A mother is urging parents to be vigilant after her 4-year-old daughter was attacked by a dog whilst playing in the park.
Chloe Hourigan was paddling in the River Bollin at The Carrs on Wednesday 21st May when a terrier came running over and started growling at her.
Chloe's mother Claire explained "The dog was scratching at her legs and as I picked her up it bit her, causing a gash on her side. Chloe had this dressed and butterfly stitches put in and she is now on anti-biotics for a week.
"Dogs are not supposed to be off their lead on that side of the park and the owner ran off!!
"I just want to make people aware and hope this doesn't happen to any other children."
Cheshire East Cabinet introduced dog control orders for The Carrs in 2012 which made it an offence for dogs not to be kept on leads in the area of the park located adjacent to Chancel Lane and north of the River Bollin, which includes both the playing fields and children's play area.
Sgt Andy Miller said "We have dog bite incidents every week sadly, though not many serious ones as the one you have described. It is an offence "to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place" so this is the offence that we generally deal with. If a dog actually bites someone then this is further evidence of the offence and the police may prosecute.
"Basically, any dog is dangerously out of control if it injures a person, or it behaves in a way that makes a person worried that it might injure them."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
It's an OWNER problem.
Well trained and respectful dogs don't just wake up one morning and decide to bite someone.
I know from experience this dog will have displayed this behavior many times before but no one listened.
They may even have encouraged the excited behavior that lead to the attack.
And as for the doggie doo-doos....
Dogs can be wonderful and most owners are responsible. However, a significant number of dog owners allow their dogs off their leads in the restricted areas. They know that the authorities will not take action.
I once had the owner of a bull terrier inform me 'it's a dog park mate' when I complained about his out of control dog interfering with my baby as he was enjoying the sun on a blanket.
The fact that there is a small area set aside for humans in such a large park is ridiculous and made worse by the lack of policing of the bylaw.
Dogs on leads throughout the park and proper policing is the only sensible way forward.
As for the police response. Find this perpetrator, put the dog down and prosecute and patrol.
Well that okay then, its not serious, a minimum of 52 incidents a year.
I can almost hear the comments "he was only playing, you should have stood still, he's never done it before, he's only a pup, he's just excited, he's excited".
What owners never seem to understand is not everyone is enamored with their dogs at they are and that its 'only a minority of poor dog owners' just doesn't wash. The non-dog owners are just supposed to just 'suck it up' because its their right to walk dogs and defecate wherever the need takes, as long as its cleaned up.
Que the the torrent of abuse for above comments from the 'majority of good dog owners' - when are we are out walking how are we supposed to know how the 'good dog owners are'?
As Vic B has said it is not the dog's fault. His owner, (pack leader) tolerates unacceptable behaviour without offering correction, like many parents and their children.
The Carrs should be pleasant recreation for all ages and dogs, the dog orders were bound to be controversial hence the 'lead' areas were restricted. If dog owners won't co-operate, expect restrictions for all area.
What can be done about this very real problem? Are the police actively searching out the inadequate owner who 'owns' the dog that bit this toddler?
I am told that the lack of control over dogs attracts owners from other boroughs to come to our parks. Something unique to wilmslow due to our location. This practice could be eliminated by adopting the same stringent rules that other more caring boroughs already have.
The other option is to ban children and non dog owners.
Exactly what law dictates this ??
"If you let your dog injure someone you can be sent to prison for up to 5 years and/or fined. You may not be allowed to own a dog in the future and your dog may be destroyed"
http://bit.ly/1n39WCL
By the use of the word "may", I'd suspect then it would be upto a court to order a dog to be destroyed, not automatic.
As one respondent said, there are many dog walkers who come to The Carrs from out of the area - to a large extent this is because Greater Manchester requires dogs in parks to be on leads. Unfortunately, our councillors are too spineless to follow their example - probably because they are concerned that they will lose votes from the dog owners who seem to think that they have a right to let their pooches run free in The Carrs!
Just a few weeks ago I was cycling through the park when a Red Setter aggressively pursued me. I stopped and remonstrated with its lady owner, who just mumbled a few words. As I set off again, back came the dog and, after further words from me, the pathetic owner just said "You should have waited". What? Why? This dog, as Vic Barlow so rightly says, was completely out of control.
I'm sorry to be so blunt, but blunt words are sometimes needed. I could go on at considerable length about the dog problem, but it will fall on deaf ears until, as I said earlier, there is some tragic incident.