Who was a fault here?

A very tragic accident but one that was just waiting to happen.

I wouldn't let my adopted greyhound play off leash with dogs it doesn't know (it was not until about 5 months after adoption that I reckoned she was safe to run free under supervision). And especially not with small puppies that haven't got a clue how to behave, or little tiny dogs either unless they're part of a group my dog has been introduced to.

Greyhounds love wearing muzzles too and see them as a sign of getting ready for a run. Plastic ones are so cheap and light you don't even know they're in your bag.

So I don't blame the greyhound for going after what it thought was prey. Also it may have been showing off to the other dogs - and they DO show off.

So I'm afraid I'd put 75% blame on the greyhound's owner for a lack of duty of care and 25% on to the puppy's owner for being naive enough to go to a busy dog park where there are big active dogs running about,

And the local newspaper? Sensationalist reporting sells extra copies and 'evil' dog owners are easy prey... except of course when they advertise heavily in the paper no doubt.

Hopefully a lesson will be learned from this sad tale.

First off dog fights happen at dog parks period. My dog park has a side for big dogs and a side for little dogs. Obviously the big dogs have a lot more weight and strength behind them than little dogs do. So I think the dog park needs two sides. I don't know the history of the greyhound, but given the breed he could have thought the pup was a toy or a rabbit. You have to be careful brining a puppy to a dog park as to what other dogs are there. I brought my puppy over to the big dog side b/c I thought she was big enough. Nope, the big dogs circled her and attacked her. If my husband wasn't there to grab her she could have died. The other dog owners just stood around...typical. Sounds like an accident unfortunately. Hopefully the puppy owner learned a lesson (I know I did) and hopefully the dog park will break into two sides for safety. The greyhound owner hopefully has learned to be more careful when small dogs come around. I don't think the dog should be put down by any means.

Another reason why dog parks are just an insane idea. Both parties are at fault for making the poor decision to bring their dogs there. Most dog parks have a sign posted stating something to the effect that they use the park at their own risk.

So the owner of the retired racing Greyhound should have known better than to bring the dog to a park full of "lures", and the owner of the Pom puppy should have known better than to expose a young pup to any size dog in a random dog park.

While it is a sad incident, there is NO reason to consider a Greyhound a "dangerous dog", or to put the dog down for this.

Both the greyhound and the pom/poodle were obviously not well socialized or monitored by their respective owners - they can share the blame for this terrible event. Greyhounds are trained to chase small prey, that owner had to know this and the owner of the small dog should have had the brains not to let a little guy like that in with a crowd.

This is one more reason why I would never take my dogs to dog parks where the dogs run offleash. At the very least, dog parks should be divided into small and large breed sections.

As many others have said I believe it is the fault of both owners.

Safety is NEVER a guarantee at a dog park, that's one of the risks you take when you go. I also do not believe it is good 'socialization' for a 6 month old small mix breed to have a ton of 70-100 lbs dogs tearing around him.

Both owners should have been more cautious, I do, however, put a little more blame on the small dogs owner. Though it was a tragic thing, the Greyhound did not have 'dog aggression' it has prey drive, which is entirely different. A small fluffy dog is of course going to spark that prey drive.

So...I don't know, both are at fault. I don't think it's fair for the Greyhound to be euthanized for something that was bred into him.

All of the above. Dogs are prey animals. A retired greyhound is a dog that not only was bred to have the drive to chase small animals but had it reinforced for years. Having a small dog in a dog park with large dogs is a danger... but more than that it is outright stupidity.

Why people continue to believe that dog parks are a good idea is beyond me. Why people believe dogs need to socialize with non-pack members is mystifying.

All the dog parks in my area are seperated into small-dog areas and large-dog areas. This is to prevent these exact incidents. Greyhounds were bred to track game animals, it's an instinct.

It's really a terrible thing that happened, but no one is at fault.

I'd say both owners for not having any common sense.

Why in the world is a 6 month old pomeranian/poodle mix allowed in an off-leash area with a 70lb dog?

Why is a retired racing greyhound, a dog that for most of its life has undergone intense training for racing and has a particularly intense prey drive, allowed to be in a dog park where there are small and vulnerable dogs?

here's an interesting article about why retired racing greyhounds should not be brought to dog parks:

http://www.gcnm.org/dogparks.html

The greyhound probably mistook the puppy for prey as they are hunters, it doesn't make it aggresive its its instinct to hunt. Once a fight takes place then all the other dogs are going to join in even if they don't normally, its something dogs do, theres always that risk when taking your dog to meet others it doesnt know so of course its not a safe place to interact, you can't guarentee it. A dog thats normally fine may take a disliking to one particular dog

I understand why there is a dangerous dog hearing being held, and the dog was ever at a dog park again then the owner would be totally at fault.

But unless the adoption agency gave a warning to the new owner of the greyhound about not taking him to dog parks due to dog aggression, dog parks at use at your own risk, IMO. Unless one of the dogs has a record of dog aggression.