If my dog did enough damage to a child that required 50 stitches in its face, it would be dead in a flash. No questions asked.

Doesn't the situation come into it?

So what would you do then if you had your dogs locked in your secure back garden and a child jumped into your garden totally uninvited by coming over a 6-foot high wall, and your dog attacked the child because it was only defending it's own home?

Please don't tell me you would blame the dog as it was only defending it's own home.

I have always said it and even the if the two dogs I have here now bit a child for whatever reason they would be PTS - Harsh yes but I could never ever trust that dog again, being a mother of a child that was attacked I would not want any mother or child to go through what we did.

Sadly Colin my dogs do not guard, they welcome people, so the answer to your question is no, the situation does not come into it for me.

And I AM a child that was attacked and was admitted to hospital for quite some time.

It's not a matter of trusting that dog again, it's a matter of being responsible for that, and killing it when it was just protecting itself is wrong IMO.



So you are saying that no matter what, your dogs would never ever bite anyone ?

Sadly Colin my dogs do not guard, they welcome people, so the answer to your question is no, the situation does not come into it for me.

And I AM a child that was attacked and was admitted to hospital for quite some time.

It's not a matter of trusting that dog again, it's a matter of being responsible for that, and killing it when it was just protecting itself is wrong IMO.

I have to agree with Lottie, Colin etc. I am definetly of the opinion that situations have to come into play here.

With this particular situation, I believe that Bajaluna had taken appropriate measures to make sure her dog didnt come into contact with the kids - it was the kids mother who ignored the instructions and her actions that caused the consequences., and whilst 50 stitches is a lot - i cut my leg when I was 10 and needed 20 stitches but it wasnt that big a gash - just the shape of it that required the amount, so 50 stitches doesnt necessarily mean that the dog ripped her face off in a frenzied attack it means it had a big jaw and bit. I do think there is a bit of a difference - so if there had been 1 stitch - would that make a difference to the outcome of the dog in some of yours eyes ??

As for other situations - bruno is not a guard dog, but a few years ago 4 kids jumped over our 6ft fence at the back of our garden... bruno wasnt in the garden at the time but I always wondered what he would have done had he been - he does "patrol " the fence line and although he is a big softy it does make me wonder would he have done anything?

Would I have PTS if he had bitten them - certainly not.

I have to say even if Bruno gave a warning nip to Luca I wouldnt have him PTS - i mean thats what I am talking about here - not attacks etc - If we are saying that any bite any situation - would you PTS - no way. It would certainly depend on the situation.

I'm still 100% with you on this bajaluna.

There is NOTHING ok about a dog attacking a child, but why should Bajaluna have been punished by losing her best friend when it was the child's mother's fault??

Sal, I hear what you're saying about a child who's been attacked and am in no way trying to make it seem less of a problem but what good would having a dog pts do?? There are millions and millions of other dogs out there, under less control so having one destroyed is not going to help with a fear of dogs.

It was the mother's fault, why should bajaluna have suffered by the loss of her friend??

I 100% agree that a dog should not be allowed to attack a child, but this dog wasn't allowed - he was locked up in a place he felt comfortable and the situation explained to the parents of the children.

What I really can't see is what good would come of having such a dog destroyed and why, if you should have a dog that's attacked destroyed, you shouldn't have any dog that shows any level of aggression destroyed?!

My point being - destroying a dog after an attack is useless, it's already attacked. Fair enough, if you don't feel you can control that dog but if your lifestyle allows you to and you are able to, then why not keep it?

Knowing Takara, I know she'd be uncomfortable when cornered by a group of kids (she just keeps away from them) but she would snap at the air and it'd take a lot for her to go any further. On top of that, she has fantastic bite inhibition so if she did bite, it wouldn't even break the skin but it would scare a child off and allow her to get free.

I adore her though - she's my life saver and my best friend and if someone broke into my house and threatened her enough for her to seriously hurt them then there is no way I'd let her be destroyed without putting up a fight!!