If You Go Down To The Seafront Today…

A boy has received serious arm and back injuries after being mauled by a Rottweiler on Southend seafront.

Blimey, the place is nearly as dangerous as Svarlbard!

The seven-year-old boy, who is from Westcliff, was paddling in the sea on Eastern Esplanade, Southend, in the area opposite the turning for Chelsea Avenue, at around 4.15pm on Friday, August 5.

A man came walking along the beach with two Rottweiler dogs, who both ran into the water where the boy was playing.

One of the dogs grabbed hold of the boy across his left shoulder and had its mouth across the boy’s chest and back, encompassing his arm within its bite. In doing so, the dog was forcing the boy under the water, which was about two feet deep.

He was lucky not to be drowned, never mind mauled to death. Presumably the owner leapt in to help and…

Oh. Right:

Pc Rob Kirk, the investigating officer, said: "The boy’s grandmother had to physically pull the dog from the boy for fear it was going to drown the child or continue to bite him to death. It must have been a terrifying ordeal for all concerned.”

After the grandmother successfully pulled the dog away, both dogs and their owner ran back onto the promenade, then over the road and up Chelsea Avenue towards Southchurch Park.

What a scumbag!

Luckily, there’s a good description of him, for once:

The dog walker is described as a black man in his 30s, about 6ft 4ins tall, slim build, with short black hair. He wore a blue top and jeans. Early enquiries suggest he lives in Southend.

He should be pretty easily caught. And it could easily have been worse:

The boy sustained around 20 puncture wounds to his torso and arms, including a 2 inch cut to his forearm. He has since had two lots of surgery and he currently remains at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford receiving treatment to his wounds.

The comments are full of the ‘muzzle all dogs!’ and ‘it’s not the dogs, it’s the owners!’ – the usual arguments, in other words.

And I’m not in favour of blanket laws; issuing orders to muzzle or leash all dogs everywhere is pointless. I’m in no danger from a Chihuahua, just as I’m in comparatively little danger from a properly-trained and controlled Rottweiler.

The problems start when there are no consequences to people who are not in control of their animals. So they catch this guy, and put the dogs down? So what? He’ll just get more. What’s to stop him?

There needs to be some serious consequences attached to having an out-of-control dangerous animal. Not a pathetic slap on the wrist.