Terrible Incident With A Small Dog

[GeorgeofNE]

I'm sorry that this happened to you and your greys ....

 

You might want to send a note to the "Lexus Project" - they deal with legal issues arising from dog bites and so on. For example, if someone shows up at your door and wants to take the dogs because of the bite incident - don't let them (at least until you talk to the Lexus Project). You may not want to open the door at all to anyone that looks "official" - let them leave a note (for the time being). Once the authorities get the dogs, it is very tough to get them back. The Lexus project should be able to fill you in more on what you can do to protect the dogs. If you haven't done so already, get the rabies information for both your dogs and keep it handy.

 

The poster is in the UK.

 

As far as I know, no one involved in the Lexus project has any expertise in UK law.

[charbess]

Eliza...I commend you for taking responsibility for your dogs' behavior but I, too, place the majority of the responsibility on the little dogs' owner. That dog was off leash, yours were on leash. And, I would be relieved and not upset that people avoid you if they see a muzzle on the dogs...it simply lessens the chances of another incident. YOU know your dogs are not dangerous and unless you want to be constantly explaining that to people, I would consider their reactions a time saver! Of course, if you are trying to promote the breed for adoption such as at a "meet and greet" you would need to make the time for explanations.

[Charlies_Dad]

I would not muzzle my Grey even with a high prey drive. Personally anyone who walks their dog loose must be able to call their dog back in all circumstances and unfortunately that is likely about 1% or less of those people. I am glad the little dog is okay though. My wife went through a very similar incident albeit with a small white fluffy dog. Suffice to say, our angel Jack was not high prey but he did not like small dogs jumping up in his face while on leash and this dog was loose which was against the law in that area. The end result was my wife getting punched along with our Grey by the idiot owner and my wife loosing the top third of her pinky finger due to the the wrestling match that ensued. So we ended up at the hospital, over $5000 in medical bills have several weeks of therapy and my wife never having full feeling in her finger again all because of a stupid dog owner.

 

All loose dogs (and I love all dogs) now get my foot when they come near my dogs no matter what. I am not taking chances.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Hey John, how is a dog defending itself considered out of control? If an off-leash dog runs up to your dog, then it is simply defending itself, not out of control. The fact that it is on a leash would be considered under control (from a legal standpoint).

[o_rooly]

The Lexus Project's website lists an incident involving a small off-leash dog that ran at three leashed greyhounds and ended up dead:
http://thelexusproject.org/tlpdog/texas-chickie-and-nellie

I recall Robin mentioning in a previous thread that the law came down (I think?) to something along the lines of what is stated at the end of that page --
"...just because there Is an off leash dog (which is usually against the law), it doesn't give the leashed dogs a right to kill it."

I can understand that perspective, but it is infuriating nonetheless. I suppose for utmost safety in the legal regard, all dogs capable of killing other dogs (especially if they are under attack by a smaller dog) should be muzzled while on leashed walks... however... really?

Aston is not small-dog-friendly. He will tolerate them from a distance, but will get keen on them if they try to get in his face -- and most of the small dogs I encounter around here have a mean Napoleon complex (which their owners find adorable...). I've worked hard with Aston using look-at-that training, and he is MUCH calmer and harder to ruffle nowadays. Alas, there will always be the owners who think that when I yell at them to collect their dog, they assume it's because I'm afraid that THEIR dog will hurt mine. I carry a stick and wear shoes I can kick with. Should Aston be muzzled at all times? What sort of impression will that give in regard to greyhounds as pets? What a mess...

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

By the way, what I have done in your situation. I yell at the owner to get their dog before I punt them like a football. Then I have proceeded to do just as I warned. Usually one good kick to the ribs stops most dogs, most. That way you don't have to worry about someone considering your dog vicious. You simply were defending yourself from a dog.

Edited August 12, 2013 by Greyt_dog_lover

[JohnF]

Hey John, how is a dog defending itself considered out of control? If an off-leash dog runs up to your dog, then it is simply defending itself, not out of control. The fact that it is on a leash would be considered under control (from a legal standpoint).

That's the way our law is, it's harsh. It is in a public place and any dog must be under 'effective close control' whether that be on a leash or not, so if it lunges at and injures a loose dog it was therefore not effectively under the owner's control. Being on a leash doesn't exempt the dog's owner from culpability. Say the dog was leashed outside a shop while the owner just popped in to get something and say a child approaches the dog, scares it, and it bites the child. Dog was not under control in a public place. Say someone's bull terrier was leashed and walking down the road and it lunged at and bit a child walking by... it was not under control in a public place. Obviously if a loose dog attacks a leashed dog and it tries to defend itself then there is mitigation, and particularly so in a place where the byelaws state that dogs must be kept on a lead whilst within these grounds, because the leashed dog's walker had every right to assume there wouldn't be a wild dog running around.