What the law on a dog thats bitten?

[Floralaura]

Where does the law stand on this, does anyone know?
A delivery person puts a I missed you note through a door, at this point a dog bits their hand inflicting puncture wounds to a finger/fingernail.
Is there anything anyone can do as it was on private property or not?

 

[beth_terri]

I think In the uk the dog would be put down?

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

The postman would report it, (if it was royal mail) the post office will deal with it, I.e if they want to go down the legal route etc... if the dog is found to be violent by a judge it would be put down eventually. My dad is a postman and he doesn't even have to deliver post to houses where the dogs bark at him if he thinks they might bite.
If there is any chance that a dog would go for the mail then common sense would dictate that a letter box guard is put in place.

 

[Floralaura]

Its OH, hes a courier. Hes just gone to deliver to a house and no answer, so put a missed you note through and been got by a dog.
Hes just got in now, its not pretty but not horrific..hes about to go the Drs as needs a tetanus and it checked as its gone through his nail in a couple of places.
I said that he should report it but he seems to think as its private property nothing can be done..seems stupid as he was essentially invited to the house to deliver and if the dog is they type to bite then surely it should be no where near a open letterbox!
OH is pretty shaken up about it and is making me go with him to DRs as hes terrified of injections!

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

I don't know with couriers but i know with royal mail he can refuse to deliver there now... he should report it for sure, just so it has been noted, because if it ever bit again there would been prove it was infact dangerous if the owner claimed it had never "bit before" he needs to speak to his employer they will know what to do x

 

[WelshOneEmma]

I think In the uk the dog would be put down?

Not necessarily. If it was on private property its unlikely. The law only really applies to dogs being out of control in a public place.

As others have mentioned, if it were royal mail etc they can refuse to deliver there. I would possibly report it and get the police to maybe speak to the owner about maybe putting a mail guard on.

It appears if you can argue your case its hard to get a dog put down - unless people use BSL (which is a load of bullshit) in which case it appears to be far too easy.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

we had a card through about our dog barking but the next day I watched and I swear the postman put his whole hand through the letter box :S

 

[mumj18]

The dog could just have been going for the mail though, not really wanting to bite a human out of viciousness. Different if he had delivered a parcel, the owner had opened the door and the dog had bitten then xx

 

[special_kala]

If its on private property then theres not much that can be done.

People have been let off when their dog has killed a child because the child wondered into their garden :

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

I always find it shocking why people even defend their dog(s) when they attack people, maybe not a nip, but i know if my dog full on attacked someone or god forbid killed a child i would personally put them down! (by that i mean i would take them to the vets)
as i am sure any responsible person would do, i walk one of my dalmatians with a mussel because she is a nervous dog, I.e she backs away from people when they get to close etc, and imo that might only be one step away from attacking out of fear, better to be over cautious i suppose. I wish all dog owners would just be a little more cautious and then people like your OH who are just trying to do their job could do so without being subjected to bites or even have to be afraid of being bitten!

 

[WelshOneEmma]

I always find it shocking why people even defend their dog(s) when they attack people, maybe not a nip, but i know if my dog full on attacked someone or god forbid killed a child i would personally put them down! (by that i mean i would take them to the vets)
as i am sure any responsible person would do, i walk one of my dalmatians with a mussel because she is a nervous dog, I.e she backs away from people when they get to close etc, and imo that might only be one step away from attacking out of fear, better to be over cautious i suppose. I wish all dog owners would just be a little more cautious and then people like your OH who are just trying to do their job could do so without being subjected to bites or even have to be afraid of being bitten!

Would you not even consider the circumstances?

I am all for putting a dog down that attacks for no reason, but 9 times out of 10, ESPECIALLY when kids are involved, there is more to the story and it usually involves the kids tormenting the dog.

When I was younger if you did something like that and got bitten it was your own fault, since when did it become ok to torment animals and then blame them when you get bitten?

I realise the OPs question is slightly different as he was doing his job, but to just say "if a dog bites it should be put down" is just silly.

 

[special_kala]

No offence to the op here but if my dog nipped the postman I would be questioning why his hand was that far into my letter box. I definitely wouldn't even consider my dog to even be in Yeh wrong in that situation

 

[smelly07]

I agree with most of the others - i dont see it as the dogs fault.

My brothers a postman and he got bit on the leg but a little dog not sure what breed but a little yappy one - it escaped out the door and into the garden as he was walking out and nipped his ankle he had to have a tetnus as well but he didnt report it and the dog wasnt put down - the owner was an elderly lady if i remember rightly and very apologetic.

I think we should have mail boxes at the bottom of our gardens like they do in America - we have one and our postman doesnt have to even come in to our garden/property.

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

Sorry I read my post back ... It wasn't how I meant it, of course I wouldn't put a dog down for a nip or anything minor I was referring to more extreme circumstances

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

^ yeh like I said, I have watched the postman literally stick his hand right through the letter box :S there was no need!

 

[Tasha]

It depends on the letter box though, some are a right pain in the butt to put things through. Like the stiff ones that have two bits to it, so that you have to push it right in through the two sections otherwise people will know the person isnt in, in which case it isnt the dogs fault nor the delivery guy/postman.

 

[Eleanor ace]

My letter box is really silly, you have to to stick half your hand through to push things in and then getting your hand back out is hard, you get trapped! We don't have a dog otherwise I would get it sorted ASAP.
OP I don't know where your OH stands legally but I hope his hand is OK!

 

[MissRhead]

My dog cant get to the letterbox, but if he could and he was near it when something was pushed through he would probebly jump up and grab it, and i dont think he would know it was a persons hand pushing it through as he wouldnt see the person through the door iykwim? I hope youre OH is ok x

 

[embo216]

My stepdad is a delivery postman and has been bitten many times by dogs, they don't do much accept refuse to deliver there anymore x

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

we had to get a box around ours lol. Dog still barks though but least their hands are safe!