Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum
My 8-year-old daughter was BIT by a dog!!!
I just need to vent. This actually happened last week when we were on vacation for 10 days camping but I just cannot let it go.
We were camping at East Harbor State Park on Lake Erie where we always camp. NEVER have we had a problem with people, other dogs, kids, anything. My daughters (8 & 11) were playing with a little girl they met at the playground at a campsite one row over from us. They were gone about 10 minutes and Ava (11) came screaming that Kelsey (8) got bit by a dog. I was in total shock and I started running down the road and Kelsey came riding her bike just hysterical.
My husband and I took her in the camper and her knee was just bleeding everywhere. My husband took care of her cleaning it out, looking to see if she needed stitches, etc. Lucky for me he is a policeman and is a trainer for first aid with the department so he handles that stuff way better than me. She had one puncture wound right on her knee cap - it wasn't big like the size of my pinky nail but it was deep and really bleeding. The rest of the area on her knee and above and below were just all scratched up and already really swelling. I thought it had scratched her with its nails but my husband pointed out it was the marks from its jaw and the top and bottom teeth (sent me into another level of hysteria over it picturing that!).
Next he told me to take Ava (11) and go find out what campsite it was while he was calling the ranger (who is a close friend of ours!). My husband said he was not going to the campsite because if he did he was going to shoot the dog and go to jail and I had ZERO doubt that he wouldn't do just that.
Ava said the parent of the little girl they were playing with wasn't the dog owner it was someone elses at the campsite. They had told them to make sure they went around the edge of the campsite so the dog wouldn't bother them. Ava said Kelsey did exactly what the people told them to BUT they had the dogs tie-out TO LONG and didn't realize it!! Kelsey was just leaving on her bike and Ava said the dog just jumped up and went right at her.
I got to the campsite a shaking, emotional mess trying not to cry and asked what happened. The owner of the dog was probably in her early 30's and was crying that she was sorry, she said it had all of its shots and she was sorry because THEY KNEW IT WAS MEAN and didn't realize the tieout was to long. That made me FURIOUS - why would you bring a dog that was MEAN to a campground with TONS of kids everywhere?! I said as much to her and then I left because I just couldn't talk to her anymore I was so upset.
The ranger (again our close friend) was at our campsite when I came back and he was clearly really upset about it to. He filed the report and contacted the Health Department and the dog warden. He said that they were required to provide proof of the dogs vaccines (which they did the day after it happened) to the park, the health dept and the dog warden. He wrote them a ticket for $250 for not controlling their dog and banned them from the park. He said that was the most he can do in a case like that and the extreme compared to what normally does when something like that happens but now that I think about it its not enough.
She didn't end up needing stitches and it has healed fine but she was in a lot of pain for about 3 days. Oh and the dog was some kind of dalmation mix - probably about 40lbs or so. I just can't get past it and wishes there was something else I could have done or said or I don't know. It was just a terrible experience.
We were camping at East Harbor State Park on Lake Erie where we always camp. NEVER have we had a problem with people, other dogs, kids, anything. My daughters (8 & 11) were playing with a little girl they met at the playground at a campsite one row over from us. They were gone about 10 minutes and Ava (11) came screaming that Kelsey (8) got bit by a dog. I was in total shock and I started running down the road and Kelsey came riding her bike just hysterical.
My husband and I took her in the camper and her knee was just bleeding everywhere. My husband took care of her cleaning it out, looking to see if she needed stitches, etc. Lucky for me he is a policeman and is a trainer for first aid with the department so he handles that stuff way better than me. She had one puncture wound right on her knee cap - it wasn't big like the size of my pinky nail but it was deep and really bleeding. The rest of the area on her knee and above and below were just all scratched up and already really swelling. I thought it had scratched her with its nails but my husband pointed out it was the marks from its jaw and the top and bottom teeth (sent me into another level of hysteria over it picturing that!).
Next he told me to take Ava (11) and go find out what campsite it was while he was calling the ranger (who is a close friend of ours!). My husband said he was not going to the campsite because if he did he was going to shoot the dog and go to jail and I had ZERO doubt that he wouldn't do just that.
Ava said the parent of the little girl they were playing with wasn't the dog owner it was someone elses at the campsite. They had told them to make sure they went around the edge of the campsite so the dog wouldn't bother them. Ava said Kelsey did exactly what the people told them to BUT they had the dogs tie-out TO LONG and didn't realize it!! Kelsey was just leaving on her bike and Ava said the dog just jumped up and went right at her.
I got to the campsite a shaking, emotional mess trying not to cry and asked what happened. The owner of the dog was probably in her early 30's and was crying that she was sorry, she said it had all of its shots and she was sorry because THEY KNEW IT WAS MEAN and didn't realize the tieout was to long. That made me FURIOUS - why would you bring a dog that was MEAN to a campground with TONS of kids everywhere?! I said as much to her and then I left because I just couldn't talk to her anymore I was so upset.
The ranger (again our close friend) was at our campsite when I came back and he was clearly really upset about it to. He filed the report and contacted the Health Department and the dog warden. He said that they were required to provide proof of the dogs vaccines (which they did the day after it happened) to the park, the health dept and the dog warden. He wrote them a ticket for $250 for not controlling their dog and banned them from the park. He said that was the most he can do in a case like that and the extreme compared to what normally does when something like that happens but now that I think about it its not enough.
She didn't end up needing stitches and it has healed fine but she was in a lot of pain for about 3 days. Oh and the dog was some kind of dalmation mix - probably about 40lbs or so. I just can't get past it and wishes there was something else I could have done or said or I don't know. It was just a terrible experience.
Comment
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Comment by Adrianne Matzkin on July 22, 2010 at 6:50pm
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I am so sorry that you, DH and the girls went through this!!
These are just the kind of humans that give dogs a bad name - irresponsible and just plain stupid!!
I hope Kelsey and Ava are talking about this and trying to put it behind them. Hopefully, venting it here and getting the emotional suppport you need will help you start to put this behind you too.
Hugs being sent!!!
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Comment by Camilla and Darwin on July 22, 2010 at 5:25pm
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I hate it when people don't take proper responsibility for their dogs! Why on earth would you bring a vicious dog to a family campground? The lack of common sense is astounding. I hope the fine and ban teach them a lesson!
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Comment by Karen P on July 22, 2010 at 4:56pm
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Glad she is OK. I don't think some people have any common sense!!! Taking a mean dog camping is really stupid. Hopefully they learned a lesson !
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Comment by Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle on July 22, 2010 at 4:55pm
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How horrible! I'm so sorry your daughter (and all of you) had to go through this!
I wouldn't beat myself up about not knowing what else to say or do. You did fine. No matter what you'd said, it wouldn't have changed the situation or taken away your daughter's pain. There's nothing worse than when our kids are hurt, especially through no fault of their own.
I know it's small comfort, but you can be sure that having to pay $250 and losing their camping privileges is a hard lesson for these irresponsible pet owners, and will hopefully teach them never to bring this vicious dog anywhere near children.
Hugs to you & Kelsey. I hope she heals very quickly and this whole incident leaves no scars of any kind.
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