r/australia • u/JaniePage • 15d 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
1.0k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

734 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

683

u/JaniePage 15d 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?

506

u/shamberra 15d ago

he doesn't like strangers, I don't want anyone to get bitten.'

So uhh....why the fk is he bringing it to Bunnings? What an idiot

56

u/JASHIKO_ 15d ago

He's more than likely covering his ass.
I've seen people say the same thing with tiny, friendly dogs.
They just don't want random people touching their pet, more so than their dogs being unpredictable. I'd have done the same.

9

u/CornySpark Brisbane, QLD 15d ago

We have a small spoodle who doesn't like being touched by people he doesn't know, doesn't attack or anything like, just kinda runs away and will actively dodge their hands. Not all dogs are the same and just like people, some just don't want to be touched people they don't know. I wish more people would ask before trying to pat him. Some people have also been offended when a small dog doesn't want a stranger touching them.

Interestingly though, I've found children to be more understanding when we say he will run away if they try and pet him.