headline on front page and page 4 of main local South Wales paper

SAVAGED
I needed 39 stitches after dog ripped my face
(photo of six yr boy with stitches) - covers 3/4 of front page

goes on to say that a Bull mastiff attacked him while he was waiting at the door of a neighbours house. Mother says ' it was horrific. he could have been killed'

the dog wont be put down because he was on the owners property

First I'd like to say that it is terrible what has happened and proves that any dog can be a danger not just Staffs. I thought when reading the article  the paper wasnt interested in telling the whole story of the cirumstances, that it just wanted to create a huge drama and sensationalise it. It says that the mother has had to give up work to look after her son !? but has not said anything about any events leading up to the attack. So I rang the paper and asked for the reporter. She said that the owner wouldnt speak to her to put her side of the story across and was pretty nasty. The reporter said she was made to feel like dirt.
Doesnt this just make you mad. Another irresponsible owner who by her very nature has neglected an opportunity to perhaps even the balance and reassure readers who may now be wary of dogs

I am a lawyer and I am presently dealing with 2 dog attacks on people.  I must say I find it very hard being a dog lover to deal with these sorts of things as there are 2 sides to every story.

em

That must be very hard because not every dog attack case is straightforward but as you are their lawyer you're obliged to only see the one side!!A much maligned profession of which the members must be witness to some awful behaviour. I'd couldnt do it.

Believe me I really have to try hard and be professional about cases but sometimes it does get to me and it's hard to switch off feelings.  I love dogs, every dog! in fact I prefer dogs to humans sometimes!

There was a big story here in the North West yesterday about a Rottie.  Such a shame as there's been nothing about this breed for a long time and then something like this crops up.   Funny how it always seems to happen when the weather's been quite dull and dismal and then all of a sudden we have a warm period!!  Makes you wonder sometimes what triggers these "attacks" off.

There was a story about a disabled pensioner being attacked by his nextdoor nieghbours Akita in HIS own garden whilst feeding his rabbits on the local news yesterday, the scars of the attack were horrific he was also awarded £750 compensation, which I think is discusting considering he almost lost his life.

Coleystaff

I should imagine that the dog owner was in shock and was feeling somewhat less than chatty with anyone.........

When one is in shock one generally is somewhat less than coherent...................

We have no idea if this dog owner is irresponsible or not as you have already said in your post the whole of the circumstances are not available to us..........

Iam a huge animal lover and also prefare them to alot humans but we have to be realistic here. As in the case of the old man attacked in his own garden there is no question the dog should be destroyed.

Tohme
I myself spoke to the reporter because I was incensed about the way the article read, it seemed sensational for the sake of it with the owner not able to respond. That concerned me greatly.
The reporter told me she had tried to speak to the owner for hours after the attack and she was very nasty and not a 'nice'woman'. The reporter elaborated more but I wont bore you with it. I cannot doubt the reporter's word as I have her name and could report her if I found she was lying to me. She suggested I write into the paper as she would love to print a dog owners reply to the article.

I think the owner was irresponsible for not giving her side of the story which as I have already said may have helped balance the article. Instead it may needlessly frighten people .She will have to speak now though because the Police are now involved

You have a refreshingly novel belief in the verity of journalists, Coleystaff ;) :D

Hello Isobel, you really like me me dont you.
Actually I work with quite a few as I work for a TV station and I have a grudging respect for the ones I know. Also I know this local paper has quite high moral standards, its not a rag but even so it didnt stop me from ringing them and complaining at what I saw was a one sided argument

>you really like me me dont you

Watch that chip on your shoulder ;) and remember to check out for smilies :)

fat free diet since my gallstones were removed, missed the smilies though!!

I saw that in the paper too coleystaff, he had an awful lot of stiches poor kid, there may be more about it in tomorrows echo! I bet it will be in the sun tomorrow as well, They look through all local papers to get more news for them selfs.
Oh i live in cardiff.

The only thing that soes get me is that often the breed of dog is qyuite inacurate.  Bullmastiffs seem to be the favourite guilty dog in last couple of years, but judging by the neumber of various breeds I meet they are not that popular a breed to have this disproportionate number of incidences and they are normally a very steady breed.

Sadly there are a lot of large Mastiff/Bull/Staff type crosses about, you only need to look in the dogs home.

Saw one outsdie the chippy the other day White with obviopus staffie influence in head.  My son said OH look white Boxer with tail.  I sadi no ist is not a Boxer love it is a Staff type cross.  The lady said Oh it is a Boxer.  I looked surprised and said that it was very untypical in head for a Boxer but she was lovely none the less.  Oh well she is an American boxer a Bullboxer. 

Well I didn't bother to continue the conversatiuon, but when even the owner doesn't really know what they ahve it is no wonder the papersd get it wrong.

Of course the owners may have sought leagal advise abnd been advised not to speak to the press.

"Of course the owners may have sought leagal advise abnd been advised not to speak to the press."

precisely...............

Why didnt the owner say that. At least that could have been quoted in the article. Although I doubt if the owner would have been that quick seeing a solicitor because the reporter was there the same afternoon. She also said she tried for hours to speak to her because the paper is aware that printing a story about a dog attack initiates many phone calls from concerned dog owners

I think that you may possibly have seen an American Bulldog and not
a white Boxer....
Much like the Homeward bound movie that had a white American Bulldog in it
that did look like a white Boxer with a tail, the only thing was it's head wasn't quite right..

That's the problem if people don't know the breeds of dog and lets face it if members of
public get it so wrong (one of my red and white Boxers was called a Rottie and then the other lady corrected
and said no a long legged Bulldog) what hope do we have when we own the breed in question?

Sadly society is becoming anti-dog and we are fighting on all sides trying to be responsible dog owners
and keeping society happy... sensationlist paper reports don't help us :(

It is a real shame that the owner didn't come forward but she may well have perfectly valid reasons for this. As for the "general public" identyfying dogs, I have been congratulated on my GSD's bone (at Crufts) and a friend of mine who has a pet shop and sometimes looks after him for me has been called a stupid girl for not knowing he was a Bernese. He is a Tibetan Mastiff.
BTW as a rule I do consider myself a member of the general public :-)

I knew it wasn't a white boxer, it was that the owner had no real idea what she had but was pretending she did :D

no they dont Boxacrazy thats why I was incensed

I was brought up in Cardiff but now live near Llantrisant, I'll keep an eye for the Echo tonight

It is possible the dog was an American Bulldog, I agree very sad if the lady did not even know what breed of dog she had.

For examples of the performance (less bully) types (as you mention it had a Stafford look around it I thouht I would direct you to this rather than the extreme bully dogs which are more obvious in looks) go to:

http://www.doggehouse.co.uk
http://www.doggehouse.co.uk/jacob.htm

See if you can see a resemblance.

A bull boxer is the name usually applied to a Boxer cross Staffordshire Bull Terrier.  I know people are now breeding this type of dog as a "breed" but dont really know if they are common in the UK.  Personally I think both breeds are fine as they are.

"Oh well she is an American boxer a Bullboxer."

this is as Illeach says a term used for a staffie x boxer  as a boxer owner it really gets my back up when my old boxer rip got called a large bulldogs and Staffife x bulldog . or brindle rottie ok he wasnt a flashy boxer but was perfect. why do people get the so confused