[Liz3yy]

Apologies to all RESPONSIBLE dog owners out there but I have to get this off my chest.

I went for my usual run this evening down the trailway and was doing really well, a mile in just under 10 minutes, then...... a few minutes later I was trapped on the bridge by a couples 3 huge dogs - Alsatians I think - and I had to stop. The couple did nothing to stop the dogs bounding towards me and I couldnt go anywhere, guess what happened next....one of them bit me! :'( it ripped my trousers and left a huge gash on my thigh that is still throbbing now. I shouted at the couple and the dog who had to be dragged back. Why dont you keep your damn dog on a lead I said, to which the owner just shrugged saying the dog hadnt done that before!

I'm so angry and in a lot of pain. I'm not going down that trailway anymore now (

 

[Ali Kitten]

That's absolutely terrible, Lizzy, are you OK?

This is a pretty serious thing, isn't it, dangerous dogs act and all that- maybe you should report this incident to the police.

 

[Liz3yy]

Not really, its at the top of thigh so its hard to sit down straight and it really stings, I'm feeling rather tearful at the moment. My boyfriend was outraged and has gone out to try and find the couple to sort things out. He's been gone a while so who knows if he's found them. I guess I should see my doctor in the morning to check if I need any jabs (

 

[Ito]

Jaysus Liz. I'd read half your post and was thinking about leaving a jovial response about dogs bounding stupidly about and interfering with runners, but then could not believe what you went on to say. That's outrageous, not to mention completely negligent. If I were you I’d be seriously thinking about recourse. If you need any free advice I know an Ito who can.

 

[Liz3yy]

Thanks guys, but what can I do though? I was too upset at the time to do anything other than stand there and shout at them for being so stupid to let their dogs run riot. I dont know the couple and have no idea if they are local.

 

[JamboKaren]

That is terrible. I had a near-miss with a wee yappy thing a few months ago which left me shaken even though it didn't get me. I had a rant at the owner who shrugged, laughed and said "he was only playing"

I like dogs ( I even worked in kennels when I was younger) but if I had a dog of my own and I was letting it off the lead I would muzzle it. I think that people should have to muzzle their dogs when they are out in public, as any dog can be unpredictable.

Hope you feel better soon.

 

[CaveGirl]

I feel for you Lizzie. It makes me mad whenever I come across dogs which are big enough / have a strong enough jaw to do some real damage just bounding along, under no control and not on a lead. A lot of people think that we are making a mountain out of a mole hill - until someone gets bitten. Thank god it wasn't a fighting breed which lock on, shake you and don't bloody let go.
I hope you feel better soon and your bf finds them and gives them what for.

 

[Liz3yy]

The shock is starting to wear off a bit and I'm more angry than anything now. I dont want to give up my usual route but I dont want anymore nasty encounters either, is there anything you can do to avoid this? I wish I'd kicked the mangy mutt now.

 

[Slowsteve]

Not sure who you report these things to, but I really think you should let the Police or local Council know about it.

You got off relatively lightly - if it had been a mother and small child coming over the bridge instead of you - god knows what could have happened.

 

[Badz]

I would look for some formal sort of recourse.

The dog wasn't just being a nuisance - it attacked you, and if the owners/dog get away with it this time - theres no telling how many other times it will happen.

At the very least all 3 of these dogs should be muzzled when out in public after this incident, at most the offending beast should be put down.

What if it was a little kid running and playing when this mutt attacked?

 

[Liz3yy]

It's been nearly an hour and the graze is still bleeding slightly :'( I'm gonna have fun tomorrow at work trying to sit at my desk!

*sigh* my boyfriend didnt find the couple, they must be long gone by now, off home in their 4x4 probably. I just they realise how inportant is it to keep their animals under control so it doesnt happen to anyone else. I've come aross hundreds of dogs during my runs but none until today have been agressive

 

[Liz3yy]

I would look for some formal sort of recourse.

The dog wasn't just being a nuisance - it attacked you, and if the owners/dog get away with it this time - theres no telling how many other times it will happen.

At the very least all 3 of these dogs should be muzzled when out in public after this incident, at most the offending beast should be put down.

What if it was a little kid running and playing when this mutt attacked?

I'll go to the police and council tomorrow and report it definitely, but without witnesses I dont know what will come of it. I'll let you all know what happens.

 

[Ito]

It's a shame your boyfriend didn't find them, even if just to give them a piece of his mind. Seriously though as Badz said I wouldn't let it lie if the git really hurt you.

Hope you feel better soon. I've heard red wine is a good remedy for these type of things!

 

[Badz]

I'll go to the police and council tomorrow and report it definitely, but without witnesses I dont know what will come of it. I'll let you all know what happens.

Yeah - I know what ya mean.

See what they say - but it may be difficult to track em down
If you see the couple again - you could confront them - and ask them to come clean to the authorities and if they deny it - just bluff them and tell them that you went straight to the A&E and that they took a swab so have the dogs DNA on file


In the meantime I don't think anyone will improve on the following advice

I've heard red wine is a good remedy for these type of things!

 

[Ali Kitten]

just bluff them and tell them that you went straight to the A&E and that they took a swab so have the dogs DNA on file




That's genius, Badz- as good as the red wine recommendation! I'm raising a glass of it to Lizzy right now.

 

[Maria T]

Lizzy, terrible incident! Hope you are ok. I am not a dog owner but I think they do tend to be quite regular in their walking habits - and I bet they'll be out on the same stretch of trailway again tomorrow night. You may be able to 'speak' to them then. Don't go alone though.

 

[CaveGirl]

Lizzy.
Having given it some thought, there are two things I think you should do. Get your boyfriend to take a couple of good photos of the wound. Also, go to your GP tomorrow or asap and make sure the injury is logged. It may seem like overkill, but given the correct comments above - imagine if something did come of this.....you need evidence (the dog owners will always protect the dog and call YOU the liar) and it needs to be on your medical records or else the 'nip' will not have even been serious enough to consult your GP....Get my drift ? In all honesty, you need a tetanus anyway. Think of all that bacteria in it's slobber......
Email the photos to the council / police and add descriptions of the owners and dogs as best you can remember. If you don't log it asap, then it didn't happen in the eyes of anyone who may or may not give a shite and be able to do something about it.
Chris

 

[Ito]

Lizzy.
Having given it some thought, there are two things I think you should do. Get your boyfriend to take a couple of good photos of the wound. Also, go to your GP tomorrow or asap and make sure the injury is logged. It may seem like overkill, but given the correct comments above - imagine if something did come of this.....you need evidence (the dog owners will always protect the dog and call YOU the liar) and it needs to be on your medical records or else the 'nip' will not have even been serious enough to consult your GP....Get my drift ? In all honesty, you need a tetanus anyway. Think of all that bacteria in it's slobber......
Email the photos to the council / police and add descriptions of the owners and dogs as best you can remember. If you don't log it asap, then it didn't happen in the eyes of anyone who may or may not give a shite and be able to do something about it.
Chris

Can't agree more with this advice. However there has been no actual crime so the Police won't get involved. It's a civil matter and they will leave it to civil remedy. The council can't do much either, other than wag the finger.

Really, Chris' advice is ideal in terms of the injury. If you wanted to take further action then you could locate the owners again, and get their vehicle reg or address (as a point of contact). Then you could take a civil action against them, which would be relatively easy if they have household insurance, if not you could still do it, but judgements are more difficult to enforce against persons rather than insurers. Household insurance usually has third party liability cover for "in the open" incidents, which extends to pets and any physical or property damage they may cause. If it can be proven that it was foreseeable the owners should have know an issue may occur, which in this case it seems they should have; it's likely negligence could be proven. Could the owner control three dogs at once off leash? Unlikely. Therefore they should have not been off leash. Therefore negligence. Certainly under Scottish law any way.

I know you probably don't want to go down that whole horrible route, but if you wanted to you could.

 

[Liz3yy]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm going to see my doctor in the morning anyway as the area around the wound is quite swollen and very sore, its making me limp and flinch when I sit down. I've got two 2 inch long scratch marks dotted with red bloody puncture marks and other smaller marks around them, as well as that I have a pair of knackered gym trousers, good job I was thinking of binning them anyway as they're a little big. (I'm grateful actually that the trousers are a little loose as they took the brunt of the dogs bite)

I dont think I'll be running again for a few days until my leg has mended...thats the thing thats really upsetting.

 

[Squint]

off home in their 4x4 probably.

Lizzy, sorry to hear about what happened to you it's never good when this sort of thing happens. Maybe a good job however that you never kicked the dog. If they were Alsatians had you provoked them you wouldn't have been able to type your angry post. I certainly agree that any dog that even so much as places someone on edge should be restrained while others are about.

One question for you though why do you raise the issue of the type of drive system on whatever car they have??

Could the owner control three dogs at once off leash? Unlikely..

Ito, I have seen people on shoots work teams of 4 or 5 dogs with amazing skill and proficency it is and absolute pleasure to watch. I do understand that those sort of people are in the minority but there are people who can control multiple dogs off a lead far better than alot of people can control one dog on a lead.