http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3735996.stm

While I have every sympathy for the poor girl involved and hope she recovers soon I do wish people wouldn't assume that every smallish stocky dog is a Staff, they could put pit bull type?   This one was black and tan, :8. And why do they always blame the dog when it's the owners responsibility to make sure their dog is under control at all times :( I hope they find the woman and take action, I also hope that if it's found not to be a Staff that they will print a retraction (in my dreams!) I've sent the BBC feedback via the above site, and asked them to clarify if it has been confirmed that this was a SBT? if you want to defend our wonderful breed why not send some yourself.......

It is very sad indeed but a dog attack is a dog attack and NO dog should attack.  I agree 100% owners are 100% responsible for their dogs but if per chance one did get out by mistake I would like to think I didn't own a dog that would attack anything and under no circumstances. There are bad examples of all breds.

  My freinds well bred SBT sadly attacked my daughters freind while we were all out walking in the field , he seemed to have gotten over excited.That is the only way I can describe it.  My freind to this day doesn't think her dogs was actually being aggressive but the dog swung the girl off the ground her coat arm was torn completely off and she suffered very extensive bruising and bitemarks to her arm. I have known this dog the whole of his life since 7 weeks old. I am not sure to this day what would have happened had we not have been there. Sadly I had to kick the dog several times and I mean kick the dog to get him to let go of her a thing I have never had to do in my life nor want to do again. He let go and run.  It was probably the most terrifying day of my life. We were in a field terrified out of our skin.    I am not exagerating when I say this but I cried for about 24 hours and was in complete shock.

I really like SBT but my point is no breed are all 100% safe there is bad eggs in them all.

In someways the experience has made me a little frightened of stronger type strange dogs as this was such a unpredictable attack. Not because of the breed but how to cope if it happened with such a strong breed.

Hope the little girl is fine anyway.

Pam

But this one wasn't out by mistake, it was with a woman :( who 'disappeared with the dog' and didn't even try and help the girl :( I hope the cow is feeling very guilty right now but somehow I doubt she'll hand herself in :(

hi blue
no dog is 100% all the time.  even the best trained 1 can have a bad day.  and i know what you mean if a strong dog attacks then it is hard to get them off.  but telling every 1 that reads that story that is was a staffordshire bull terrier that done it is wrong.  it was 18" tall and back and tan (i know Stafford's can be black and tan but there are not alot of them about). 
i am very sad to hear about the little girl and hope she is ok

and i also left feedback for the story saying that i thought it was not a SBT

I would find it very difficult to determine that it either was or wasn't a SBT from the description in the article!  The article refers to the dog being black and brown-perhaps brindle?  And not black and tan.  However, the SSPCA is involved, so I would assume they must have a good idea of what breed they are looking for.  I understand you want to defend your breed and quite rightly so, but I think it unlikely that they would release a description without it being accurate.  And the area of town where this accident took place isn't the nicest if you catch my drift, so I would think it likely that this dog probably wasn't the best bred either, I'm sure you can use your imagination.  I have also seen it mentioned frequently in regard to this story that the SBT is well known for being excellent with children, so its not a case of your breed's reputation being tarnished!

<<<The article refers to the dog being black and brown-perhaps brindle?  And not black and tan.  >>> Whoops sorry I was so miffed I didn't get it exactly spot on!

:) mind you I also read in the paper that it was either black or brown-so who knows for sure!! :)

yes we might of got it wrong with colour but how many stafford do you see that are 18" tall?
if they are not 100% sure of the breed then they should say what type it is not what breed and as for the SSPCA being involved so it must be right, i have seen many dogs being called 1 thing when it is somting eles.

Staffie lover, in answer to your question, I have never met a staffie, 18 inches tall or otherwise! :)  I am a bit perturbed as to the tone of your post-just to clear up, I am not persecuting your breed nor do I believe the reporting of this attack to be.  As for regards the involvement of the SSPCA, I do not believe they are the master of all dog breed knowledge, I am merely of the belief that they would not have circulated this description if they did not have firm reason to draw them to the conclusion that the dog involved was an SBT.  And I trust far more the musings from someone actually involved with animals versus some man sat behind a desk somewhere doing some guess work.  As I have also said previously, I would seriously doubt that the dog in question (whatever breed) would have been a shining example of the breed, purely due to the demographs of the area in which this attack took place.  Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that the owner of this dog paid the going rate for a well-bred, health-tested, kc reg pup, of whichever breed.  Therefore, I do not believe this is casting aspertions on your breed as a whole-in fact, again as I have previously mentioned, I have seen it stated many times in articles relating to this incident about the staffie's wonderful nature and how good it is with children generally.  I understand it is hurtful when someone has the wrong idea about your breed-I have cocker spaniels, and I still have people asking about rage Syndrome.  However, no one here is making generalisations, no one is making sweeping statements, therefore I believe your defence is a bit unfounded here!  Surely if the breed of dog turns out to be correct, it can be considered a very sad affair, and more than likely a prime example of what not to do as regards breeding and training-neither of which is any fault of the dogs!

what ever breed it was i think it needs to be put down-probably with the owner too.she left the scene thats disgraceful.

could it not be put in a better home and re-trained ?

who - the owner :D

no the owner should definitely be put to sleep :)

:D :D :D Although she doesn't deserve the priveledge of a peaceful passing.....

hi Spaniel lover
i am not having a go at you.
and yes i do get very defensives about my breed but so would you (like you have said).
now if they had said a 16" dog or small i would not say anything but i have heard it when the dog is massive and still said to be a SBT  they like to add that name cos it a better story if there a sbt dog involved.
yes, stafford are good with kids but so are many other breeds and they often go off on one and that never makes it to the paper. (i was attacked as a child by a lab type that had walked into my garden, nothing was said about that but if it had been a SBT then the world would of know about it).
and as for the sspca being involved unless they sore the dog they would not know what it was and if it the type of please it sounds you might been a breed expert to say it is not 1 (as a lot of crosses can look like a stafford)

and yes what ever breed it is it should be PTS, if it was unprovoced then the best thing for all would be for it to be PTS
ps i am a woman!

It might have been provoced, unfortunately alot of children dont know how to behave around dogs :(

Just adding my two-penneth, but the reason they have given a description is because there is a police investigation.  Therefore they need to describe the dog as best they can to the general public who may know absolutely nothing about dogs but knows what an SBT looks like, as most people do so that they can keep their eye out for a dog that looks similar to an SBT (although it may not be one), with the mentioned colouring.  Or so that a family nearby who knows there is a dog similar to that living in their street can give information.  There would be no point saying a black and brown dog 18 inches tall that looks like a Yorkshire Terrier - because then nobody will come forward offering information to the police so even though it may not be an SBT, it apparently looks like one, or is very similar to one and therefore that is why they have said that so people will know what to look out for.  Its not an attempt by the press and police to tarnish SBT's, but to find the owner of that dog.

If the woman had attacked the girl wearing a red puffa jacket, or a jacket that looked very similar to a red puffa jacket, there would be no point the police requesting information from the public for a woman wearing a red trench coat - and if they did would it therefore be descrimination againt trench coats? ;-)

Forgive me Staffie Lover but you made me laugh - if they had 16" tall you would be prepared to accept it was an SBT but for the sake of two inches you refuse to believe it! :-D

In all honesty, they probably asked the only witnesses, the other twelve year olds in the playground how big it was who probably replied "it came up to about here" and showed their knee (I am no more wiser as to how high 18 inches is than I am about how tall 12 year olds kneecaps are!) so they've given 18 inches as an estimation.  But I'm guessing that in the panic and fright for the young children watching they didn't actually whip out their rulers from their pencil cases and take a recorded measurement of the dog in question...;-)

I know this isnt a laughing matter but lol @ jessthepest you did make me chuckle - and you are so right :D :D

Ive just read on the front of my local paper about a Staff which attacked a little girl :(  and it was definitely a staff becauase there is a picture of it on the front page.  It ripped her ear and punctured her arm in a totally unproked attack.

The dog wasnt actually put to sleep, instead its owner has been ordered by the courts that it wears a muzzle when out.  A "dog expert" who examined the dog decided the dog wasnt a danger and the reason it attacked was because it had recently undergone a operation for an infected uterus.  The owner said it was out of character for the dog.

And to even things up for the Staffy owners here, my local paper yesterday had a story about a 18 month old Rotty that has been ordered to wear a muzzle for attacking a Staff.  The owner said it wasn't on the lead and it only wanted to play with the 11 year old SBT.

(ok that evens things up for the SBT's, but will probably upset the Rottie owners now lol)

I've just looked at the article.
Those are damn nasty injuries.

As far as the point whether it was  SBT or not I don't think that's relevant.
Any dog that causes injuries like that to anyone, never mind a child, needs hunted down and destroyed. Along with it's owner.

I have owned 2 SBT's in the past and luckily they were both lovely dogs.
I have owned and rescued Rotties/Mastiffs/Dobies and almost every other 'dangerous' breed.
The ones that were of 'not perfect' temperament were muzzled and controlled at all times.

I don't know if I'm putting this across properly but my point is:-

A Dog is a Dog is a Dog.

If his/her owner is an arse then the dog is always going to suffer.

Well said <<<applauds>>>