Danger in the woods! Dog bite

[0017bond]

I was born 40 years ago in East Dulwich. 40 years of life and you find work out that peoples behavior isn?t always well natured.

For the last year I kept on seeing in my mind this trail I used to bmx along when I was 15 and now 25 years later I decided to investigate whether it was still there. It?s a trail some of you may know. It starts at these gate across the road from what used to be the Old Harvester, The Grove at the end of Lordship Lane. The trail leads up into Sydenham Hill Wood and around to Dulwich Wood. I was so happy to find it and thought it was a brilliant retreat away from life with nothing but trees and mud. A welcome relief from concrete and noise. Mostly middle aged people walking their dogs, the odd romantic couple and proud fathers with new born babies strolling along having a break. Some of whom sporting a ?what are you doing around here?? not so subtle look of amazement but too polite to stare for too long. Anyway after having a nice stroll and it getting dark I left.

Today, not working I went for another visit. I looked at my phone contemplating leaving it at home for a complete break but as I just applied for a job online this morning and expected a call I decided to bring it and put it on silent. It was a nice stroll. Today it wasn?t so muddy and with the so many different trails it was kinda amazing to just pick a trail and walk freely. Across one of the trails was an old branch. It reminded me of the times I had a discussion with a friend who asked as a woman why it was boys always used to walk with sticks? I looked at it contemplating walking with a stick for the first time and conceded it was too small and looking pretty old. I stepped on it and hearing it snap concluded it wasn?t worth picking it up anyway. Internally laughing to myself I walked on. I turned a bend to see 2 woman. One about 50 odd and the other in her late 40?s with three or four small dogs and one large ugly stray looking greyhound mut. The mut bolted straight for me. I?m not really scared of dogs but I am aware of them. I also know if you can?t get away from it the best thing to do is just stand still. Not worried about the dog I raise both hands in the air and look straight at it?s owner. The older of the two woman. Being aware of the dog it circled round the back of me and bit me. As a tall dog the bite was around the middle of the hamstring. The bite was a nip but a nip enough for me to move the leg away for the dog to then step back. With my hands in the air still I looked at the woman and said ?Your dog just bit me?? in disbelief but still calm. Now with her coming forward she took control of the dog and got it on a leash. The smaller dogs were calm. Now I?m not used to being bitten but I do know I felt the teeth of the dog on my skin. Still standing there I feel the area for blood with none found. I did however feel through the tear in my trousers the dog made. The woman looks straight at me and in complete denial said he didn?t bite me. Her friend kinda bemused just followed suit with denial. She asked ?Is there any blood!? Calmly I answered ?No but there is a rip in my trousers ?thick black Calvin Clein corduroys? I then turn around to show her to which she adamantly replies ?That was there any way!?

Still calm and with a straight stare I reiterated to her ?Your dog ripped my trousers?. My blood was beginning to boil. She then replied ?What do you expect me to do about it here? I was stunned. At this point it did occur to me to give her a slap but after years of being a youth worker for Southwark Council and the thought of actually slapping her not really sitting well in my spirit although bubbling I looked her straight in her eye. She then decided to start wombling off with her friend. There are some points in life where we have to act and at this point I reached for my phone and decided this was a matter for the police to handle. I followed the woman at distance and finally got through. Whilst just describing the situation to the call handler I was walking over this trail junction in pursuit. I glanced to the left to amazingly see two police officers appear strolling up the path. I told the caller on line I had just seen two police officers and yelled to them to stop these woman. Asking why I told them and showed them the rip in my clothes. They stopped the woman who still vehemently denied the dog didn?t do it. I gave my details and took the details of the officer to make a full statement later. Whilst walking off my gasket blew. I turned around walked back to the officers and the woman and made it sternly clear that if this is not resolved in an honest and fitting manner it will be hell for her to pay when I see her in the woods again. Understandably ushered off I left.

The moral of the story is this, be slow to anger, be patient and remember at every junction in life there is help at hand. You can only be responsible for your actions in bad circumstances but stand with good behavior and respect yourself.

Oh and if you see a guy walking in the woods with a big stick, keep away and if you see a guy in the woods whacking a 50 year odd woman with a branch close your eyes and keep walking :-) (only for those who have a wicked sense of humour) I don't really condone violence.

[Twirly]

I hope that the police follow this up properly - clearly the dog is dangerous and should not be off the leash whilst out in public. Sorry to hear about your experience, and well done for keeping your calm as long as you did. Many other people would have had a far more vituperative reaction.

[giggirl]

Terrible think to happen to you and I'm not surprised you're angry Bond. Quite honestly (and I'm a 5'4 white woman) in that situation I'd have slapped her stupid. Today it was you and tomorrow it will be someone else. Take a deep calm breath and follow up with the police.

[minder]

Sorry to hear you were bitten and we've done this walk many times and find that people seem to think that because it's so secluded they can let their dogs off the lead. Is this allowed? I don't know.

[tiddles]

there is nothing wrong with dogs off the lead, but everything wrong with not anticipating and 'owning' your dogs behaviour. sincere apologies from this dog owning middle aged lady for the distrss caused by that owner's ridiculous behaviour.

[ontheedge]

Very eloquently put, and these ladies should be hugely embarrassed at least

[owlwise]

I think it's disgusting that the woman didn't even apologise to you. How dare she say that the tear in your trousers was already there?! I'm glad you reported the incident. It was serendipity that the two police officers appeared when they did.

[ratty]

Cool story! Sticks and BMXs! Good work! Hope your leg's ok!

[steveo]

'a 6?1 black guy in the woods whacking a 50 year odd woman with a branch'

Do you want to rephrase that?

[first mate]

Outright denial is a classic human defence. So sorry this happened to you, those ladies ought to be ashamed. I'm sure that that you are simply venting and have no intention of bashing anyone with a stick. There are various areas of dog law under which you would have a case, the problem is the real culprit is the owner and not the dog.

[ironjawcannon]

sorry to hear what happened to you and I think you behaved very well in the circumstances. It makes my blood boil to think of all the times dogs bite people and it is never reported. When it is not reported then every bite is, " He's never done it before".............. I hope the police find them. And that you can have many more walks in peace.

[mfcjoe]

That is outrageous, what an horrible old bag, bare faced lying is something i really hate, well done for keeping your cool, i wouldn't have been able to if it was me, i would have done gone mad.Fucking lying old bag.

[MarleyLover]

Omg I a dog owner and no way would I have denied if my dog had bitten you - so sorry this has happened to you - and please - do not think all dog owners are as irresponsible as these women were.

[0017bond]

To all who wrote.

Thanks for all your posts.

Firstly let me say I'm completely fine. I have to admit my fiest thoughts on the subject this morning weren't very nice but whacking old woman in parks or poisoning dogs is just not me and I have to even laugh at myself for thinking that. I think I was guilty to venting.

The dog was one thing but trying to understand the responce and the behaviour of the woman and her friend was another.

Sometimes we just encounter not so nice people. In many ways people then take offence to the behaviour they receive and then uncontiously offer the same behaviour themselves. I think incidents like this give us a direction to choose between what is right and what is wrong but also to remember who we are and who we want to be and demonstrate what we stand for. I suppose those dogs bring those woman some comfort and maybe their fear or desperation of anything that would detract from them receiving their fix would scare them from taking responsibility. I don't really know. I know life has a way of warning us and we have to heed those warnings. I think her warning was about real ownership of her dogs and I expect that if she doesn't respond appropriatly life will itself force the issue in it's own way.

Outrageous as it is i still love Dulwich, still love dogs and have to admit even 2 old ladies on a rampage does offer a different variable to the usual youngsters causing mayhem. Best answer for me is go shopping for another pair of jeans, walk with a stick and have as much fun over the Christmas peiod as possible.

Some of you may have kids and whilst I'm not in a position to expertly recommend I might suggest putting the following books on your lists:-

SARA Book 1 The Foreverness of friends of a feather

SARA Book 2 Solomons Fine Featherless Friends

SARA Book 3 A Talking Owl is worth a thousand words

Book 2 I found the best.

I've worked for the council as a youth worker for the last 10 years. Engaging kids and working out how they think, how we think and respond to circumstances differing circumstances, life and people. They are I admit a lot of self help books, some of them good some of them not so good. Whilst these books are aimed at the age of 11 upwards, I would suggest you set some time aside to read them yourself, even if to say their crap. I'm sure you will find these a very easy and interesting read from which you and your kids will grow. Even together. I kindled it.

No I don't get anything from this recomendation. Apart from the fact of using all opportunities to create and grow.

I'm a trained retail designer but turned to decorating when I found out the value and appreciation a nice environment to live in brings to people. No matter what the best thing in life is being happy and that I think should always be the focus of where we direct our energy and thoughts. I hope more happiness finds you and your families over the Christmas. Spare a thought and maybe even a nice gesture to those who may not be so happy over this period. It comes back around.

peace

Now where was that crossbow again lol

[Alan Medic]

I read your post bond and what happened to you wasn't nice. I'm curious though, as apart from the dog story you make two references to reactions you got which you seem to think were due to the colour of your skin.

Can you be so certain that you are right about them or could it be you misconstrued the reactions? It would be a good thing if you didn't have to think like that is all I am saying. I happen to be white but am well aware of how a female in a quiet street might feel about my being behind her or approaching her given we live in a large city where most people are strangers. I'd usually cross the road to ease her possible discomfort and my definite discomfort.

I don't like it as I'm from a small town where that would seem ridiculous. But I live in a city where crime is not unusual. Just wondering.

[giggirl]

If I'm walking down the road late at night and a guy is on the same side as me, either in front or behind, then I cross. I don't mind if his skin is black, white or sky blue with pink spots; I cross. If the guy crosses then I cross back. This just happens to be my personal safety protocol for keeping safe late at night. I don't talk on the phone or have headphones on; I'm just concentrating on who's around me and it's second nature I've been doing it so long. I don't mean to cause offence to anyone; I'm just doing what I feel I need to do.

[Huggers]

yup, we women are programmed I'm afraid, to treat all males with caution in unexpected or isolated places or late at night.

[Help-Ma-Boab]

I did think there was reference to casual violence in the OP, didn't sit well with me. Not acceptable the situation etc, but still, a man slap the woman, beat her with a stick etc. Youth worker as well, even as a parable, just feels uncomfortable to me.

[Jessie]

Agreed

[0017bond]

removed

[Help-Ma-Boab]

I have seen my fair share of violence, Central Scotland is riddled with it, trust me! I worked for Connexions in Peckham and also have an understanding of what you describe. Your encounter in the woods however was with a couple of middle aged women, unlikely they were going to chib you!

I'm not havin a dig at you, just there seemed to be a flippant attitude to giving the old girl a slap, lol, and if that jokey discourse was with a group of young people not sure it's a good message.

Anyhoo, it's Xmas build up time so enjoy.

[new2ED2013]

Sorry to hear you was bitten by a Dog. This is quite unusual for a Greyhound to tear someones trousers and so quickly as well...They are notoriously known for being shy creatures. Of course, any breed can be aggressive but I am yet to meet a Greyhound that's aggressive to humans. It is surprising he done what he did but if he did, then of course that is wrong.

[first mate]

It may have been a lurcher.

[Cassius]

London Wildlife Trust who administer Sydenham Woods (but not Dulwich Woods) insist that dogs are on a lead, this is not popular with the majority of dogwalkers, but that is meant to be the rule. As a former volunteer in the woods, there have been issues with dog owners and the description of the women that the OP gives makes me think that he may have come across one of the serial offenders when letting dogs off the lead even when asked not to do so.

[Huggers]

Cassius, what bit is sydenham and which bit dulwich?