Dogs knock over my mother, broken arm, what can I do.

Fire_Fox

digimortal wrote: »

My mum regular walks 5-8 miles a day, she uses a trekking pole, these dogs took the legs from under her, there was nothing she could have done, tai chi or anything, just like a dangerous rugby tackle..

but thanks for your top tip..

A trekking pole is an external aid to balance. And if she is only 67 and can hike for a couple of hours a day she most definitely is not elderly!!!! :eek:

Wellyboots6

I was out walking the dogs with my sister one day, when they started chasing round through some woodland. My sisters two dogs ran across in front of a lady of age (what is the proper term? )

Her dog was also off lead and gave chase to my sisters dogs. They then turned round to chase the lady's dog who squealed and so she bent down to pick it up, just as my sisters dogs zoomed past.

This caused her to fall over. No contact was made but she lost her balance probably through the distraction.

I helped her up and checked she was OK. She said that it was an accident and that accidents happen and was fine about it. She did say however that it was a good job we stopped to help her as she would have struggled to get back up if she was on her own.

In that part of the woods dogs were allowed off lead, and her dog was also chasing round and so I suppose it would be difficult to say anyone was particularly to blame.

It was also one of the few times I have been proud of Tyson, as he stood by watching with a smirk on his face and didn't get involved at all!

I think in OPs case the best the dog owners could have done was to stop and give details. It does sound like an accident. With the best will in the world you cannot have 100% control over an off lead dog, they are animals and not robots. Like other people have said, the only other option is to permanently keep them on lead when out in public, which should also be applied to children in that case!

ash28

I have seen someone "knocked over" in our local park - the dog ran straight into the back of their legs (couldn't see the dog coming) and literally took the legs out from under them. Not badly hurt - but very shaken and bruised.

I have had one run into me in the same park - but from the front not the back - the dog hit my shin - I thought my leg had snapped. It hadn't, but it was badly bruised and extremely painful for weeks.

Not the dogs' fault, obviously. I would say it's one of those things, and in our park it is, especially during the week when it's used predominantly by dog walkers.

At the weekends and in the school holidays, however quite a number of walkers, cyclists and families us it - and at those times dog owners should be aware that there are people other than dog walkers, and who have an equal right to use and enjoy the park and feel safe doing so. Most us adjusted our walking times during weekends and holidays - earlier in the morning and later in the evening.

Fire_Fox

katy721 wrote: »

I think in OPs case the best the dog owners could have done was to stop and give details. It does sound like an accident. With the best will in the world you cannot have 100% control over an off lead dog, they are animals and not robots. Like other people have said, the only other option is to permanently keep them on lead when out in public, which should also be applied to children in that case!

:T Great idea!

zaksmum

Whether or not the lady should be considered elderly is beside the point. If you're a teenager, anyone over 40 has got one foot in the grave.

Had this lady broken her hip when the dogs knocked her flying, it could have had very serious consequences - a broken arm is bad enough.

I have 2 dogs but would never allow them to run amok on a busy footpath. There are plenty of deserted places I can take them where they can have a good run without the danger of injury to others.

But if the worst happened and they DID injure someone, I would fully expect a claim on my dog insurance.

geri1965_2

Bennifred wrote: »

Incidents of carelessness are not accidents - they're careless! Not the same thing. Just because you did not intend something to happen does not make it an accident. Imho!

Well, quite. If someone smashes into the back of your car and writes if off, do you say "Oh well, it was an accident. I'm sure they didn't mean to do it."

Nobody means to do it!

moggymutt

Cars are different, people can get killed. But are we going to say that every accident needs to be followed up by suing. Children are already hugely curtailed at school, should we start banning blind mans bluff as well, in case kids knock into each other.

Would you expect to be sued if you shopping trolley accidentally caught another customers ankle. A line has to be drawn somewhere.

Are we going to reach the point where no accident involving more than one party is looked on as an accident, and results in suing?

catkins

I can see this from both sides. As a dog owner I know dogs need time to run offlead, using up their excess energy and just having fun and, as another poster said, they are not robots and even the most obedient dog can get so excited they don't hear or listen to their owners. Also we don't know if the dog owners saw the lady in time or if she suddenly come round a corner or something.

I do know if it happened to my mum I would be upset and probably, at least to start with, quite angry. However I am pretty sure I would calm down and see it, as others have said, as a pure accident.

I do try and be a thoughtful dog owner and either take my dog to quieter places or if to a busy place early morning or late afternoon/evening. If I go somewhere and it is busy I often don't let him off lead or try and walk to a quieter part of the woods/park/beach.

What if it had been a child who knocked the lady over? Children should surely be more controllable than dogs as they have a better understanding of language. Not that long ago I was nearly bowled over by a child but I am pretty tall and not too old (!) so managed to stay on my feet. If I had fallen and broken a limb I wouldn't be happy but I would not be blaming the parents in any way.

jaqui59

I think I know exactly the sort of "running around" the OP is talking about, and it is dangerous because of the high speed and the dogs' oblivion as to what is going on around them as they are absorbed in the chase.

If my two dogs attempt to embark upon this when I am in an area where

jaqui59

Hit "post reply" before end of post ....

If my two dogs make an attempt to embark upon this when it is likely I will see other park users, I get them to stop and put one on the lead to stop the chase, as I consider that somebody could get seriously hurt if I didn't.