I was attacked by a lion-hunting dog (From Southend Standard)
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I was attacked by a lion-hunting dog
6:00pm Thursday 27th September 2012 in Echo News
Les Darke with his injured wrist
A POSTMAN suffered horrific bites to his hands after being attacked by a dog originally bred to hunt lions.
Les Darke, from Shoebury , spent five days in hospital undergoing two operations after the attack by a Rhodesian ridgeback in Great Wakering.
Still in pain more than a month after the attack and plagued by nightmares, Mr Darke had to take three weeks off work after his wrist became infected from the bites, which tore deep into his flesh.
He said: “It has made me worry about the houses I’m visiting.
“I back off if I hear a dog barking.”
The owner of the dog had to wrestle it away after it bit Mr Darke’s hand, leaving six deep puncture wounds in the palm and two to the wrist.
Mr Darke had been delivering a package to a house in Barling Road when the dog darted out from behind the owner and latched onto his hand.
Fearing a second bite, Mr Darke fled to his van and wrapped his hand, which was pouring with blood, in a handkerchief. His manager took him to Southend A&E.
Surgeons operated twice on the hand after the deep wound, which cut down to the joint, became infected. He has since suffered nightmares about the attack.
Mr Darke, 54, of Kingfisher Close, has been bitten several times over his 25-year delivery career, but last month’s attack was the worst.
He said: “When I went into hospital, a couple of the people I saw thought it was par for the course. It’s just what we do. Some even made jokes about it, but it’s not like that. It’s serious.”
A Freedom of Information request by the Echo earlier this month revealed postmen in south Essex have suffered more than 300 dog attacks and 17 assaults from people over the past five years.
My Darke reported the attack to the police, but when the Echo contacted them for comment, we were told they would not be able to confirm details of the incident or say whether the law applies in this case because the officer on charge isn’t available.
Comments(18)
the kracken
says...
7:21pm Thu 27 Sep 12
That is the only way unfortunately to deal with dog owners who's pet's cause such serious injuries . Jailing them for years will provide a deterrent to other dog owners to take much more responsibility for their choice of dog and the measures they use to control it.Why for instance does anyone need an african lion hound in great wakering? What thinking did the owner do before purchasing such a breed, they are very expensive dogs and what was the purpose of owning one?
Iam not in favour of banning any breed but dog owners must accept full criminal responsibility if their dog causes an injury or a death, which means potentially being given a life sentence if someone is killed. Unfortunately such radical measures are needed to reign in the lack of personal responsibility which infests british society thanks to decades of first thatcherite i'm alright jack thinking and then blairite I know my rights liberalism and political correctness a lethal and caustic combination. A firm hand is needed.
Soouthchurch59
says...
7:33pm Thu 27 Sep 12
Brunning999
says...
7:35pm Thu 27 Sep 12
billericay boy
says...
7:53pm Thu 27 Sep 12
DogsMessInLeigh
says...
9:05pm Thu 27 Sep 12
Illinois10
says...
9:12pm Thu 27 Sep 12
DogsMessInLeigh
says...
9:14pm Thu 27 Sep 12
APR
says...
11:23pm Thu 27 Sep 12
Blind Haze
says...
7:43am Fri 28 Sep 12
APR wrote:A taser?
Perhaps postmen should be issued with electronic dog repellents. ?
Woodenspoon
says...
7:49am Fri 28 Sep 12
I have never taught any of my dogs, be they little or big to ever play Tug of War with a toy or to attack a toy or anything that moves. I have always been the Alpha male to them and made them know that from a puppy. All my dogs would ever do to a person is lick them to death from excitement. They even share the bed with cats. A dog is an extension of the owner and as such if the dog does anything wrong then the owner should be punished/prosecuted for the wrong as if though they themselves had done it, or if they had used the dog as a weapon.
APR
says...
8:44am Fri 28 Sep 12
Blind Haze wrote:They just emit a high frequency sound. Maplin sell them.
APR wrote:A taser?
Perhaps postmen should be issued with electronic dog repellents. ?
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I'd better not say more, as apparently one or two people don't like my comments, and are running to the Echo to complain.
SpaffSpiff84
says...
12:24pm Fri 28 Sep 12
perini
says...
12:26pm Fri 28 Sep 12
Blind Haze wrote:Last time I tasered a dog it went ballistic and started running around in ever decreasing circles!
APR wrote: Perhaps postmen should be issued with electronic dog repellents. ?A taser?
v.randy
says...
11:16am Sat 29 Sep 12
muffindamule
says...
2:08pm Sat 29 Sep 12
Illinois10 wrote:DogsMessInLeigh says...
Why do we need to know where the postman lives...
same reason we need to know how old he is.
So we can send him a birthday card !
E -Type
says...
6:34pm Sat 29 Sep 12
the kracken wrote:" A firm hand is needed."
If the dog owner had done those injuries himself or herself, they would be locked up for a few years,as it looks to me like GBH.
That is the only way unfortunately to deal with dog owners who's pet's cause such serious injuries . Jailing them for years will provide a deterrent to other dog owners to take much more responsibility for their choice of dog and the measures they use to control it.Why for instance does anyone need an african lion hound in great wakering? What thinking did the owner do before purchasing such a breed, they are very expensive dogs and what was the purpose of owning one?
Iam not in favour of banning any breed but dog owners must accept full criminal responsibility if their dog causes an injury or a death, which means potentially being given a life sentence if someone is killed. Unfortunately such radical measures are needed to reign in the lack of personal responsibility which infests british society thanks to decades of first thatcherite i'm alright jack thinking and then blairite I know my rights liberalism and political correctness a lethal and caustic combination. A firm hand is needed.
Not a bitten one!
E -Type
says...
6:36pm Sat 29 Sep 12
DogsMessInLeigh wrote:What good is that? The dog, other than invites from Cruft's, doesn't get much mail anyway.
Royal mail should blacklist the address.
Eric Whim says...
6:36pm Thu 27 Sep 12
your dark(e) what?