My daughter and partner and my husband took our dogs to the park yesterday afternoon for a walk and play together. Gabi my 14 month old GSD and her ageing Doberman x German Shepherd love walks together being pretty much inseperable. They had had their romp and were returning home and on lead when my husband heard kids shouting that their dog had escaped. Gabi as you know is not good with other dogs when on lead and when this PIT BULL attacked her she saw it off in her usual manner (quite ferocious) this dog then attacked Sheba my daughters dog. Gabi was beside herself but the Pit had locked on to Shebas face. My husband grabbed the collar of the pit and was about to grab the private bits when the collar of the pit just snapped. He had no alternative but to pin it down with his boot. It relaxed at this point and my husband advised my distraught daughter to run home with Sheba (10 mins away) in case it attacked again. As she did so the 14year old that was in charge of the pit ran after her threatening murder. My shaken daughter had the good sense to head for the police who were in the area as Everton had a football match. The youth ran off as she approached the police. As she was telling the police about the attack 2 other youths appeared on the path carrying the injured pit. The police took our address and they told them to go home as they had contacted the childs parents who were coming to the scene and they could foresee trouble errupting as he was agressive on the phone. The police advised that a police man would call at our home for a statement. So far no police have called. My family and dogs arrived home in shock and Sheba's face covered in blood. We were going to go out for a meal to celebrate Mothers Day but we all fet sick to our stomaches and after cleaning Sheba up could not face going out. This all happened in Stanley Park in Liverpool. Our vet told us that several dogs in the last few weeks have come into his surgery haveing had similair experiences in this park, always pit bulls. Felt the need to tell everyone in case anyone else goes to this park. I certainly won't be using this park again. Mind you this paticular one won't be doing it again as my husband seemed to think that the dogs neck was broken. He is still in shock being an avid dog lover but saw no alternative. I can't get over the parents allowing a child to take such a dog out.     

Are you certain it was a Pit ball? These dogs are banned I thought the police would have taken it away???

What an awful thing to happen to you, I hope you are all better today.
I don't blame your husband for what he did, I love dogs but have had to defend my own in the past and sometimes you have to do things that you wouldn't normally do :(
You do the right thing by not going back there, but what a shame that your walks are going to be spoiled by one fool and his dog.
Do you know if these other incidents have been reported to the police?
Sorry again :)
Emily

What an awful experience for you all. There is only one person to blame for this whole terrible incident and that is the adult responsible for owning such a dangerous dog at all let alone allowing children to take charge of it.  I do hope the police will fully apply the law to him.

Blondiflops
Yes the Police agreed that it was a Pit Bull. They were holding the dog untill the owner arrived. Being a banned breed, I doubt that the owner would show up atall. As they told us to leave the scene to attend to our own dogs we will probably never know.

Emily Rose
I don't know how we are going to cope without this park. I don't drive and the next nearest park is 45mins walk away. Total of 90mins there and back. She is only allowed 70mins at her age. She will be ok at the weekend as my husband can take her in the car. She is used to 2 walks a day one round our local shopping area and the school for social reasons and one to the park to stretch her legs.

Thanks to you all for your concern.
Pat
xx

Gaby

You poor thing, what an awful experience for you! These people make me sick! Dont be intimidated though, you have as much right to walk your dogs in that park as anyone, and you shouldnt be the one who is frightened to take your dogs there.

I hope both your dogs make a full recovery and aren't too traumatised by the whole event.

What are these people thinking having a Banned dog is one thing but leaving a adolecent in charge of one is taking things to a different level.
I hope the police come down hard on these stupid people!

Are there any other dog walkers that you can talk to for abit of moral support??? You probably aren't the first person who has suffered at the hands of these idiots!

It sounds a bit to me as if the dog might have been encouraged to fight other dogs; sadly having a tough dog can be seen as having some street cred :(  If other dogs had been attacked by the same dog, I can't see any other alternative really, although of course i am guessing.
So sorry to hear that your dogs were attacked in this way, this is the sort of thing that can scar dogs and owners for life :(

Best wishes
Lindsay
x

So sorry to hear that :-(

My staffie is not too good with other dogs so there is no way I would let my children walk her & I keep her on the lead.

I take her to my friends house who has a large garden & let her run around there with her dogs (she is OK with these)

Some people are so irresponsible

Take care

Jo

Thanks Lindsay, Gabi already had problems with other dogs as you know from previous messages when on lead and this will not have helped one iota. I am just back from a street walk with her and she was reluctant to go but seems ok now.We were most worried for my daughters dog Sheba, with her advancing years. We thought that the shock would have been severe. Luckily she calmed down quite quickly once home. We gave her some rescue remedy and a nice cup of sweet tea (she loves this). Nearly 24 hours now since the attack so should be ok. 

Thanks blondiflops, my vetinary nurse tells me that there is a group of owners who walk and exercise together in this park at 7.30am who would not mind me joining them in this park. Once Gabi and I get over the trauma I will make the effort to get up earlier and join them for Gabi's sake. Lead walks are not enough for a young GSD.

I know it must be very hard for you but try and get back to "Normal" as soon as possible, get straight back on the bike as soon as Gabi is well enough.

It will probably be really fun walking with these other people you and Gabi might make some lovely friends!! So maybe its not all bad.

Give Gabi a stroke for me and I wish you all a speedy recovery! :)

if your sure this was a pit bull then there are major things wrong with this first of all al pit bulls if they are in the uk need to be muzzled in a public place and never let off the lead another thing is that no one under the age of 16 is allowed to have one.
however this dog might not be a pure pit bull or if it is its been illegally bred it might have been a cross even so it should be put to sleep but it makes me sick how people leave aggressive dogs like this to attack other dogs infront of children.
i myself have witnessed two border collies attacking a stray dog on farmland that was terroising the sheep and that itself made me feel sick the dog was nealry half dead but i have to wonder what provoked this dog to attack and whether something is done about it

Hi Kerrie, my vet says they are illegaly bred for street cred and trained to attack anything. I can only asume that this is a low priority for the police as they have not contacted us for a statement. I was sick with this incident and I was not present at the time. Just imagining what would have happened if I were in the park alone (as I am 5 days of the week) and this occured. What a world we live in these days when youngsters get  perverse fun from seeing a loyal dumb creature attacked. Our dogs would give their lives for us and it is our duty to protect them. The poor pit bull even who knows no better than to do as it is trained.

on another site im on, there was a "missing" bit cross posted from one of the "lost dogs" sites, about a young APBT bitch.
i queried it,& was told the owner had reported it as such on the list & the police!!!!