Dog attacked my child (St Aiden's Road) (Lounged)

[Asset]

Macroban -

I have said that putting a coat over the heads of fighting dogs or throwing water over them, can stop them fighting long enough to be grabbed. May work for this situation may not, don't know.

To kill a dog quickly grab front legs and pull out to side fast and hard.

[SeanMacGabhann]

bawdynan - I don't think CWALD comments were aimed at you. I think there was another poster referred quite sweepingly to "chavs". But given the nature of mandy's original post I would leave that particular argument for another thread.

[jumpinjackflash]

Dear all,

I've attached a Word doc with some tips/advice that I extracted from various websites. Whilst I know that some of the advice listed may not be feasible to act out in time/may not have any effect, but some of the tips may prevent an attack from occuring in the first place. Would also like to add that whilst most of the breeds of dogs carrying out the majority of attacks are Staffies or Rotties, we shouldn't assume that this is the nature of all those types of dogs. As a Mastiff owner, I do get a few worried looking people when my dog walks past them in the Rye, even though the most he'll do is slobber all over you! Yes, be vigilant, but please don't stereotype.

[scotslass]

So sorry to hear about this awful attack - feel sick to the stomach just thinking what your little girl (and you) must have gone through that day. And like everyone else above, am completely speechless that the dog wasn't immediately taken away and if the law says it can't be destroyed, then at least it should be held somewhere away from the public while investigations are carried out.

[Cassius]

Just wanted to add my wishes for your daughter's speedy recovery and to hope that no-one else has to suffer an attack from this particular dog or any other.

[Brendan]

ChavWivaLawDegree Wrote:

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> What is also distressing however is people going

> on to brand a whole class of people (ie chav dog

> owners) as being somehow to blame because of this

> person's behaviour.

I agree with you in principle chav but then how do we address the issue of a very clear and present sub-culture that feels the need to make their dogs aggressive?

[jumpinjackflash]

Maybe the 'dog license' law should be re-instated and properly regulated.

[louisiana]

As I've mentioned before here, I've been seriously attacked by dogs twice, both times hospitalised (and once nearly losing my leg).

Both dogs were eventually put down. Neither dog was a banned breed or even a 'vaguely scary' breed. Both were very much 'surprise attacks'. For example, in one case I was walking down the street and the dog came up from behind me and sank its teeth into me. I did not know the dog was even there until the pain of the bite hit me. On the other occasion, I had just opened and walked through a door, had no idea what was waiting for me.

In my experience, dogs are not put down until they have made many attacks. The first time I was hospitalised, the dog had already attacked twelve others (adults and children). It went on to attack 13-yr-old child after me. The authorities then decided to do something, finally, and it attacked both the RSPCA officer and police officer that went into the house, to remove it. Their legs were saved by their wearing chains around their legs (legs wrapped in newspaper up to the thigh, then heavy duty chain-linked metal wrapped around and around). They had obviously done this kind of thing before and knew what to expect.

On civil proceedings, check if your union (yes, they are still around, and useful in cases such as this), if you have one, gives free legal services to members. (I benefited from my union membership in a separate case, when British Rail crashed my train. I bought a ticket and all I got was a lousy train crash - Canon Street disaster.) You'll get a top-flight lawyer on the case, for free. Also check the situation with the criminal injuries compensation board. They don't give much, but it's something.

Take all dog bites seriously. I was rushed to hospital in an ambulance immediately and got extensive treatment, but rapidly developed necrotising fascitis (not uncommon with dog attacks, I was told) and had to undergo emergency surgery in the middle of the night to remove acres of tissue, then was pumped full of lots of intramuscular antibiotics for weeks. I nearly lost my leg and was very very ill indeed. Apparently, there's a very high probability of dying once you've got NF.

And please, please, pursue the dog being put down, as hard as you can.

[James]

Let's face it CWALD is not a chav at all! There's a huge difference between being working-class and being a chav. Being working-class is a bit like having brown hair or being male or black or straight or whatever - it's just the way you are. One of my best friends is pure, proper working-class. Her parents are from Poplar. She won an assisted place to a private school and now works in a job serving her community. She's one of the sharpest, most articulate people I know. The idea that she's a 'chav' is patronising and ridiculous.

A chav is a pejorative word for a subset of working-class people who behave anti-socially and generally believe that their right to do whatever they like outweighs everyone else's freedom and safety. There are similarly revolting people in each social class but it just so happens that the chavs are the most visible (probably since as they are the poorest, their revolting behaviour is played out in public spaces rather than private ones). One could also argue that the welfare state has encouraged a culture of dependency and lack of personal responsibility among some (we see the same thing among certain upper class people actually, the difference being that it's the civil list and not the welfare state subsidising their idleness).

Let's put the political correct doublespeak aside for a second and remember that about 99.99% of dogs who bite repeatedly are owned by chavs. Fact. I'm sorry but that's just the way it is. It's not the dogs' fault - the problem lies with these irresponsible ownners. I think the only answer is to bring back dog licenses. To be honest I think you should have to get a license to have children to stop these people breeding as well...

[david_carnell]

When we clashed on the topic of schools, James, I gave you the benefit of the doubt.

As Abe Lincoln once said:

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

[blinder999]

david_carnell Wrote:

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> When we clashed on the topic of schools, James, I

> gave you the benefit of the doubt.

>

> As Abe Lincoln once said:

>

> Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than

> to speak out and remove all doubt.

Calling James a fool rather than arguing your point doesn't win the argument for you.

[James]

Yeah exactly, I am a fool because I disagree with you. Right!

[KalamityKel]

James that's just a ridiculous over stereotyping based on no facts at all!

[James]

Besides which, when we "clashed on schools" you obviously had no idea what you were talking about! So you wisely threw in the towel

[James]

The trouble with stereotypes is that there's usually a grain of truth in them.

[KalamityKel]

a grain not a sack!

[James]

Okay so what isn't true in what I've said?

[louisiana]

For anyone who doesn't know about necrotising (or necrotizing) fasciitis, here's a short medical report on a case of NF caused by a dog bite to the calf, exactly what I had.

Elsewhere there are quite a few reports of quite healthy people dying from NF within 24hrs-3 days, and mortality rates of 30-70+% once diagnosed. It has many similarities to toxic shock syndrome, but without any kind of lifesaving equivalent of the Epipen.

(I feel I was lucky - though perhaps benefited also from being young and healthy at the time, plus it was spotted quickly by a senior registrar at St Thomas's who pulled all the stops out in the middle of the night to get me to theatre immediately they realised what was happening.)

[david_carnell]

I didn't "throw in the towel" as you put it but decided it wasn't really worth getting into an argument on something that I wasn't that bothered about. This on the other hand....

I wasn't attempting to win an argument by calling you a fool, just highlighting that sometimes thinking whether something you're about to post could be seen as unnecessarily inflammatory and offensive might be a good idea.

Launching an attack on a easy stereotype is neither big nor clever. It goes off on a unnecessary tangent from the original point of the thread and is crass and insensitive, to say the least.

If you don't think your post displays all the hallmarks of bigotry try replacing the word "chav" with "Chinese" or "Muslim" and see how many people you upset.

[david_carnell]

James Wrote:

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> Let's put the political correct doublespeak aside

> for a second and remember that about 99.99% of

> dogs who bite repeatedly are owned by chavs. Fact.

Really? A fact is it? Says who? You. So that would be a random guess with no factual basis at all to back up your argument would it.

> To be honest I think

> you should have to get a license to have children

> to stop these people breeding as well...

Righto. Disabled people next. Can't have those breeding can we. Might pollute the gene pool or something. WTF are you on?!?

[James]

Clearly you have not understood my post. The word "chav" is not analogous with the word "Chinese" or Muslim". This was the whole point of what I was saying. Read it again more carefully.

An Asian friend of mine refers to "Asian chavs" causing trouble in her local neighbourhood. I think this makes it clear.

[James]

Okay, hands up, my last point about having a license to have kids was a bit flippant!!! (But sometimes I wonder...)

But there is a point behind it. Certain people are all "I know my rights" and no responsibilities. And the rest of society has to deal with the fallout. It's just not right.

[david_carnell]

No, I have understood your prejudices perfectly well. You think that by using the term to describe only those "who make trouble" everything's fine and dandy.

I think it is you who has misunderstood what is appropriate and what is not.

[blinder999]

david_carnell Wrote:

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> Launching an attack on a easy stereotype is

> neither big nor clever. It goes off on a

> unnecessary tangent from the original point of the

> thread and is crass and insensitive, to say the

> least.

thanks, that's much better

[James]

Oh, by the way a friend of mine works for the local police and another friend used to work at Battersea Dogs' and Cats' home. Staffies are by far the most numerous breed of abandoned dog and it doesn't take a genius to work out the sort of people who are breeding them and why.