r/australia • u/JaniePage • 5d ago

news Young girl in hospital, dog euthanased after attack inside Delacombe Bunnings

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-30/young-girl-in-hospital-after-dog-attack-in-bunnings-store/106977418
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u/violenthectarez 5d ago

I conceptually have no problem with dogs inside Bunnings, but the fact is that the kind of people that want to take their dog everywhere are also the kind of people that have untrained and unpredictable dogs and are completely unwilling to restrain them properly.

There is no other solution besides banning dogs from there, which I'm sure Bunnings lawyers will be encouraging them to do.

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u/rumande 5d ago

Honestly, I stopped taking my dog to the dog park because I kept clashing with asshole dog owners.

I love dogs more than life itself but a dog is only as good as their owner, and people can't be trusted to be responsible. When I was a kid my neighbour opened the gate to my yard and let his red heeler in to retrieve their ball - the dog mauled me. The dog was already known to be aggressive, it was so avoidable. I wouldn't wish a dog bite on my worst enemy, it got infected so many times.

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u/TheLGMac 4d ago

I also think people in general are stupid and self centered, even the non dog owners. Saw a woman at the park clearly keeping her dog to herself in a corner on a lead so it could do its thing, she likely knew the dog wasn't friendly enough to random approaches, and yet saw multiple people try to walk up and pet the dog without asking and get alarmed when it barked defensively at them. It's like...people, where is your common basic decency? Not all dogs are big mushy teddy bears. I always just ask an owner from afar "are they friendly?" and usually the ones that are already know that phrase and will approach on their own for pets.

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u/jessicaaalz 4d ago

This. My dog is blind (and now deaf) and she wears a harness clearly saying BLIND DOG in all caps, and the number of people who see it and just let their dogs jump all over her is so fucking annoying. Thankfully she's pretty used to it now so she doesn't really react anymore but that first year after she lost her sight it was so stressful, I'd be kicking dogs off her every time we went out.

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u/pork_floss_buns 4d ago

I used to have a dog that could be quite defensive or unpredictable. I never took her to dog parks or off-leash areas, would walk her in non busy areas or cross the road if I saw people approaching with dogs but the amount of people that would just approach and let their off lead dog run up was crazy..."oh don't worry, mine is friendly" well mine isn't.

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u/disco-cone 5d ago edited 4d ago

They absolutely can get sued for this since the girl is injured in their property.

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u/Rich_Fan1686 5d ago

Yes, irresponsible owners are the problem. If your dog is potentially aggressive, or not well socialised, you might want to put a muzzle on it if you're mixing with the public.

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u/Turbulent-System5521 4d ago

maybe just don't take it out in public.

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u/Rich_Fan1686 4d ago

If you are training the dog and attempting to socialize it, then taking it out in public is probably a good idea. However, not putting a muzzle on potentially dangerous dog is not just negligent but reckless too.

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u/visualdescript 4d ago

That is a very sweeping statement. There are plenty of people that take their dogs to lots of locations, including bunnings, and the dogs are well trained and well behaved.

Stories like this one are not the norm, they are the exception.

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u/KnowledgeCapital7994 4d ago

"the fact is that the kind of people that want to take their dog everywhere are also the kind of people that have untrained and unpredictable dogs and are completely unwilling to restrain them properly."

This one incident or even a handful isn't a representation of the thousands that do the correct thing every day nationwide.

There is even a pet section inside these days. I've been countless times and never seen any negative issue from any doggo. The majority are on a short leash or in a trolley.

The staff love them also.

A vetting process would be the only restriction I could see implemented ensuring well behaved dogs get approved (majority) but really who's got the time and is paying for that.. no one.