Colchester incident sees dog reportedly lunge at pram

Andrei Michnea has issued a warning to residents after his wife and their two daughters were confronted by a dog.

Mr Michnea's wife had been returning from a trip to Tesco near Gavin Way on December 11 when she came across a woman who emerged from a small, forested area with her dog.

According to Mr Michnea, the dogwalker was not paying attention to her dog due to looking at her phone.

The dog then reportedly lunged forward, pulling the leash from the owner’s hand and jumping on the pram in which the couple's daughters were resting.

“Fortunately, our child was not harmed, but it was a distressing situation,” said Mr Michnea. 

The dog walker is then said to have quickly left the scene without checking on the well-being of Mr Michnea’s children or offering an apology.

At that point, Mr Michnea was on his way to join his wife and tried to approach the dog walker when their pathes.

He added: “I attempted to address the situation with the dog's owner, seeking some acknowledgement or apology, but to no avail.  

“She showed a lack of concern and left.

“We managed to take some photos as evidence of the incident, showing the woman, her dog, the mud marks left on the right-hand side of our pram, and the visibly upset expression of our child."

Mr Michnea has now urged others to be vigilant. 

“I want to raise awareness and possibly gather any similar experiences from fellow community members," he said. 

“We believe it's essential for pet owners to maintain control of their animals in public spaces and take responsibility for their actions, especially in areas frequented by children.

“Our primary concern is the dog owner's nonchalant attitude during the incident.

"She seemed more focused on leaving the scene with her dog than checking on the well-being of our toddlers, which was quite distressing.  

“This lack of concern and accountability is worrying, especially in a community setting where children are often present.”