Advise need - Re: dog owner!

[Pickle]

I was out on a ride today, minding my own business and enjoying the sun, when I rounded a corner and a dog shot out from under a hedge and nearly under my front wheel :shock:

What followed really shock me up.

The bloody thing was barking, snarling and circling me. Despite my "get this *%&£!*$ thing away" screams to its owner, the other side of the hedge, it proceeded to bite my hand and quite badly scratch my leg.

Anyway, after it finally left me alone, I carried on my way and to find a car parked at the side road, near the top of the footpath (about 50 yards away). Now, given this is the middle of nowhere and there was nobody else around, I am fairly sure this was the dog owners. I took the registration.

Once home, I reported the incident to the Police, and gave them the registration number, explaining that it may/may not be the dog owners.

So, what I need to know is would you take this further or put it down to "one of them things"?

 

[FSR-Si]

Yes, i've had one dog put down for biting me and i wouldn't hesitate to do it again!

 

[rienster]

I agree. If people can't control their dog they shouldn't have one.
Shame it's really the dog that get punished and not the owner.

 

[andy.l]

And if a small child came along next.......

get it destroyed

 

[Russell]

And if a small child came along next.......

get it destroyed

Absolutely. I don't know if you're old enough to have kids or even want them, but imagine you were riding along, teaching your 8yr old daughter/son the fine art of MTB'ing and the dog had attacked them.

The owner needs educating in the first instance and if they allow the dog to do it again, the dog needs erasing.

If an owner allows a dog to maul another person, can the owner be done for assault or is there a seperate charge covering this?

 

[jonnyboy666]

wow, thats a bugger.

i think because you only might have the reg number and no witnesses thats about as much as you can expect from the police.

i like dogs, don't own 1 but regularly look after my brothers dog and that seems to me to be incredibly stupid, wanky, dumb, etc of the owner. you can't expect dogs to be on a lead all the time especially in wide open countryside as you describe, but the dog should be trained to stop whatever it is doing at the command of its owner.

the problem more often than not is owners not training their dogs properly or in some cases not at all.

get better soon mate

 

[FSR-Si]

I'm not 100% sure on this but once a dog bites someone it goes on the dangerous dogs register, Then the 2nd time it bites i think they have it put down. The Alsation i had destroyed was pure evil and even the owner couldn't stop it.

 

[Pickle]

And if a small child came along next.......

get it destroyed

Absolutely. I don't know if you're old enough to have kids or even want them, but imagine you were riding along, teaching your 8yr old daughter/son the fine art of MTB'ing and the dog had attacked them.

Yea, I have 2 kids and a 3rd on the way. I must admit, that thought has gone through my head, as my daughter has recently started to show an interest in MTBing and often rides with her mate on the footpaths.

I was lucky that I had full finger gloves on so the skin on my hand isnt broken; its my right leg that came off worst.

I think the general opinion is to take this further and show the owner he cant get away this :x

 

[theboy]

Its the owners fault, yet the dog will be punished. You screaming "get this *%&£!*$ thing away" to its owner may have scared the dog, whose natural reaction may then have been to become aggressive itself. I am neither condoning the dogs behaviour, nor saying you are in any way to blame by shouting, cos thats what most of us would do, but it seems deeply unfair to me that the dog will inevitably have to pay for its owners neglect/stupidity.

Than again, Im a vegetarian and much prefer animals to people, so, you know...

 

[john]

Hard call.

I'd get the police involved in the hope they sort the owner out rather than kill the dog. Don't think it'll get put down for 1st offence...