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Boy, Dad Mauled In Dog Attack


Yonjuro
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http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/18286738/boy-dad-mauled-in-dog-attack/

A man had his hand ripped apart as he tried to save his son from a vicious dog attack in Como yesterday.

Jai Cooper was riding his scooter on the driveway of their Wooltana Street home when a neighbour’s dog jumped a fence from its yard.

Step-mother Larissa Miller said the dog latched on to the nine-year-old’s arm.

Her partner and Jai’s dad, David Cooper, tried to fight off the dog.

The dog then started attacking Mr Cooper, ripping apart his hand.

Doctors spent several hours today trying to save Mr Cooper’s thumb after he sustained serious hand and side wounds.

Jai is recovering in Princess Margaret Hospital after surgery for arm injuries.

Ms Miller said she was grateful to all the people who had helped them.

She has called for the dog to be destroyed.

Rangers seized the dog, believed to be an American bulldog, after the attack.

City of South Perth chief executive Cliff Frewing said the council and police are investigating the incident.

Under the WA Dog Act, owners of a dog that chases or attacks a person or animal can be prosecuted and if found liable, can face a $10,000 fine and the dog may be destroyed.

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That is terrible, once again owners have failed their dog by not restraining it correctly. I do believe a dog that has done this should be euthed, and immediately.

I hope the young boy heals quickly as well as his dad, how terrible having to go in and fight like that for your childs life.

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horrible! I hope both father and son recover well.

Isn't that an area of million dollar plus houses? Not the usual place for a dog attack. $10,000 is an inadequate fine, and jail time should be considered. If reconstructive surgeries are required, the medical bills alone, are likely to be several thousand.

The video suggests that the dog went over a high (1.8m?) colorbond fence that many of us would have thought adequate.

Edited by sandgrubber
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horrible! I hope both father and son recover well.

Isn't that an area of million dollar plus houses? Not the usual place for a dog attack. $10,000 is an inadequate fine, and jail time should be considered. If reconstructive surgeries are required, the medical bills alone, are likely to be several thousand.

The video suggests that the dog went over a high (1.8m?) colorbond fence that many of us would have thought adequate.

If the dog did go over a fence that high I don't think the owners should be fined or jailed. As you say most people would think that size fence was well adequate and I can't see how the owners were at fault. Unless the dog has a history of jumping out of course.

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I don't think expensive houses mean that people have dog sense necessarily... My partner's aunt is quite well (read: very well) off and her and her husband bought a "breeding pair" of blue Amstaffs who ended up being destroyed after getting out repeatedly and killing neighbourhood cats.. Of course they first produced and sold one or two litters :banghead:

They now bought a Pugalier...........................................................

Anyway, I don't think you can say whether the owners should or shouldn't be liable without more details. If the dog has escaped previously or had reports made against it then I think they should be punished severely. If there has never been any cause of concern, then I don't think they could have expected the dog to scale a fence like that. However, dogs capable of getting over fences this size usually have a history of doing so.

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Guest RosieFT

According to the news broadcast last night, the dog jumped the colourbond fence onto their driveway where the child was scootering. Apparantly, the dog frequently attempts to jump this fence, but the owners are normally home and come and restrain the dog. In this case, the owners were overseas and so the dog was free to keep attempting to get over, and succeeded. So, in my opinion, it was a ticking time bomb.

Horrible thing to happen.

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I had read elsewhere that it was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross.... either way I hope the little boy and his Dad recover quickly.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-01/dog-attack/4859782

A boy and his father have spent the night in hospital after a dog attacked them at their Como home yesterday afternoon.

Larissa Miller says her nine-year-old stepson Jai Cooper was riding his scooter in their driveway on Wooltana Street when a Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross latched onto his arm.

When his father tried to remove the dog, it started attacking him.

Jai was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital for treatment and his father was taken to Royal Perth Hospital with serious injuries.

Ms Miller says her partner has been in surgery for 11 hours.

"Because he tried to rip it off, it's actually ripped his thumb off, and he was on the ground and it was just attacking him everywhere," she said.

"He's a qualified chef; a boxer - he needs his hands.

"This dog, you could see wasn't going to stop.

"He had a big chunk taken out of his side, he's been in surgery 11 hours."

Ms Miller says the dog, which belongs to a neighbour, jumped over its fence and came into their yard.

She has called for the dog to be destroyed.

The City of South Perth says rangers have seized the dog and are working with police to investigate the incident.

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According to the news broadcast last night, the dog jumped the colourbond fence onto their driveway where the child was scootering. Apparantly, the dog frequently attempts to jump this fence, but the owners are normally home and come and restrain the dog. In this case, the owners were overseas and so the dog was free to keep attempting to get over, and succeeded. So, in my opinion, it was a ticking time bomb.

Sounds about right. The best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour.

One factor about dog attacks which comes out in research, is that there's been some history in most cases.

Horrible injuries to the dad.... but he saved the child from even worse. Children are far, far more vulnerable to injury in dog attacks.

That dad's a hero.

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1375398147[/url]' post='6267829']

I don't think expensive houses mean that people have dog sense necessarily... My partner's aunt is quite well (read: very well) off and her and her husband bought a "breeding pair" of blue Amstaffs who ended up being destroyed after getting out repeatedly and killing neighbourhood cats.. Of course they first produced and sold one or two litters :banghead:

They now bought a Pugalier...........................................................

Anyway, I don't think you can say whether the owners should or shouldn't be liable without more details. If the dog has escaped previously or had reports made against it then I think they should be punished severely. If there has never been any cause of concern, then I don't think they could have expected the dog to scale a fence like that. However, dogs capable of getting over fences this size usually have a history of doing so.

I should have put that differently. I meant to observe that aggressive escaping dogs aren't just a bogan phenomenon.As for fines, $10k is a lit easier to swallow with an annual income of $100 or $200k than it is with an annual income of under $50k.The dents in the top of the fence in the video show that the dog had been attempting the fence for some time. Leaving such a dog in someone else's care while going overseas is extremely negligent. The kid could easily have been killed. Reading subsequent stories, between hospital costs and lost time at work, the owners' irresponsibility has cost tens of thousands, perhaps over $100k, not to mention pain and suffering.

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Reading subsequent stories, between hospital costs and lost time at work, the owners' irresponsibility has cost tens of thousands, perhaps over $100k, not to mention pain and suffering.

These are points that are so often glossed over or not even considered when attacks are spoken of.

The ongoing consequences can be life altering ..... for the worse.

In this case, what if the man has a trade? It will be a long time before (if ever) he has proper use of his hand again.

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For what its worth. Como is not an exclusively rich area. There are some expensive parts but there are also some low end. I believe that these houses are in the low socio-economic area of Como. 10K would be a big hit for the dog owner I would imagine.

Regardless of the economics, a dog like this has no place in any home. Many dogs escape and go for a wander around the block, this is bad but seldom tragic, but when an escapee is so aggressive and innocent people playing in their own yard get attacked... well, we all know the results.

It is another nail in the coffin for responsible people who wish to keep dogs such as this.

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1375436499[/url]' post='6268328']

For what its worth. Como is not an exclusively rich area. There are some expensive parts but there are also some low end. I believe that these houses are in the low socio-economic area of Como. 10K would be a big hit for the dog owner I would imagine.

The article says Wooltana St.

6 Wooltana St sold in May for $1.25M, 11 Wooltana St. Is listed for $1.59M. It's a short street near Manning Rd, the Canning Bridge, and various parks. Most of us couldn't afford to live there.

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1375436499[/url]' post='6268328']

For what its worth. Como is not an exclusively rich area. There are some expensive parts but there are also some low end. I believe that these houses are in the low socio-economic area of Como. 10K would be a big hit for the dog owner I would imagine.

The article says Wooltana St.

6 Wooltana St sold in May for $1.25M, 11 Wooltana St. Is listed for $1.59M. It's a short street near Manning Rd, the Canning Bridge, and various parks. Most of us couldn't afford to live there.

Hmmm, that does surprise me. Can't say I know that particular street but I know the area, based on the prices you have found via google I certainly could not afford to live there, but I would not be surprised to see a big difference in prices from subdivided lots to housing estates.That side hard up against the freeway and manning road is not what I had thought of as the nice areas of Como, dunno to be honest.

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Some of the streets in Como have tiny places that are often accomodation for uni students so certainly not expensive.

The houses on the video don't look particularly exciting or expensive. That fence tells the story doesn't it.

I think it may have said the man is a Chef, so yes a hand injury like that could be devastating to his career.

Edited by OSoSwift
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Some of the streets in Como have tiny places that are often accomodation for uni students so certainly not expensive.

I think it may have said the man is a Chef, so yes a hand injury like that could be devastating to his career.

Is there a link to the video at all ?

Yeah, this is what I was thinking on both of your comments.

here is a link of the vid, I haven't been seen any others but no doubt, when one of the tabloid style news programmes does a story then the other networks will also do their bit.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/video/watch/3d857d83-d98e-3f99-a7a3-cee62b12cd60/boy-hurt-in-dog-attack/

Edited by Yonjuro
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Ok well I guess the story has become a little clearer now and in my opinion, a dog like this (not talking about breed here, but rather the violence the dog was ready to commit off its own turf) doesn't belong into suburbia where yards are packed next to each other and share fences. You'd have to think the owners knew that the dog would make it over the fence eventually and also what it might be capable of, going by the sign they had up...

In this case, I think the owners could have predicted this turn of events and should thus be viewed as intentionally harming another by not taking steps to avoid this happening. I don't know why grievous bodily charges cannot be laid against owners like this but would like to see this rectified, rather than adding more "vicious breeds" :mad to the list

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Not making excuses for the dog or owners, but many councils regulate the height of the dividing fence to 1.5 or 2m.

These people had no idea what would happen if their dog escaped. Most people don't think in those terms.

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Not making excuses for the dog or owners, but many councils regulate the height of the dividing fence to 1.5 or 2m.

These people had no idea what would happen if their dog escaped. Most people don't think in those terms.

I dont have much faith in colourbond fences anyway the panels will pop out of the rails quite easily given a solid hit,they need to be individually pop riveted to the rails and sheet to sheet on the overlaps

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Not making excuses for the dog or owners, but many councils regulate the height of the dividing fence to 1.5 or 2m.

These people had no idea what would happen if their dog escaped. Most people don't think in those terms.

That is true Jed. Our home is in a heritage area and our front fence is not allowed to be any higher than 1.2m.. There is no way, I could ever have Zig in the front yard with a 1.2m fence - he would be over it in no time.

Hope the man makes a full recovery.

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