A few days ago, while I was out walking my dog (a 12-year-old Parson Jack Russell) on her lead, she was attacked by a Staffy (Staffordshire Bull Terrier).
Before I even had time to realise what was going on, the Staffy—which was off its lead—attacked us from behind. The violence of it was just horrific. The Staffy clamped onto my dog's neck for what felt like an absolute eternity. It was clearly trying to kill her.
The owner finally arrived and tried to get it to let go by shouting at it and kicking it.
By some miracle, the Staffy let go, which allowed my dog to get free. She’s alive, but she is absolutely terrified.
The owner didn't even apologise. When he saw me starting to call the police, he took his dog back home and then came back to talk to me.
In the meantime, I’d taken refuge with a neighbour who had heard the shouting and let me in.
What followed was a completely surreal conversation with the owner. He’s an 18-year-old lad who doesn't even seem to know the breed of his own dog. At first, he told me it was a 'Staff' (implying a banned or restricted breed), that he hadn't had the dog for long, and that the animal had been bred for dog fighting...
Translated from French
The forum content is sometimes translated from another language, and posts may concern countries with different animal laws. Do your research before making any decisions.
Since the forum is translated by AI, the translations may contain errors.
A dog’s size doesn’t make it dangerous. You’d have to be a right idiot to write that kind of thing. If the police didn’t take the report, it’s because no humans were bitten.
You can also check your local council's by-laws to see if there's a requirement to keep your dog on a lead in public places. While there might be some leniency in public areas as long as the animal isn't a nuisance, some councils do insist on dogs being kept on a lead. I don't think this person has it in for you specifically; he's just got a very relaxed attitude towards his dog and its potentially dangerous behaviour. Managing a dog off-lead is a delicate business and things can go wrong very quickly. Any of us could find ourselves in a similar situation one day (either as the victim or the aggressor) – there's no such thing as zero risk. The problem is mainly that the owner himself admitted the dog had a bad upbringing. Yet, he still doesn't seem convinced that a simple lead would significantly reduce the risks.
In my area, dogs have to be kept on a lead – it's a requirement, no exceptions. You're right that even on a lead, this Staffy could still bite other dogs. The owner has no control over his dog at all. The issue with this Staffy is that he has a history. There really needs to be a proper assessment of the dog's temperament, but for now, the council isn't interested. As for @gnome43160, I reckon you must own a breed covered by the Dangerous Dogs Act to be saying things like that. You’re basically justifying the attack – because it's a Staffy, he can do what he wants just because he's a powerful breed.
A "correction" is when two dogs are sniffing each other and trying to show dominance, and one gives a little nip to assert themselves. That’s not at all what happened. Whether you like it or not, my dog was attacked by a dog wandering around off-lead. If it had been a "proper" Staffy, it would have been even worse – the dog would have been put down.
What strikes me here is that this young offender clearly came back to see you, left his contact details, and then went to the police. So, despite what you’re saying, he seems to be a lad with at least some sort of conscience. Maybe taking a diplomatic approach might help defuse the situation? Because for an "irresponsible and cruel delinquent", he seems to have shown more common sense than some adults. Yes, he took his dog back home, but that’s logical given the circumstances. He came back to talk to you, gave you his details, and his dog's paperwork is all in order too. I really think trying to handle this peacefully could help sort the situation out.
Honestly, a moment ago the dog was dead and we didn't even know. If you keep changing the official story, it makes it much harder to follow. You're wasting your time and your cash, just move on.
That’s absolute rubbish, I never said my dog was dead. Anyway, even if she were dead, it wouldn't have changed your comments, since according to you it was just a "minor correction".
Of course, I’m walking my dog on a lead and she gets attacked from behind, but yeah, apparently that's just a tiny bit of "putting her in her place". Obviously my dog was the one behaving badly. She was in the way of a "peaceful and well-behaved" dog—what a crime!
When I see the sheer stupidity of some of these comments (even though you weren't even there to see it), it does nothing for animal welfare. I didn't realise people defended dangerous dogs on here. Thanks for your "help" anyway!
You should also check your local council’s by-laws to see whether or not dogs are required to be kept on a lead in public spaces.
While there’s often a bit of leeway in public areas provided the animal isn't bothering anyone, some local authorities do insist that dogs are kept on a lead at all times.
I don’t think this person has it in for you specifically; he just has a very lax attitude towards his dog and its potentially dangerous behaviour.
Managing a dog off-lead is a tricky business and things can take a turn for the worse very quickly. We could all find ourselves in a similar situation one day, whether we’re the victim or the one whose dog is causing the trouble – there’s no such thing as zero risk.
The main issue here is that the owner himself admitted the dog had a poor upbringing, yet he still doesn’t seem convinced that simply using a lead would massively reduce the risks.
It’s shocking how some people completely lack empathy :0 Rest assured though, as others have said, if that dog had actually wanted to kill yours, there would have been many more injuries. I’d say that if you want things to actually happen, you need to hit them where it hurts—their wallet. You’re likely to just waste your time and energy with the local council trying to get things changed (or not). Going through the insurance is the best advice I can give you. I’ve been in the exact same boat; a dog off-lead attacking mine in our neighbourhood. There weren't any serious injuries besides a few bruises, but it was very traumatic. It wasn't until the day the dog bit me, and the owner had to pay out of his own pocket as well as through his insurance, that he finally started keeping her on a lead. Now I can walk my dog without stressing out.
Thank you very much for your comment.
You’re right, the lack of empathy from some people on here is appalling (I doubt they’d react the same way if they were the ones on the receiving end of an attack like that)
Hello, I completely understand your concern and especially why you're so shocked by the owner's lack of responsibility. Since you run into him regularly, have you tried (without your dog with you, of course) to talk to him again? Even if it's just to politely ask him to keep his dog on a lead. Do you know of any other owners whose furry friends have also been attacked by this dog? Unfortunately, the law is quite limited here, and dog-on-dog attacks are usually settled privately between the owners or through their insurance companies. It’s only when a human is attacked that the authorities really get involved... As for the attack itself, it’s hard to know the dog's true intentions and motivations. A dog that intends to kill will go for the throat and shake its victim. It is very difficult to get a dog to let go once it’s determined to kill. The fact that your little girl managed to get away almost unscathed is incredibly lucky...
Thank you very much for your thoughtful and sensible reply. That is exactly what happened; my dog was grabbed by the throat without warning and shaken. I’m trying to find out from the neighbours if they’ve been bothered by this dog as well. But I have definitely warned other small dog owners that there’s a potential danger. Regarding the owner, I think he’s out for some kind of revenge against me (he didn't appreciate being told off by the police). He is an immature, reckless young man who won't do anything to change his ways; he thinks he’s perfectly in the right.
It’s shocking how little empathy some people have :0
Rest assured though, as others have said, if that dog had actually wanted to kill yours, the injuries would have been much worse.
I’m inclined to say that if you want anything to change, you have to hit them in the pocket. You’ll probably just waste your time and energy trying to get the local council to do anything (or not).
Going through the insurance is the best advice I can give.
I’ve been in the exact same boat as you—an off-lead dog kept attacking mine in our neighbourhood. There weren't any serious physical injuries, just some bruising, but it was incredibly traumatic. In the end, it bit me, and it took the owner having to pay out of his own pocket and through his insurance for him to finally start using a lead. Now I can finally walk my dog without being constantly on edge.
Hi there,
I completely understand your concern, and especially how shocked you must be by the owner’s total lack of responsibility.
Since you bump into him regularly, have you tried (without your dog with you, of course) starting a conversation with him again? Even if it’s just to politely ask him to keep his dog on a lead.
Do you know any other owners whose four-legged friends have also been attacked by this dog?
Unfortunately, the law in France is quite poorly designed, and generally, dog-on-dog incidents are settled privately between owners or through their insurance companies. It’s only when a human is attacked that the authorities actually start getting involved...
As for the attack itself, it’s hard to determine the dog’s real intentions and motivations. A dog aiming to kill will go for the throat and shake its victim. It is very difficult to make a dog let go when it's determined to kill.
The fact that your little girl managed to escape mostly unscathed is incredibly lucky...
