Jump to content

Toddler Attacked By Dog In Hair Salon


The Spotted Devil
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 375
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Tragic for all involved.

The biggest tragedy is that adequate supervision and some dog savvy would have prevented it. :laugh:

that, and not feeding the dog when others were around - how incredibly stupid is that?

I don't have a problem with dogs in the workplace, but they need to have bullet-proof temperaments, especially in a place where kids are (and there are kids at most salons). Not every dog is suited to a busy salon.

The dog could easily have been kept safe via a couple of baby gates.

The salon owner has done the dog world no favours by trying to down play the whole thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know the dog. My house is about 5 minute walk from that very salon. I see the husky there all the time. never on a lead, always lying around in the salon.

Poor kid, poor dog :laugh:

I agree, the salon owner and the parents are at fault. The child shouldn't haven't been walking around without being supervised. Not fair for the child or the dog. Poor husky is probably going to get pts :rofl:

The day I walked past it seemed the salon had doors that opened right across the shop front and the dog was sitting right at the front just up the step and not tethered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How do you know the child wasn't being supervised?

Because the child got bitten while the parent was having a haircut.

Perhaps he assumed that since the dog was at the salon, it was a friendly dog?

It probably is a friendly dog, but its a dog.

You dont leave babies to do what they like. Under the right circumstances (ie messing with the dog while its eating) the risk of a bite is 100 fold.

Perhaps he was not a dog savvy person and thought nothing of the child approaching the dog.

Well now he knows better (I hope).

Lo Pan, tell me .... have you ever witnessed a dog attacking a child?

Have you any idea of the SPEED involved in such attacks?

As I said before any warning growls from the dog to the child would not be heard over the noise of hairdryers in a salon.

There may have been no audible or visible warning to the parent, or the hairdresser, that this dog was about to attack.

On two occasions I have seen dogs attack toddlers and there was no warning, none at all. Bang! It is like a bullet out of a gun!

Those dogs were of two different breeds and in two totally different situations, and have nothing in common with this breed or this situaiton - but the attack in both cases was lethal and swift. Both dogs were family pets. I love dogs but I also know what they are capable of doing and the speed with which they can attack. I was attacked by a Rough Collie as a child, a dog that I played with every day. A trusted pet. A gentle Lassie dog. No warning. None at all, and all I did was to walk past it! I was about 8 at the time, not a toddler, and I have a very clear recollection of the incident.

Nobody could have prevented that attack from happening, because nobody saw it coming!

The dog went on to attack several people after it mauled me and was eventually PTS.

Anyone who has witnessed such an attack, and I have, will tell you that these attacks usually happen with lightning speed and no adult would have been fast enough to have prevented it from happening.

That is why I say the dog should not have been in the salon in the first place.

Souff

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to agree with Ashanali. Perhaps the dog shouldn't have been there, loose, but when you walk into a salon and see a big dog sitting there, wouldn't you feel inclined to keep your child close? I can understand older children being able to sit in a salon without constant adult supervision, but really, letting your toddler wander up to a big dog that was eating?? Young children in this case should always be kept close and constantly supervised - it is certainly not the job of the salon staff to constantly chase after your kids.

The salon owner was an idiot for allowing his dog loose in the salon.

The parents IMO were irresponsible allowng their very young child near such an animal without adult guidance particularly when it was eating!

Now very sadly that girl will probably have a permanent scar, and the husky will probably be pts all due to irresponsible idiocy on both sides.

I have to agree here too. If the dog approached the toddler and attacked..........different story, and I am not familiar with Victorian laws but in SA, there are no laws unless it's food preparation that restricts dogs from being in the workplace so the dog has a legal right to be on it's owners premises. I don't see that the little girl had any rights to interfere with someone elses dog...........provoked an eating dog to protect it's food???

Other people's dogs are not fair game to approach and mess around with in hope that everything will be ok. The little girl should have been supervised by her father and not been allowed to run around. She may have approached the roadway unsupervised and been hit by a car.............who's fault is that???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am sorry, but dog attacks can happen with LIGHTNING SPEED (it can be like a bomb going off)

A parent would need to be bloody superhuman to get out of the barbers chair and get to the child and dog before it happened.

Kids are very quick.

Dogs are very quick.

I am sorry for the dog, and for the owner, but the dog should NOT have been in the hairdressing salon imoI hope this little girl is not permanently turned off dogs by this incident.

Souff

That really depends on the laws if the dog should have been there or not. If the law in that area prevents dogs being in the workplace accessable by the public the dog owner has breached the law. If not, the situation is arguable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That father is going to beat himself up for what happened for the rest of his life and if she is worth her salt, so will his partner.

Both my children are runners. My youngest, almost four, is not quite out of that habit yet. They are skinny gazelles who can nick off down the aisle of Blockbuster and be out the door before you know it.

That child should not have been left unattended. Watching from the corner of your eye in the mirror as your hair is being cut is not adequate supervision in a work place possessing such dangerous things as stated in previous posts. I have witnessed a toddler pick up a tray of bleach and sink her FACE in it while the mother was having her head shampooed. Off to emergency with wet hair went that mother!

I feel for the little girl, I feel for the father and also the dog, who should have been left alone to eat in peace and not be put in such a situation. ;)

Good post, I agree :shrug:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am sorry for the dog, and for the owner, but the dog should NOT have been in the hairdressing salon imoI hope this little girl is not permanently turned off dogs by this incident.

Souff

That really depends on the laws if the dog should have been there or not. If the law in that area prevents dogs being in the workplace accessable by the public the dog owner has breached the law. If not, the situation is arguable.

I never said that anyone was breaking any laws.

It is my opinion that the hairdressing salon was not an appropriate place for the dog to be because of the dangers that are inherent in a place that services the public. Rightly or wrongly, I am entitled to my opinion.

What the Victorian health laws may say about having dogs in hairdressing salons is another matter altogether.

Souff

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally I just feel that yes the guy was an idiot for not being ontop of the kid (which is actually hard at times), but this was a place of business if you are going to take a dog there you are liable in my books. You couldnt leave something that was unsafe lying on the floor with no effort to protect your customers and not expect to be liable when tragedy strikes.

I have a 2 and a half yr old and although I never leave her alone or unsupervised I know how quickly she can escape even from a 5 point harness. The father may have not been aware that a dog would be there and wasnt prepared to deal with it. Maybe he was a typical dad and a little "relaxed" about watching the kid.

Either way terrible but sounds like the owner of the shop is liable to me.

Poor dog.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally I just feel that yes the guy was an idiot for not being ontop of the kid (which is actually hard at times), but this was a place of business if you are going to take a dog there you are liable in my books. You couldnt leave something that was unsafe lying on the floor with no effort to protect your customers and not expect to be liable when tragedy strikes.

I have a 2 and a half yr old and although I never leave her alone or unsupervised I know how quickly she can escape even from a 5 point harness. The father may have not been aware that a dog would be there and wasnt prepared to deal with it. Maybe he was a typical dad and a little "relaxed" about watching the kid.

Either way terrible but sounds like the owner of the shop is liable to me.

Poor dog.

There could be enough angle to save the dogs life, but at a risk assessment level the shop owner hasn't addressed the situation effectively with a dog loose in the salon which is effectively a public place. To be safe with dogs in the workplace, they need to be kept in an area restricted to the public.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dogs that are not 100% reliable (is any dog 100% relaiable?) should be under the control of a competent person where ever members of the public will be, regardless of the law. Dog loose in a salon is not 'control'. Parents should be in control of their toddlers at all times (Iv had toddlers and know thats difficult, but thats what parents are for).

A couple of irresponsible or just plain stupid adults in this story, and the poor kid and the dog have bourne the brunt of that.

Mind you, if the journalist who reported it felt they could possibly have gotten away with words such as 'mauled', 'deadly' or 'vicious', Im sure they would have, so perhaps this indicates the child will be ok. Also lucky it was an identifiable breed, or they probably would have used the word 'pitbull'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of my earliest lessons was 'don't go near the dog when it has food' and then 'don't go up to strange dogs'. Surely someone should have seen he stupidity of having an eating dog and a toddler in close proximity (i.e in the same room) and intervened if not the father or the salon owner maybe even someone else in the room.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It annoys me that people seem to forget that children are little people. They have the right to go anywhere their parents go and feel SAFE. I have a toddler and I should not have to worry about her getting attacked by a dog while I get my bloody hair cut!! Mind you, I do supervise my children and while I normally don't take them to the hairdressers with me, on the odd occasion I have they play with the toys in the corner. Dogs do not belong in places like that unless they are confined.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even if the dog wasn't there the child should have been supervised more effectively. Instead of going near the dog, she might have pulled down some chemicals onto her face, run out on the road, gotten hold of dangerous objects. Whether the dog should have been there is a side issue, the fact is the child wasn't supervised appropriately for that particular place. I don't think the dog should have been there BTW, but the salon still contains things that are dangerous to toddlers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My dad used to manage to take us children safely to such places, but we were a bit older . But there wasn't a dog in sight in Dominic's hair establishment.

Old Dominic would have chased it out with the broom! :thumbsup: Dominic was from Europe but he definitely did not subscribe to dogs in his salons.

Souff

Edited by Souff
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Everyone, I have read all the posts on the attack of the little girl and I must say I wouldn't usually do this type of follow up post myself, but I thought it would be important for every one to get some clear information before they start making rash statements. I am very good friends with the family of the little girl who was attacked and I believe that there has been a lot of misunderstanding around this attack. Firstly the father was not 21 as stated in the press and was actually at the salon with his wife and two children. At no time was the little girl roaming around the salon freely and when she was attacked she was standing right next to her mother. The woman working in the shop had advised my friends that the dog was completely harmless and not too worry about it.... It is correct that the dog was eating, however, it was not mentioned that the dog was eating a bone. I have been a dog owner my whole life and had great and not so great experiences with dogs, but I do know that I would never give a dog a bone around anyone, especially a child. The little girl did not approach the dog....

I was really saddened to read all the posts that suggest parental neglect was to blame for the injuries she sustained. I think we should ask ourselves what purpose we have a dog for? In my opinion this dog was used as a type of gimmick for the salon...but what sort of a place is that for a big dog to spend its days? The simple fact is that the dog did bite the child and it was severe, she had surgery and has a terrible scar. Please before throwing blame on the parents, put yourselves in their shoes...their perfect angel has now been through a horrific incident and on top of that, their other daughter watched the whole thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Everyone, I have read all the posts on the attack of the little girl and I must say I wouldn't usually do this type of follow up post myself, but I thought it would be important for every one to get some clear information before they start making rash statements. I am very good friends with the family of the little girl who was attacked and I believe that there has been a lot of misunderstanding around this attack. Firstly the father was not 21 as stated in the press and was actually at the salon with his wife and two children. At no time was the little girl roaming around the salon freely and when she was attacked she was standing right next to her mother. The woman working in the shop had advised my friends that the dog was completely harmless and not too worry about it.... It is correct that the dog was eating, however, it was not mentioned that the dog was eating a bone. I have been a dog owner my whole life and had great and not so great experiences with dogs, but I do know that I would never give a dog a bone around anyone, especially a child. The little girl did not approach the dog....

I was really saddened to read all the posts that suggest parental neglect was to blame for the injuries she sustained. I think we should ask ourselves what purpose we have a dog for? In my opinion this dog was used as a type of gimmick for the salon...but what sort of a place is that for a big dog to spend its days? The simple fact is that the dog did bite the child and it was severe, she had surgery and has a terrible scar. Please before throwing blame on the parents, put yourselves in their shoes...their perfect angel has now been through a horrific incident and on top of that, their other daughter watched the whole thing.

Most people in here have said that they don't agree with the dog being in the shop (myself included).

However an unknown dog walking up to an unknown child is still a time to be vigilant no matter what the owner of the dog says. Sounds like the owner (not the parent) had become all too complacent.

I said it earlier

Poor child

Poor dog

:thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share


×
×
  • Create New...