'People shouldn't die because we can't control pets - dog attacks must stop'

16 December 2023 , 17:03

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Elouise Smith after she was attacked by a dog (Image: Stacey Louise Murray / SWNS)

Admitting you’re not a dog lover is like telling the world you’ve committed a terrible sin. Everyone ­basically thinks you’re a psychopath.

But I’m going to come clean… I’m allergic (honestly, I am), I’m a bit scared and I definitely don’t like it when a dog charges at me in the park. “Don’t worry, he’s friendly!” shouts the owner, as the slobbering hound jumps on me with muddy paws. “Yes, but I’m not!” I reply, often to confused looks.

(I’ve tried polite protests but now I just go straight for passive-aggressive.) There’s a house near me where two snarling Dobermanns growl and jump up against their garden fence whenever someone walks past.

Elouise suffered horrific injuries in the attack (Stacey Louise Murray / SWNS)

She required over three hours of surgery (Stacey Louise Murray / SWNS)

Having recently interviewed Good Morning Britain newsreader Charlotte Hawkins about the time two massive dogs broke through a fence and attacked her friend’s little girl as she stood helpless with her baby, I now fear this could happen to me and my children. Once, I was walking with my toddler and a huge dog bounded over, knocked her down and jumped on her. My quick-thinking husband swiped the mutt away and the owner left sheepishly.

Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand our nation’s love for dogs. They make wonderful pets and are often considered – so I’m told – as actual family members.

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Most owners are responsible, considerate and appropriately mortified if their dog leaps on to your body/picnic/child/etc. Hey, some of my best friends are dog owners!

But dog attacks are on the rise in Britain and there have been calls to overhaul the Dangerous Dogs Act. This week, Stacey Louise Murray told how her three-year-old daughter, Elouise, was bitten in a horrendous attack while on a playdate at her friend’s house.

The tot needed a three-hour operation after her face was mauled in the ordeal in South Yorkshire. Stacey said the injuries made her feel sick. And commuters watched in horror as a man nearly fell in front of an oncoming train recently when he was attacked by an XL Bully-type dog on the platform at Stratford Station in East London.

This is shocking and scary and it shouldn’t be happening. Last year saw a record 10 fatalities from dog-related injuries in England and Wales. This year, a four-year-old girl was killed by a dog in her back garden, while Emma Whitfield lost 10-year-old son Jack Lis after an XL Bully attack in 2021.

“Something needs to be done,” Emma says. “No child should be losing their life because a dog owner can’t control their dog.” We need tougher penalties, enforcing rules on breeding and selling as well as a push for dog training.

Or should that be owner training? Let’s keep irresponsible owners – and their dogs – on a tight leash.

Sara Wallis