My dog was attacked.

[cruella]

While out for her walk with my Hubby on Saturday afternoon, a staffie attacked our Westie. This dog was not on a lead, lives in a house nearby. Our dog was bitten on the neck and ear by this dog and the only thing that probably saved her was the fact she yelped with pain so much, she slipped her lead and ran home. My Hubby was unable to get the other dog off her until that point. He called the Police as the other dog took off. The Police said they would come up to talk to us as we were afraid the other dog would attack again.
Hubby went to the owners of the other dog who replied "Our dog does not like other dogs"
Thing is, the Police still have not been up to talk to us, and we were worried that it could have been a child who was attacked, let alone our wee dog. Since found out that the dog has attacked other dogs in the past.
Question is, Should the Police have dismissed this, or made further investigations.

[kita1]

The police should have followed up, they should have taken a statement from you (and any other witnesses). The dog should not be out of control in a public place (eg should have been on a lead if it was on a public road). Was your husband bitten when trying to seperate the two dogs? If so then the police definately should have followed up.

You could try chasing them up (try saying it was a pit bull type dog!) or you could try your local Dog Warden. Contact them through the Environmental Health Dept. of your local council.

Imagine if a child had been walking their pet dog!

[leelapops]

cruella, that is disgusting-I hope your little lady and your hubby have recovered. It really shakes you when that happens doesn't it? The dog should NOT be off the lead in public places unsupervised, especially if it "doesn't like other dogs" (a facetious and bulls**t response to what is a very serious incident). What the hell kind of people are the dog's owners? Dare I ask...

The police should chase it up-don't let them go quiet, the other dog's owners will think they've managed to get away with what happened. Keep pestering the police to go round and get it sorted. Someone living nearby threatened to "start their dog" on me and my dog for absolutely no reason, and I reported it. Don't think the police have managed to get hold of them yet, I am still waiting for a comeback 10 weeks later...

Lots of luck cruella, and a cuddle for your Westie.

[wolf63]

My last dog was a tad 'unstable'. I adopted him (and his problems) when he was 5. He liked to attack first and sniff later when he met other dogs.

I got him a halti and a 6 foot lead. He stayed on the lead and I could prevent him from savaging other dogs. Having said that he was scared of them so when the fought back he usually ran away.

Why don't these people accept that there dog is not a happy and friendly dog and keep them under control? I have nothing against any breed of dog - any breed has the potential to be vicious. Should owners like that be allowed dogs?

Robbie lived until he was 14 (Lab/GSD) and he did mellow a bit, but was still not totally trustworthy. He was a great friend and I still miss him six years later.

I hope that your little dog gets over this attack cruella - the streets are dangerous enough without being attacked by dogs too.

[gelda]

So sorry to hear about your little Westie I hope it hasn't made him scared of all dogs. A couple of years ago when I was a dog walker a little Westie that I was walking was attacked by a Staffie she was quite badly bitten (apparently the dog had attacked other dogs before) I rang the police and they said that as no person had been injured there was nothing they could do and to contact the dog warden which I did and all he did was warn the owner to keep the dog under control and I never saw the dog again.I think somehow the police don't want to get involved with any dog related incidents ( apart from organised dog fights ) Anyway I hope you get something sorted out and your little dog is soon on the mend. Gelda.

[cruella]

Once again folks, ou are all stars with your answers.
Misty, my Westie was bleeding from the neck and ears but it was superficial.
The owners of the other dog are elderly and we did not want to cause them too much distress, but we feel they cannot control their dog. All we wante was for the Police to give them a warning, as I hate to think what would happen if a achild was attacked. I have a friend who works as a Dog Warden, so will call her today.
Thanks again for all the advice.

[888sally888]

Hi Cruella - not sure if you can go back and fnd my question from March this year titled American Staffordshire Terrier but I had similar and some excellent answers.

Sally x

[VillageVicar]

Cruella: I�m sorry to hear of this. Not too long ago, something similar happened to us when our Jack Russell was violently attacked by a Pit Bull (passing as a Staff). Thankfully, our local constabulary tends to act upon anything I contact them about. However, I think it�s more that they all know me rather than dedication.

Your police have a duty of service towards you. If you feel they have failed in that responsibility, it�s important that you actually go to the office to file a complaint. They do not want people to do this as it reflects badly on their performance stats and the local police chief gets adverse attention drawn.

This doesn�t address the immediacy of the fact their unleashed dog was aggressive. It could be a child next time and the consequences much more dire.

It may be worthwhile contacting your local MP to see when they conduct their local surgeries and schedule a meeting. Typically they�re limited to ten minutes. However, your MP DOES take note! Additionally, consider contacting your local Citizen�s Advice Bureau.

Finally, you may wish to consult with your vet to see if she knows anything about the animal who attacked your dog. There may already be a known history.

I realise this does not offer immediate satisfaction, but hopefully will help to guide you in the right direction.

You are in my thoughts

Fr Bill

[TIGGERLIT]

hi sorry to hear about your westie too, it can sometimes really scar the dog mentally, so if you know anyone with dogs meet up with them, so that you are telling your westie that not all dogs are nastie.
also if you go on the kennel club website they have a section about dangerous dogs act, the dos and donts and what ifs.
i know you say the owners are old, which i understand, but could you forgive yourself if the dog attacked again and it was a child, knowing that you could of prevented it.
the way i look at it is its never the dogs fault but the owners and some breeders.
but as i said go on the kennel website

[duckling98]

this dog should have been on a lead, the dangerous dogs act states the owner is the one in possession of ownership of the dog, you need to keep contacting the police, this dog could attack children or the elderly, go higher if your worries are not deal with efficently like the council etc.

[cruella]

Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to thank everyone who took the time to post on this thread.
I took your advice and contacted the "Dog Warden Service" who acted the same day.
They interviewed the couple and also informed them that their dog had already attacked two other dogs.
The couple took on board what the Wardens were saying and promised they would ensure that their garden was more secure in the future.
They were also aware that their dog was unsocial around other dogs and would take every step to stop their dog running loose and attacking any other dogs.
We still have not heard anything from the Police, so have decided to leave things as they are now.
The couple have been warned, so hopefully no more problems. We have been warning neighbours with dogs to be careful.
Once again, thanks for all the advice. You are all stars. xx We really appreciated it!