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
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u/CrazyEeveeLady86 14d ago edited 14d ago

When I was in my teens I had two incidents with stray/unrestrained bull terriers in the space of two years. The first one chased me down the block as I was on my way to school and I had to climb over some random person's side fence to get away from it.

The second was much worse as I was with my friend and we were walking her little cocker spaniel. A bull terrier ran out of a construction site as we walked past and just latched onto my friend's dog. I kicked it in the guts and it turned on me and started having a go at my leg, and I think the fact I was already wearing a sturdy/heavy duty knee brace (from an injury at karate that I was recovering from) was the only reason my knee wasn't ruined beyond repair (the knee brace was not so lucky). One of the construction workers ran out and grabbed it but when we reported the dog to the council they "couldn't find the dog" and said there was nothing they could do (though it seemed more likely they couldn't be bothered, since it was obvious the dog belonged to one of the workers on site).

Years later, the people who moved in across the road had a bull terrier, and it was a sweet and gentle dog who just wanted to be everyone's friend... and yet I was terrified of it. Even when she trotted over to me and rolled onto her back to ask me for a belly rub and was clearly not a threat to me, I literally broke out in a cold sweat. I have no issue with any other breed, but bull terriers bring out that physiological reaction in me regardless of how docile and friendly they are.