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Dog Owner Is Refusing To Have Her Pet Put Down – Even After It Savaged


Steph M
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2549112/Owner-needed-emergency-surgery-dog-attacks-insists-fault.html

A dog owner is refusing to have her pet put down – even after it savaged her three times.

One of the bullmastiff’s attacks left Angela Fielder needing emergency surgery to save her hand. Another mauling caused wounds to her face, ear and arm that required more than 60 stitches.

Despite her injuries, the 39-year-old insists she will not get rid of her 10st dog Boris and will not even make him wear a muzzle.

Angela Fielder with Boris+9

One of the scars on Angela Fielder's hand+9

Mauling: Boris the bullmastiff, left with his owner, mauled Angela Fielder three times but she insists she will not put him down - or even make him wear a muzzle. Right, a scar on Mrs Fielder's hand after one of the attacks

A dog's life: Boris lives in Wallsend, North Tyneside, with Mrs Fielder and her gas fitter husband Rob, 39

‘The bites were my fault,’ said Mrs Fielder, who describes six-year-old Boris as her baby. ‘He lashed out because I was telling off our other dog, Wallis. She is his daughter and he was simply being protective. After the attacks he showed genuine signs of regret, cuddling up to me.’

Mrs Fielder added: ‘Many people might have had Boris put to sleep. You wouldn’t put a child down just because it lashed out in temper. So why do people think differently about a dog?’

She and her gas fitter husband Rob, 39, who have no children, bought Boris as a puppy. He was no trouble until last February when Wallis – Boris’s pup by a friend’s bullmastiff – came to live at their house in Wallsend, North Tyneside.

As Mrs Fielder told Wallis off for chewing the vinyl floor in the kitchen, Boris lunged at her and sank his teeth into her forearm. She was treated at hospital but left to be with her dog.

'Doctors wanted to keep me in,' she said. 'But I went home because I knew Boris would be like a frightened child worrying where mummy had gone – and he was full of remorse.

Angela Fielder with Boris+9

Angela Fielder with Boris+9

Man's best friend? Though he looks placid, Boris flipped out when he was told off for chewing the kitchen floor

Relaxed: Mrs Fielder raised Boris from when he was a puppy, and said she had no problems until recently+9

Relaxed: Mrs Fielder raised Boris from when he was a puppy, and said she had no problems until recently

‘Back home Boris was sorry. I could see from his eyes he was upset.’

But two weeks later Boris attacked again. Mrs Fielder believes Boris thought she was about to tell Wallis off again.

Angela Fielder: 'The left side of my face was also slashed open'+9

Angela Fielder: 'The left side of my face was also slashed open'

‘I turned round to see him flying through the air at me. I raised my left arm to defend myself. It was only when I saw blood pouring from my arm I realised I’d been bitten and my left earlobe had almost been severed.

'The left side of my face was also slashed open.’

She had 24 stitches to her face and more than 40 to her arm. The couple discussed having Boris put down but Mr Fielder said: ‘Although I was so upset about what Boris did to Angela, neither of us could do it.’

In September, Boris attacked Mrs Fielder again and she needed surgery to save the movement in her left hand.

But she claimed: ‘Boris isn’t aggressive – he was just overprotective. We’ve now solved this by ensuring he’s always behind a gate if I have to tell Wallis off.’

She added: '‘As soon as I saw Boris I fell in love with him.

‘Just a glance at me with those big soulful eyes he has always makes me melt. He’s like a child to me – my baby, especially as despite trying for ten years, Rob and I have been unable to conceive.'

Mrs Fielder insists Boris is no danger to the public. ‘I don’t muzzle him because he’s never gone for anyone else. One woman who asked about my scars said she couldn’t understand why Boris was still alive. But most people say what a lovely, soppy dog he is.’

Just wow. When is enough enough?

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To not acknowledge the seriousness of the problem is irresponsible and dangerous. While having the dog put down or not is her choice, the dog should absolutely be muzzled in public given his history AND the owners total lack of concern and understanding of her dogs behaviour.

Edited by Cosmolo
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I'm sorry... even if it were my heart dog... if it freaking attacked me for any reason, it wouldn't be alive.

What about the time she'll be out in public and the dog decides that someone else should be a target for it's aggressive tendencies? We'll hear the "he's never done that before" bullshit story...

*slaps forehead at the stupidity of some people*

T.

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This dog needs to be seen by a decent behaviorist. All sorts of things can make a dog turn on their handler and it is not as uncommon as some people seem to think (probably some breeds are more prone to it than others).

I don't think you can tell whether the dog is "vicious" just from the article, most people are completely ignorant of the signals their dogs give them and feel that attacks happen "out of the blue" or whatever. However, continuing to have it in public and without a muzzle on is just deliberately putting others in danger.

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Is it just me or does it look like Boris has cataracts in some of those photos? I'm wondering whether the addition of a new dog at a time when he coincidentally was also losing his vision is causing him to lash out in fear when she raised her voice at the other dog. Just a theory...

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I can see how it would be a hard call to make, but for someone to be so happily ignorant and not get him vet checked or seen by a behaviourist is just madness.

Frankly maybe PTS is the best option if she can't pull her finger out and do something.

Once she might have a free pass, twice not so much but three tines and a bunch of surgeries? That's a lotta unpredictable dog.

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tdierx

I'm sorry... even if it were my heart dog... if it freaking attacked me for any reason, it wouldn't be alive.

Mmm. If it attacked me, I'd bash it stupid before I even thought about it.

Her dog, her choice. Dog is now running the household. One day it will, as Nehkbet suggests, bite her, and that will do for her. Her choice.

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My neighbour's bunny attacks her - and she still can't see the sense in desexing him... he's fine with me though, so I am the lucky soul that feeds him when they go away... *sigh*

Maybe I'll get him done next time they are away... *evil grin*... dirty little bugger sprays on everything and everyone that comes near.

T.

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She's solved the problem by putting Boris behind a gate when she "has" to tell Wallis off?

So Wallis does something he shouldn't, she goes and gets Boris, puts him behind a gate then goes back and tells Wallis off, when he's probably long forgotten whatever it was he did :( In the meantime, Boris is behind the gate getting increasingly frustrated because he's "overprotective" but can't get to what he wants to "protect", so if he manages to get through the gate the attack will be even worse!! :mad

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