Dog Attack Report...

[~JoLu~]

Link to article with pictures: Linky

Dog attack terror

BEATRICE THOMAS, The West Australian

February 17, 2010, 2:45 am

An 11-year-old northern suburbs boy has described his terror at having part of his calf ripped off during a freak dog attack near his home as his father called for all big dogs to be forced to wear a muzzle in public.

Louis Gray, a Year 7 student at Kinross College, said yesterday he had yet to start school this year after enduring two painful operations at Princess Margaret Hospital involving three skin grafts and more than 160 stitches since the December attack.

Speaking from his family's Kinross home, where he has been resting since the second operation to clean up infected parts of his leg, Louis said he was now scared when he saw a big dog.

Louis was riding home on his scooter from the local skate park when one of two dogs being walked on a leash by its female owner lashed out and bit his leg as he rode past, ripping off part of his calf.

Louis was too shocked to move but the dog owner and the driver of a passing car stopped to help and called an ambulance.

"I was heading down a hill and the dog just grabbed the back of my calf," he said. "It didn't bark or anything . . . I was in a lot of shock."

It is understood the dog, a blue heeler kelpie cross, was startled by Louis and the attack was uncharacteristic. The distressed owner voluntarily had the animal put down later that day.

Louis, whose parents are both deaf, said the dog was on a leash but he urged owners to hold dogs more tightly.

"It's just a warning to show people what dogs can do," he said.

His father Raymond was considering legal action against the dog's owners to cover medical costs. He said bigger dogs should be muzzled in public. Currently, only restricted dog breeds and individual dogs deemed dangerous have to be muzzled.

Louis said he was having physiotherapy and planned to return to school on Monday.

City of Joondalup chief executive Garry Hunt said the council was investigating the attack and had the option under the Dog Act to prosecute the owner.

He said the dog was registered and had no previous record of dangerous behaviour. The owners had co-operated with the council.

[SchnauzerBoy]

Another shocking attack, but at least they mention that it was a kelpie cross, it was on leash and the dog was unfortunately PTS.

Poor boy, at least he seems a little bit better than his dad's "All big dogs should be muzzled" attitude.

[~tj~]

They had a discussion about this on Nova this morning I couldnt get through, the lines were always busy - everyone whinging about how they had been attacked but no real reason as to why dogs should or shouldnt have muzzles. IMO its up to the owner to train their dog and understand the behaviour behind the attack and watch for the signs - sad tale

[spottychick]

What kind of idiotic response is that - all big dogs should be muzzled!!! Actually this dog was not a "big" dog if it was a kelpie cross anyway. And all size dogs can injure you if they try.

What a silly thing to say. Still - I guess he was upset.

I feel very sorry for the dogs owner. Sounds like she did most of the right things and she has lost her dog as a result of all this.

I wonder if the kid was on one of those motorised scooter things? THey are incredibly noisy and most dogs find them threatening. I would keep my dogs well out of the way of them. For their safety as much as anything. And kids should be taught not to ride them right at dogs.

[pie]

I've had my dogs get startled by people on bikes etc coming up quietly from behind (usually if I hear someone coming I pull them off the path), but I'll be turning around more often after this story!

That poor kid, and the poor dog owner too. Hope both recover okay.

I think it was a freak accident, and I don't believe that muzzling every large dog is going to help anything.

[RallyValley]

If all dogs are required to be muzzled in public how will we show our dogs, compete in dog sports ect.. I know it is upsetting for the guy but what an idiot for such a blanket statement.

The ACDxKelpie was most likely trying to herd the bike and got excited, what a shame it turned out the way it did. Toby will herd most moving objects but fortunately does not have that nip instinct that heelers use when herding.

[sandgrubber]

Sh#t happens. I feel for both the kid and his family and the dog's owners. I don't blame the family for jumping to the absurd-by-my-standards conclusion that all 'big' dogs should be muzzled. Most likely they have little understanding of dogs, and now they're going to be very very fearful as well as not understanding. There's no way they will find enough support to make a muzzle requirement happen. The dog owner may not be blameless. A dog that takes a sideways bite without warning has probably done something like that before, and the owner probably should have taken stronger control measures. But we all should have done some things that we don't actually do.

[poochmad]

I saw the dog bite on his leg - it did not look like a nip. A dog that has been taught bite inhibition should not break the skin; this reads to me as though the dog has done something like this before.

I feel very sorry for the little boy who suffered like this, and I understand the father's anger and blanket approach (although just because a dog is big doesn't automatically make them a biter...the number of little dogs that act like they want to rip your face off, beats the number of large dogs that do the same that I've come across - and I know the onus rests with the owner), I'm sorry for the owner who's had to make the hard decision to put her dog down (not that she would have had a choice, due to backlash and the way people now think when a dog bite happens) and I'm really sorry for the dog owner who may end up getting sued by the father for 'medical costs', although I don't understand this, as he should be covered by medicare? So not only has the dog owner have to live with the fact her dog injured a little boy, had to have her beloved pet PTS, but also has to endure added stress from the father.

A tragic event for all involved.

[Cosmolo]

Poochmad- the dog may well have had bite inhibition- bite inhibition just means the dog can inhibit their bite, not that they will.

Sounds like prey drive to me- i feel sorry for both the boy and his parents and the dog owner.

[poodlefan]

I wish we could learn more about such dogs than the snapshot of their actions in that split second.

Bite history (if any), drive levels etc might help prevent reoccurences.

A shocking incident for all involved.

[Zhou Xuanyao]

Sounds like one neurotic dog.

This kids father sounds like king jackarse I cant stand people like that.

[Lhok]

What was he doing riding on the footpath anyway?

what would have happened if it wasn't a dog and an elderly lady with a walker, he could have knocked her over instead of having this terrible situation happen.

IMO

Both side of the problem should have had better control of their actions, the lady with the dog should have like I do with my fearful dog walk it on the side away from passing traffic on the footpath and the boy shouldn't have rode his scooter so close to an unknown dog in the first place.

Should all big dogs be muzzled because of this advent... No as I believe it was avoidable ( all assumptions based on the article)

--Lhok

[poodlefan]

What was he doing riding on the footpath anyway?

--Lhok

Are you suggesting as a child he should ride on the road??

Kids should be able to ride down a footpath without losing body parts to dogs. We share our community and our dogs need to safe to walk within it.

[NoKillAustralia]

I feel for the family and the young boy. The father is simply reacting to the tradgedy. The problem IMO lies with the government and the RSPCA which have sent out a mixed message that some dogs are dangerous and by definition all others are safe. Dog owners must stand together against these opponents of dog ownership as dog attacks will continue to increase and all dogs will eventually be muzzled on a lead and microchipped.

[Lhok]

What was he doing riding on the footpath anyway?

--Lhok

Are you suggesting as a child he should ride on the road??

Kids should be able to ride down a footpath without losing body parts to dogs. We share our community and our dogs need to safe to walk within it.

I've always been taught that you shouldn't ride on the footpath as it is dangerous for pedestrians or if you are going to to WALK your vehicle (regardless if it is a scooter or bike) past a pedestrian. I live on a busy street the kids around where I live ride on the footpath I have seen alot of elderly people knocked over and I think that if a child who is around the 12 - 13 age can't show some common sense to not pass so closely to a dog while riding past then maybe they shouldn't allow people to ride on the footpath. Because as I said what would have happened if it was an elderly lady he knocked over? she would be in hospital maybe suffer horrible injuries all because one person didn't think it through.

--Lhok

[Zhou Xuanyao]

Its hardly a tragedy. WW2 was a tragedy, this is a kid with stitches in his calf from a dog bite.

Having said that I am in "shock". Its a shocking incident because a dog other than an alleged Pitbull was reportedly involved.

[Aussieflicker]

4.3 Bicycling on footpaths in Australia

While the majority of traffic laws are the same throughout Australia there are some

differences. The use of footpaths is one area where there are currently differences. The

following table shows the variations that currently occur in various jurisdictions.

Use of Footpaths – Various Jurisdictions

Jurisdiction Allowed

WA Children under 12

SA Children under 12

Victoria · Children under 12 and

· the rider of the bicycle 18 years old or older; and

· the rider is accompanying a child under 12 years of age who is

riding a bicycle on the footpath; and

· the child is under the rider’s supervision.

NSW · Children under 12 and

· Adults (at least18 years old) accompanying a child under 12

years old

· A person under 18 riding with an adult who is responsible

for the child rider

Queensland People of any age

NT People of any age

ACT People of any age

Tasmania People of any age

The use of footpaths by bicycles is currently under review in WA.

Edited February 18, 2010 by Aussieflicker