Puppy Attacked By Another Dog

[Pjrt]

LINK

THE courage of a bystander has saved a 14-week-old Scottish terrier after it was attacked by another dog outside the Aldinga Beach Primary School.

Natalie Cardinal was waiting to pick her son, Riley, up from the school last week when her dog, Isla, was attacked by a Staffordshire bull terrier.

Tim Pascoe was waiting to pick up his children from the school when her saw the dog attack. Mr Pascoe ran more than 50 metres to grab the attacking dog and prise open its jaws, which were locked around the neck of the little dog.

Mrs Cardinal said she was holding her eight-month-old son, Oscar, and had four-year-old daughter, Marley, in a pram, when the dog leapt from the window of a parked car and raced towards Isla.

“We were standing at the school gates and Isla went to have a drink of water from a puddle,” Mrs Cardinal said.

“The other dog did not even make a sound, it jumped out of the car window and was on her neck.”

She said the dog grabbed Isla by the throat, severing an artery in her neck.

“The blood was squirting everywhere, I couldn't do anything, I tried pushing the dog away,” Mrs Cardinal, of Port Willunga, said.

“Two people rushed to me and came to my aid and wedged the other dog’s jaw open to get it off.

“Isla dropped to the ground in a puddle of dark blood, I thought she was gone.”

Mrs Cardinal said she grabbed a plastic bag from her pocket and wrapped it around Isla’s throat to stop the bleeding.

A parent drove her to a vet in Aldinga, where Isla was operated on for about two and a half hours.

“He managed to get her through that, but we thought she would die of shock overnight, she didn't and we brought her home two days later,” she said.

Mrs Cardinal was critical of the owner of the Staffordshire bull terrier, saying he did “too little too late”.

“I did not know any of the people that helped me,” she said.

“The guy who pulled the dog’s jaw apart had all scratch and teeth marks all over his hand.

“The school community got her through, if they weren’t there she would not have survived.”

She said she understood there was no destruction order placed on the other dog and the owner would be fined.

“I am not asking for him to lose his family pet, but it should be muzzled when it is out in public, even when it is in his car he should have it under control.”

What an awful experience for the poor puppy owner and the people who came to its defence. Pity about the glaringly obvious breed ID error. I am quite certain that is a West Highland White Terrier puppy and not a wheaten Scottish Terrier puppy.

[*kirty*]

I think the owners would know what breed their puppy is. It looks like a Scotty to me?

[teekay]

I think the owners would know what breed their puppy is. It looks like a Scotty to me?

Yep, I agree kirty, the body proportions don't look right for a Westie. Terrible story though, can't believe the little dog survived at all if the other dog really 'severed the artery in her neck'. The vets must have been very close by.

[Sandra777]

Head looks too long for a WHW.

Why can't people keep their dogs confined in their vehicles (is it illegal to have a loose dog in a car in SA?)

It really isn't rocket science

[Dame Aussie]

Looks like a scotty to me. How lucky they are that she was ok!

[Pjrt]

Ok now I am on a bigger screen I am leaning towards Scottie too!

That poor woman must have felt so helpless with her young children right there. The people that came to her aid deserve a medal! and I think she has an extremely generous attitude toward the owner of the attacking dog.

[Boronia]

Isla looks like a Wheaten Scottish terrier, here are some images--> https://www.google.c...iw=1024&bih=582

and a screenshot of one of those images showing the different colours

[OSoSwift]

Shit how awful, trying to save her puppy and keep her children from getting in the middle of it as well. She may well ahve severed something that lead to spurting blood but if they could block it then she would have been in a bad way - which it sounded like she was - but made it.

Digs in cars with their windows well down or on the backs of vehicles always put me on high alert and worry me. Especially having the breed I do.

I was walking one of my dogs and up ahead was a ute with a large dog that was not confined by anything. it was pacing around the back of the ute tray and its owner was in the front yard of the house speaking to someone. I had my kids with me on their bikes and my husband.

Thankfully I only had the one dog but I have to say I was rather worried as it was a large strong dog and it had it's hackles up. Had it come off the ute we could have been im big trouble. I made my husband aware so he could help me if required and also make sure the kids were out of the way just in case.

[poochmad]

Poor little puppy.

That would have been a terrifying ordeal for everyone involved. Thank god there were people around to come to the rescue.

What I don't understand is why an adult dog would attack a puppy like that? I always thought puppies were safe from that type of thing happening. Or am I completely off the mark?

[Cosmolo]

Puppies are certainly not safe from a wide variety of aggressive behaviours and/or attacks.

[OSoSwift]

Depends on if the adult dog has any idea about dog interaction, body language etc.

[Pjrt]

I doubt the attacking dog even knew it was a puppy. Likely just saw a small fluffy critter jumping about and went hunting

[twodoggies2001]

Not all dogs like puppies or give them extra leeway with their behaviours just because they're puppies.

Sure, but that's no excuse of what happened here. Very irresponsible of the owner to leave car window open enough so that the aggressor could jump out.

[Little Gifts]

Geez, is there anywhere our dogs are safe anymore? With each horror story it is clearer that it isn't the breed of dog but each specific dangerous (or potentially dangerous dog) that yet again an owner fails to keep contained or under control that is the issue. One dog doing nothing wrong, minding its own business and another possibly high risk dog only moderately contained, out in an area where it might be exposed to a trigger. If you did an analysis of what went wrong here there are several changes that could've easily been made and both dogs would both be safe. About time we stopped beating up breeds and getting really angry with irresponsible owners.

[Staffyluv]

Puppies are certainly not safe from a wide variety of aggressive behaviours and/or attacks.

I agree.. I always thought puppies had a sort of puppy license with older dogs but have come to realise that just isn't the case at all.

Glad the little dog made it through such a horrible ordeal.

The poor owner and her kids.

How awesomely courageous of the bystander.

Ollie dog was attacked a couple of times, once by a female SBT and she was adamant that she wasn't giving up. Even with her owner (a very large woman) laying on top of her, she still managed to get out from under her and out of her grip and come after him again - it is something I will never forget.

Zig has been run down and I thought was going to be attacked but the other dog just stood over him with its mouth around him - then again, he rolls over at the first sign of not being able to get away or back to me. Where as Ollie dog stood his ground and wouldn't back down.. Maybe that is why one turned into a fight and the other didn't??

[melzawelza]

Poor owner and dog. That would have been terrifying.

My dog isn't keen on puppies. She isn't aggressive with them and she is nothing but appropriate in her corrections of them, but she is much much more likely to correct a puppy for rude behaviour than another adult. She ignores them totally unless they won't leave her alone, whereas she loves playing with adults. Puppy license isn't the case with many dogs.

Edited June 29, 2014 by melzawelza

[Amax-1]

What people don't understand is the dog who attacked the pup is no good for a family pet as it's drives are in the wrong place and I would bet my life on the fact that the parents of this dog were exactly the same with active dog aggression so some idiot breeds on such dogs selling them as stable pets which they are not.

A dog who is dangerous to other dogs in a pet environment needs either the green dream or extra vigilant management. We know what the dog owner should have done preventing such an attack, but dog owners drop the ball and are not always the perfection of sound management so when they do drop the ball, their dogs need to be of the genetic stability who don't by default engage in a killing rampage if they do jump out the window or slip out the gate.

Dogs with genetic active aggression as pets are a PITA and the owners of such dogs need to do the right thing in the interests of community safety and for their own enjoyment potential of their pet IMHO

[VizslaMomma]

I agree.. I always thought puppies had a sort of puppy license with older dogs but have come to realise that just isn't the case at all.

The breeders of our old boy Vizsla thought the same. They had an older bitch which was in the house when his Momma whelped.

Her aim was one thing and one thing only. She wanted the puppies gone. They had to re-house her with relatives for the entire first 2 months of the puppies' existence. She hated them.

On the other hand, the patriach of the latest puppy does 'puppy duty' until their teeth appear. Then he begs to be rehoused. :laugh: His son is their goofy Uncle from the moment the bitch allows contact. He specialises in teaching social skills to the puppies. Does a brilliant job.

:)