Police issue dog bite appeal (From Western Telegraph)
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Police issue dog bite appeal
5:38pm Monday 30th July 2012 in News
Police are appealing for information after a runner was bitten by a Jack Russel dog last week.
The lone runner was jogging along the cycle path between Johnston and Neyland at around 5.30pm on Saturday.
A woman on the path was walking a small Jack Russell which bit the runner on the leg causing minor injuries.
Police are anxious to trace the owner of the dog. She is described as white, in her late 40s to early 50s, well-spoken with short light blonde or brown hair.
Anybody with any information should contact Haverfordwest police station on 101.
Comments(8)
Welsh Hillbilly
says...
7:32pm Mon 30 Jul 12
algobr
says...
6:50pm Tue 31 Jul 12
It is a criminal offence to have a dog dangerously out of control in a public place, which is the reason the matter has been brought to the attention of the police. I'm not blaming the dog; it's entirely the owner's fault.
William 1
says...
10:34pm Wed 1 Aug 12
Andrew Lye
says...
11:35am Thu 2 Aug 12
Unlike "algobr" who hides his or her identity behind a fictional name, I am happy to post under my actual name.
The dog may have been caught totally by surprise by the jogger.
There's 2 sides to a story. Thats all I was saying.
Welsh Hillbilly
says...
1:22pm Thu 2 Aug 12
algobr
says...
2:02pm Thu 2 Aug 12
"algobr" is not a fictional (sic - I believe you actually mean "fictitious") name; it is a portmanteau of my real name which I use for convenience.
Without having any first-hand knowledge of this particular incident, I will confine myself to observing that any dog that bites passing strangers on a public path is by definition "dangerously out of control in a public place" and under the terms of the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991 is potentially liable for destruction. The fact that the dog may have been "caught totally by surprise" only reinforces my view that the dog should have been kept under proper control by its owner while being exercised on the pathway in question, this being a popular route which is regularly and legally used by cyclists, runners and walkers of all ages, and where numerous dog attacks have taken place in recent years. The onus is on the dog owner to prevent his or her animal from attacking people; there is no reciprocal legal obligation on humans to behave in a way that doesn't provoke a badly trained and uncontrolled animal.
I appreciate that there are many lonely individuals for whom dogs act as child-substitutes, but they are making a serious error if they then assume that this should allow their pets to enjoy a quasi-human legal status. Your attempt to trivialise this issue does you no credit.
Alan G Brown
Neyland
MP676
says...
8:47am Fri 3 Aug 12
algobr wrote:Well played, sir. Well played.
Dear Mr Lye "algobr" is not a fictional (sic - I believe you actually mean "fictitious") name; it is a portmanteau of my real name which I use for convenience. Without having any first-hand knowledge of this particular incident, I will confine myself to observing that any dog that bites passing strangers on a public path is by definition "dangerously out of control in a public place" and under the terms of the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991 is potentially liable for destruction. The fact that the dog may have been "caught totally by surprise" only reinforces my view that the dog should have been kept under proper control by its owner while being exercised on the pathway in question, this being a popular route which is regularly and legally used by cyclists, runners and walkers of all ages, and where numerous dog attacks have taken place in recent years. The onus is on the dog owner to prevent his or her animal from attacking people; there is no reciprocal legal obligation on humans to behave in a way that doesn't provoke a badly trained and uncontrolled animal. I appreciate that there are many lonely individuals for whom dogs act as child-substitutes, but they are making a serious error if they then assume that this should allow their pets to enjoy a quasi-human legal status. Your attempt to trivialise this issue does you no credit. Alan G Brown Neyland
Andrew Lye says...
6:28pm Mon 30 Jul 12
Can we see photos of the injuries sustained in what was probably a minor incident rather than one of those savage attacks we see when an occasional dog goes off the rails.
I am sure the woman was horrified, but equally, maybe the Jack Russell was taken by surprise by a 6' jogger stomping along the path and thought he may have been a danger to his owner.
And the police are involved now...
I got knocked flying by a boxer when I was 6. I (or my mum) didnt complain. You cry at that age, get a few scrapes of the leg or arm and get on with things.