Baaaad Sunday dog walk

[therevjay]

It's a long story, so I'll skip most. I took my little Gold Lab for a walk to the nearby city park. Next thing I know I'm laying on my back in a mud puddle with a snarling big dog on top of me with his jaws locked on my dogs neck. Shes screaming, and I'm thinking He's gonna kill her, and I'm next.

It got through to me reall quick that a old fart (me) wasn't going to solve the problem pysicaly. So I decided I'd have to get out from under him, get the old Colt .32long out of my pocket and against the back of his head , so the rd would impact in the dirt and not go sailing off into the nieborhood.

Lucky for me the owner showed up right then , dragged him off, and got his jaws off my dogs neck. Got his fingers shredded pretty bad in the process (good!) He said "he don't normally act this way" Don't normally??? you mean he's done something similer before and you still let him run loose?

Thick fur prevented any damage to my dogs neck, and I just got muddy and a slightly tweaked back. But things could have ended badly for all concerend.

Anyway, I learned a few lessons,. 1. Daily excercise or not, I ain't what I used to be. 2. Stay more alert ALL the time. 3. A gun is not always the best defense. (Today I went out and bought a VERY heavy walking stick/cane)

Justifieably fearing for my life or not, I think a world class poop storm would have come down on me if I had shot the jerks dog. Hours or days of police and DA questoning, probably hundreds or maybe thousends of $ for a lawyer,etc.

This is a very progressive city, I can see the headlines now "Trigger happy Viet nam baby killer gun nut, shoots and kills beloved pet in public park".

 

[DeathGrip]

Leash laws?

 

[gregintenn]

In my opinion, you showed great restraint by not shooting the dog after the fact and daring the owner to say anything.

 

[m1gunner]

What city? Around here we call that kind of dog a dead dog.

 

[sigp220.45]

What kind of dog was it?

 

[therevjay]

Leash laws?

We've got leash laws, we've got laws requireing a permit to trim trees in your yard, we got laws regulating how much C.O.2 your barbie can emit, we got laws on how much smoke your smoker can produce, we got laws forbidding you to build a fire in your fireplace or run power tools on "clean air action days."

We've got laws regulating every bloody thing you can think of. (and some you couldn't) But the ones that make some sense (like the leash law) don't get enforced. Just the touchy feely stupid ones.

 

[DeathGrip]

So,How do you really feel?Go on,Vent a little.

I'm truly glad everybody's OK.

 

[therevjay]

What kind of dog was it?

I don't really know. Not the much maligned Pit bull or Rot. Black & white, big, shaggy sort of like a collie but wider head.

 

[m1gunner]

If you can't use a gun to protect yourself in those situations, look into a stun gun, one of the baton shaped ones that gives a little reach would do the trick.

Are those legal there in your area?

 

[Kelly Green]

I posted this some time back but I think all should be aware of what can happen.

I've used a gun in self-defense only once. In 1999, I lived in a suburb of Dallas. Early one morning I was walking my beagle, Riley the rabbit dog, when a neighbor's large German Sheppard escaped from his fenced yard and attacked us. I was knocked to the ground, bitten in the hand and leg, and Riley was severely bitten in the neck and back. I always carried a .38 Chiefs Special loaded with hollow points because of stray dogs in the neighborhood. I fired one round that stopped the attack. I didn't kill the dog but the damage was substantial—end of story, or so I thought.

As a result of the attack, my dog sustained nerve damage that lasted the rest of his life. I was treated at the ER for bite wounds. I had a conceal carry license and there were no charges pressed against me. Non-the-less, the vindictive owner sued me in civil court for his dog's outrageous vet bills. It cost thousands in legal fees to defend myself for something that was purely self-defense. My lawyer counter sued for everything under the sun and the whole mess was settled out of court before going to trial. A lot of time wasted and money spent. In the event that I have to use my weapon again in self-defense, I will make sure the attacker is dead.

A short time later I moved back to the farm where I grew up, but for different reasons.

 

[66TAS]

Look into a good folding knife with a clip. I carry a Benchmade, Cold Steele, or Kershaw just in case. Just in case I lose, cant get to, or shouldnt use my carry firearm.

In your case, a good defensive knife might have been a good option, although I agree that a heavy walking stick would be a good idea from now omn.

Glad you are all OK and nothing got totally out of hand.

 

[jimmyj]

Big walking stick is no good if you are on the ground or in a mud puddle.
Carry a self defense weapon that can be drawn and used with one hand (either hand)

 

[medxam]

Never go walking without a taser AND a real gun, .44sp or bigger!

 

[seagill]

I carry pepper spray on my weak side for non life threatening situations. Found some made by Fox industries thats 5.3 million scovile heat units. Figure it would ruin any attackers day, 2 or 4 legs.

 

[charlie sherrill]

I serve process as a LEO. I've gassed many dogs before they could get to me and most of the time that stops them. The two that didn't stop got what was behind door number two. I've been bitten several times by the surprise attacks but I'm current on my shots. The city dogs are covered by leash laws but the county dogs aren't. Humans around here have more rights than dogs and usually don't have problems justifying protecting themselves or their property against unrestrained viscious dogs...especially if they have a carry permit.

 

[Kanewpadle]

That's the very reason I carry a collapsable baton in my back pocket when I walk the dog.

Long enough to hold a dog at bay and when swung, generates a heck of lot more force.

If you find yourself on your back again, the walking stick won't be as easy to use as a baton.

Glad you and the dog are ok.

 

[Sprefix]

A tazer would have been great fun...........Glad you are OK............

 

[JcMack]

therevj: The scenario you described is why I don't walk my little dogs anymore. There's just too many dogs of "unknown" parentage walking around the neighborhood.

 

[reddogge]

We just had a similar situation this summer in Severan Park, MD where in an off leash dog park a dog attacked a dog on lease. Owner's brother who was in charge of the off leash dog (Bear-Bear) said it was just playing hard. The leashed dog owner was an off duty federal agent and he was carrying a handgun and shot Bear-Bear in the hip. Unfortunately he hit an artery and Bear-Bear died. It was a big deal in the news for months and the agent wound up moving from the area and stood trial. He was convicted of discharging his weapon in the dog park.

I'd say you did the right thing. I wouldn't have shot the dog unless it had it's teeth around MY neck. Perhaps walk softly and carry a big stick next time.

 

[Texas Star]

Dogs and the insane devotion that the public has for them scare me. I worry quite a bit about them, where I work and where I live, on the jogging trails.

I think Jay needs more than a .32.

My brother once shot a big mongrel that lived in the neighborhood and ran free, terrifying women who were gardening or hanging out clothes. It went for him in his yard, and he hit it once with a lead HP from his M-60 snub. The bullet probably didn't expand, but did drop the dog. The bullet went down between the shoulder and the body, from above.

My son had to stab a big coydog that went for him in his back yard at night. He got a Benchmade one-handed folding knife with a tanto point open, while holding off the dog, and stuck it pretty well in the chest. It yelped and ran off. It was probably stalking an old horse that his wife kept in an enclosure in that semi-rural yard. He carries a gun at night when he goes out now.

I've scared off a couple of dogs with a knife, years ago. I think they sensed danger, dropped their aggressive actions, and left. But they worry me, and the leash law is poorly enforced here.