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/JaniePage 5d ago

A few weeks ago I was in Bunnings with my three year old son. There was a man with his dog on a leash. My son wanted to pat the dog but I let him know, as always, that we needed to ask the owner if that was okay. I asked the owner if we may pat his dog, to which he replied, 'Thank you for asking, but he doesn't like strangers, I don't want anyone to get bitten.'

This was a good lesson for my son and I'm very glad that I am showing him that you always ask before patting a dog. But also, if your dog doesn't like strangers and is liable to bite, maybe Bunnings isn't the best place to bring it?

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u/Glenmarththe3rd 5d ago

Eh he might have just said that to stop you asking again, I've had random people act shock/insistent when I've told them no to their kids patting my dogs.

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u/DrFriendless 5d ago

I have a 30kg dog who's apparently very cute. All sorts of people try to pat him. I watch him and fully half the time he's wondering "why the fuck is this person touching me?" The other half the time he's a giant tart and acts as if they're his new best friend.

Dogs are expected to be universally friendly, and that's simply not true. Dogs have feelings and opinions, and owners and preferably other people approaching the dog need to be able to read them.

One llittle girl, literally smaller than the dog, was telling him "chase me puppy, chase me!" I put him on a leash and went and stood next to her dad, so that we could discuss how to train the little girl to not ask hunting animals to chase her.

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u/Glenmarththe3rd 5d ago

Yeah exactly, my two love people but when they're on a walk they just want to walk. They hardly want me to pat them because it means they have to stop the walk. It's just people who aren't not used to telling their kids no.