Lumby Dog Attack

[Darlin06]

Ok, so just watched the news...Some little girl was attacked by a dog out in Lumby...As it turns out, she had walked onto someone else's property and stuck her little arm through the fence to pet the dog...

The owner was fined $250 for the attack as well as not having him licensed...Fine. Understandable. But now Animal Control and RCMP are seeking a court order to have the dog destroyed...How is this right?? Your child (who should know better, after you, as the parent, teach them to not walk onto someone else's property and stick their hand in the fence with a dog) walks onto my property and shoves their arm inside my fence where my dogs are, and gets bitten, that is NOT my fault. If my dog was running loose, then yes, I would have him/her put down but no way in hell would I surrender my dog in this situation. Most people have dogs to keep unwanted guests away...If you're too dumb, or think that the dog won't bite, then that's your fault for being so silly....

Hopefully the owners get to keep their dog.

Any thoughts on this??

[zookeeper]

Yup, just went through this on the pitbull thread. Those dogs were running lose. One guy said (on that thread) something to the effect that if they are in his yard, behind fences, with signs up, the people would be at their own risk. Guess we are going to find out now. Reaching in to any area with a dog is silly. I feel sorry for this girl, but really, what was she thinking? My dog is very small, but she lets everyone know not to touch my car when she is in it, I don't leave the windows down so she could reach out, but don't know what would happen if someone actually reached in (how dumb would that be?). I suddenly have a huge respect for any dog in it's own space. They also said on the news that they want to test it for rabies, because generally this type of dog is not aggressive. It will be interesting to see what happens. There is definitely a fine line between animal aggression and people stupidity, they really need to investigate this and lay blame where it belongs.

[Darlin06]

Absolutely! Our dogs are the same way. you come here and they don't know you, you will be barked and growled at until I invite you into the house. Same thing goes for our truck...Who needs a car alarm?! Ha.

It absolutely is a terrible thing to happen to a little girl, but that's something you just don't do. Whether they're in their yard, on the street, it doesn't matter.

I heard the rabies thing..I've never actually seen a dog with rabies so other than the "white foam", what other things would an owner even see?

I really hope the dog doesn't get put down...The parents need to have a discussion with the little girl and hopefully the dog isn't suffering from anything too serious...

[zookeeper]

Rabies symptoms http://www.dogsymptomscure.com/dog-rabies-symptoms.php
So this is where we would need more info, maybe that's why the owner doesn't want to give up the dog, he knows there is nothing medically wrong with it, which would make this attack provoked (by the girl). Not right I know, but if a dog who has never exhibited aggression before and is not the "type" to do it, imo this situation should be investigated further to give this dog a chance. There have been many situations where a "high risk" dog has gotten more than one chance. Plz keep me posted on the outcome, I don't always see the news.

[Darlin06]

I agree!

And hopefully the news and/or Castanet will follow up on this story...

I'll definitely keep you posted I hate situations like this...

[Lacosmom]

Sad indeed for everyone involved. Unfortunate that the kid went into a securely fenced private yard to pet a dog and got bit. Turn it around and put a crack -head coming in the yard for a B & E or rape the homeowner and the dog is a hero. No winners here any way you look at it. My sympathies to all involved and hope the young girl recovers fully and quickly.

[superbee]

If the dog was in a fenced yard I cannot see why the dog and the owner are in any way at fault here.

As usual the question is, where are the parents? Did they not instruct their child to never go onto someone else's property? Not to touch dogs, even at our friends' homes? We sure were when we were kids, and some learned the hard way by getting bit. In those days it was called 'misadventure'. Some stitches in the Vernon hospital, and a lecture from the doctor putting them in about being stupid. And we came out of it a whole lot wiser about keeping out of other peoples' places, and not touching any dog until you ask the owner.

Yes, I do feel sorry for the child. She went where she was not supposed to be, and did something she was not supposed to do. She learned 2 hard lessons. I think she and her parents bear far more responsibility here than the dog and the dog owner. His dog was behind his own fence where he was supposed to be and he did what dogs do to an invader. He bit the intruder. Why should the dog be punished for that?

[Ty01]

This is a member of my family's dog. In the entire time knowing him, since he was a puppy, the only time I've even heard him growl is when playing tug o war or rolling around with their other dog. He's seriously the most gentle dog I know, and when I heard about this I couldn't believe it at all.
Not only is their yard fenced in, it's also about a car's length away from the road, so it's not like their dog just poked his head over the fence and got her. She would've been making the effort to not only walk over to their fence, but also to reach over the fence since it's around 4 -5 feet tall.
The whole situation sucks as they did everything right in having him contained inside their yard. As much as I hope the girl has a speedy recovery, it's her own fault. Yet now animal control or whoever is in charge of the decision is gunning to have the dog put down. On top of that they also told my family that they were going to have him put down, and then have his head / brain removed so they can check for tumors.
Obviously as much as I can try to be impartial I'm still attached, but we can only ever hear one side of the story in this case, and if they kill my family's dog based on the word of a ten year old and circumstantial evidence then that's seriously f'd up.

[JLives]

Totally ridiculous. The dog and the owner did nothing wrong. Another animal being put down due to do the actions of people. Sad.

[zookeeper]

Obviously as much as I can try to be impartial I'm still attached, but we can only ever hear one side of the story in this case, and if they kill my family's dog based on the word of a ten year old and circumstantial evidence then that's seriously f'd up.

The CHBC news report was very one-sided, but they also said that this girl did this quite often (petting dogs on her way home), it was not a first for her, plus the news said she put her hand "in the fence". I had 2 very "gentle" type dogs years ago, and we lived on a large acreage where the landlord mowed the grass. He asked me one time to put them in the house on mowing day because they would growl at him. I said say what? I was home the next mowing day and we found out why, he was touching their bones to pick them up and move them to mow, go figure, a stranger touching their bone!!! We worked things out, but that was the first and last time I ever saw them growl.
I sure hope they will investigate this further. I read the signs of rabies, and I would be rather sure if something was making my dog out of sorts. Maybe they should investigate the girl's history a bit too (my heart goes out to her regardless) because I think this would have happened sooner or later with what they said about her on the news.
I wonder though, if the dog can be deemed not at fault, would the homeowners liability insurance cover such a thing?

[flubbergiver]

I live in Vernon but I went to West Kelowna about a month ago to rescue 2 agressive Chows from being put down by the Regional District "dog control".

The term agressive is very misleading to most people. These dogs are 8 years old, entire lives spent in a puppy mill situation, and have never had any socialization. They were FEAR agressive. They only reacted to protect themselves. They have never had a collar on them in 8 years. So when I had to pin the male down to get a lead on him, he actually pooped himself...total fear of the situation. Once I got the lead on him I didn't wrap it up my arm quick enough and he got my right thigh. Two deep punctures. That was irrelevant to me, I stayed calm and kept wrangling him until he finally realized I wasn't going to back down and that I was also not there to hurt him (took 2 hours). By the end of that first day, he followed me everywhere and would lay down on my feet when I sat down.

I had to take them somewhere for the rehab they need. Both dogs are now at Angel's Adoptions in Merritt and are doing great. They were the only rehab in Western Canada that had room...and they already have 56 other dogs there!!! I told them the whole situation about the dogs behaviour, and they said no problem, bring them here. They are amazing people!!!

The dog in this story will NOT be put down if I can help it. If need be, I will come rescue it and take it to rehab (although this was not the dogs fault, at all). If anyone has the details, that live in Lumby, please message me.

[zookeeper]

The dog in this story will NOT be put down if I can help it. If need be, I will come rescue it and take it to rehab (although this was not the dogs fault, at all)

At least make sure he gets a fair trial.

[Roadster]

This I disagree with, I feel sorry for the kid but kids who are able to walk by themselves should already know better then to go poking around through a dogs fencing. The owner and dog are not at fault here,,, the kid's parent would be for not making sure she was road smart before walking the sidewalks alone,,, just like teaching her to cross the street IMO. Hope she is ok and the dog survives this one.

[flubbergiver]

The little girl is not at fault, as she is just that, a little girl.

But the dog is so not at fault either. The dog obviously got scared, when approached, and reacted. The dog was in a secure space (the fenced yard) and did not do anything wrong.

For that Regional District to think that they have to put this dog down is absurd. This dog is not, and never will be a threat to the public.

I stand by my earlier statement that I will be there tomorrow to take the dog out of that district so the dog control can't do anything. It's not like dogs get province wide warrants for missing dog court!!! Once the dog is out of the area of the offence, the dog is safe.

[Mama]

Poor kid. Just loves dogs, but not educated in respecting their space. Hope she is going to be ok.

To put this dog down?! Or even fine the owners? What a joke. This is a political bandwagon BS move. We all need to fight for this dog and its family.
If this was my child, I would be fighting to protect the dog. Yes, I would be upset to say the least, but still, not the dogs fault. Just two creatures doing what they do. The child loving dogs and visiting them all on the way home. And the dog freaking out that something or someone it didnt know was invading its families space.