Bethany Hamilton Sounds Off After Son’s ‘Unprovoked’ Leash Bite
Hi, I’m Riley Carter, reporting with a casual vibe on a mom moment that went sideways. Okay, real talk… why is a leashed dog still biting kids?
Surfer and shark-attack survivor Bethany Hamilton revealed on August 4 that her 7-year-old son, Wesley, was bitten by a dog during a recent outing—even though the animal was on a leash. In an Instagram Stories post, she described the incident as totally “unprovoked and super random,” adding that she felt let down by both the pet and its owner. Hamilton, 35, shared that she and husband Adam Dirks have four kids—Tobias, 10; Wesley, 7; Micah, 4; and Alaya, 2—and urged fellow dog guardians to think twice before bringing ill-behaved or elderly, grumpy dogs out in public.
“I used to have poor behaving dogs, and I was blind to it,” the professional surfer confessed. “If you have mean dogs, PLEASE leave them home. Also, if your dog is getting really old and grumpy, leave them home.” Her followers flooded her inbox with both support and pushback. In response, Hamilton explained that she now teaches her children how to interpret dog body language and stay aware around animals—especially when you’re a parent of littles.
This wasn’t the first time Hamilton faced a life-altering animal encounter. In 2003, she survived a shark attack in Hawaii that cost her left arm but not her spirit. She was back on a board within weeks, published her memoir in 2004, and inspired the 2011 film Soul Surfer. Reflecting on that chapter in October 2023, she wrote on Instagram that she had to “dream it up, flip my mindset and be willing to do what I had not seen anyone else do” in order to get back to surfing and living in faith.
Hamilton’s dog-bite warning comes amid a flurry of celebrity health and safety revelations. Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o opened up about suffering from uterine fibroids for over a decade before going public in 2025. Model-actor Suki Waterhouse joked on X that wearing tight pants landed her in the hospital with a hernia. Beverly Hills, 90210 alum Brian Austin Green revealed he nearly had a burst appendix earlier this year, and comedian Adam Devine admitted that a childhood cement-truck accident still causes him spasms.
This wave of personal disclosures shows that even celebrities juggle unexpected health scares and family moments that make you rethink everyday decisions. Hamilton’s take-home message: pet owners, do better. Kid safety isn’t optional, and a leash doesn’t guarantee zero drama.
Anyway, that’s the deal. Do with it what you will.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! Online, Bethany Hamilton’s Instagram
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
