My daughter got bitten by a dog this week, but that’s not what’s making me sad.
The dog is a gorgeous Rhodesian ridgeback that she has helped looked after for the last year. She walks him twice a week, and when the owners went away for an extended holiday a few months ago, she dog sat him at their home for a whole month. He’s a real sweetie 95% of the time but there have been instances of violent behaviour before now. He actually bit me on the arm a few months ago when he and Samantha were staying with us at Waikanae, which was absolutely terrifying. The owners and Samantha have put huge amounts of time and effort into trying to improve the situation, with costly advice from animal behaviourists, all to no avail. The crazy thing is he loves Samantha, but when he takes it into his head that his owner or their baby is at risk, the red mist descends and he bites, and viciously. Samantha had to go to the after hours to have her wounds cleaned and checked by a doctor, get a couple of stitches and a script for antibiotics.
After that, the writing was on the wall for the poor dog. After long phone conversations with their vet and a dog expert for a second opinion, tomorrow he is going to the vet to get put down. Today they are trying to give him the best day of his life; he’ll be so happy to spend time with the family that he loves so fiercely. Tomorrow is going to be so so hard for them, even though they’re doing the right thing.
So, tonight I’m hugging our dumb doggies close.