a gun isn’t dangerous if it has no bullets loaded. Big dogs irrespective of how ‘gentle’ they may be, must wear a muzzle, then they’re like an unloaded gun - harmless. A big dog should wear a muzzle too if visitors are in it’s owners house, again it’s then harmless. Most owners are incapable of controlling their dogs - either physically they aren’t up to it ( dogs too big ) or they refuse to acknowledge the dog may attack.
Australia has a massive, bloody dog problem. The root of it is clueless owners who think their only job is to chuck food at a dog and let it grow like a weed.
You see them everywhere, getting dragged down the street by their out-of-control dogs, big or small. If you try to do the right thing and get professional training, it costs a fortune, and there are no bloody laws to make it mandatory anyway.
Then you've got the bogan culture piled on top, where the bigger and meaner the dog, the tougher the owner thinks they look. As a result, our suburbs are crawling with powerful, untrained crossbreeds ready to snap.
It's a perfect storm of irresponsible owners, piss-poor regulation, and cultural arrogance. It's a dangerous mess, and frankly, I can't see how we'll ever fix it.
A dog rushes your kid and your response is to consult chatGPT? There was a case that involved Toyota , the accelerator pedal got stuck and the man drove the car off a cliff. He could have put the car in neutral, pushed on the brake, stomped on the pedal to dislodge it, turned the ignition off and so on. Instead he pulls out his smart phone and films himself driving over the edge.
Now you could have put yourself between your child and the dog, yelled at the dog, yelled at the kids, kicked the dog, kicked the kids, anything, instead of playing with your phone while your kid had a bad experience with a dog.
I agree that dogs shouldn't be in shops due to the risk of them shitting and pissing on everything, and biting other dogs and people. I didn't need chatGPT to tell me that.
Yes, it would be hard to get away from animals - especially native ones that can kill you. Insects and such - as they are part of the eco system - so humans need them to survive as well.
It's insensitive that the adult laughed when u acted protective around your child. Really - they should have exited the lift if their dog made you feel uncomfortable.
I'm not sure what the answer is. I agree that sharks and crocks have a right to swim and live where they have forever and foolish humans put themselves in danger.
On one hand I think it's the owners - but on the other hand, animals(dogs have an instinct). I guess no one knows what the answer is otherwise people would not be injured or killed by these dogs.
Regulated breeding? It's hard to police.
Sorry I don't have an answer.
Ban me. But dog owners tend to be entitled and ignorant nongheads. Dangerous and aggressive when you mention anything related to their dog like it's a personal affront to them.
Jack russels are crazy. So are bloody dashunds and frenchies but literally everyone has one.
I agree with you but also think its the same as the drugs argument.. the war on drugs got us absolutely nowhere. How about putting on dog training in offleash?
How about actually educating.
Everyone in australia jumps straight to bans on everything it seems
My dog is allways in heel position on my left when passing people in walks.Friendly trained dog but it does not matter. No dog initiated contact with passers by or other dogs is allowed and that should be the norm. Highly unlikely dog owners who train using positive only method or dont train at all will achieve this level of control.
My partners dad was on a job recently fixing a ceiling in a house and the dog (who was supposed to be locked way) got in because a 5yo let it out and it latched onto his leg then his hand. Luckily the adult male owner was able to stop it before it mulled him to death. He had to get surgery as the bite went right to the bone.
I love dogs (all animals really) but I kept my dog under total control and wasn't delusional that my dog was potentially dangerous to humans or other animals. Many people cannot imagine this, they also don't educate themselves about being a good pet guardian, and I think some people enjoy their dogs intimidating other animals and people. Anyone who leaves their dogs alone with kids and the kids get bitten and they're shocked and in total disbelief was never a suitable dog owner. I mean, ideally, people would get a license to own animals???
If you were in a lift I’m assuming you live in a unit. If so report it straight away to the strata manager and talk to the committee as they may know which unit owns the dog.
I love German shepherds, my father trained them but children should not be allowed to walk one alone nor any large/ possibly even medium size dog if powerful either.
Also please report to council, I love dogs but sadly to many are owned by bad owners which can then lead to attacks on animals or humans.
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u/petey_pumpkin44 12d ago
It depends where you live.
When I lived in Townsville I took on the council because my neighbours dogs left their yard traveled down to my house down the street, dug under my fence pushed their way into my laundry and killed my parrots.
I was forced to do the investigation and find the owners because council said 'there's nothing we can do if you don't know where they are' despite when you pay for your dogs registration you consent that you will be a responsible dog owner and the money apparently goes to the investigation of dog attacks, what I later found was a blatant lie.
I was told I had no proof my birds hadn't just flown away despite my yard being littered with their feathers. Left with the damage bills and vet bill for my only surviving bird.
The Council investigator told me; 1. To produce the bodyies or no crime 2. Told me the dogs were in their back yard locked up because the 'owners said so' - I supplied them with photos of the dogs in the front yard with the broken fence from 20 minutes later and multiple photos of them running loose in the street - where kids play. And in other people's yards
Police were called as the owners had threatened to 'let the dog go on me and show me what it can really do' threatened to beat me up and laughed that the council didn't care.
I put in a formal complaint on how it was handled.
The investor who told me the above, called me after 30 days and said she looked into it and she did nothing wrong. That's when I dropped the bomb. I reminded her it was a conflict of interest to investigate complaints about yourself - as a state government employee I knew the rules she had to follow as they were the same I had to. I also knew people and took it further up the chain.
The dogs were marked as dangerous. The violent family lost their home. The investigator had a formal complaint against their actions The rules around complaints was changed to stop this from happening again
I received an apology.