Dogs unleashed....I''m boiling mad right now!

[luckystar112]

I just got back from walking my dog. I just started walking my dog at night because it's so hot during the day I think that both of us would pass out before making it around the block. And actually, our backyard is big enough, and my dog spends enough time outside running around, that going for a walk is usually a treat. But with a wedding coming up next year and trying to get off the extra pounds, and with me being afraid of the dark...I've been taking my dog with me on these walks.

We've gone a total of four times. Two of which, my dog has been ATTACKED.

The first time was a fluke....I was approaching a corner and saw that a guy was trying to round up his dog that had apparently gotten out of his house. The dog saw my dog and started sprinting toward us. Immediately I thought of Mandarine, and let go of my dog's leash in a panic. It was a labradoodle or something, not some big scary rottweiler...but it was able to pin my dog (a timid lab/chow mix) on the ground and growl/claw/bite at him!

The guy was able to round up his dog pretty easily, but both my dog and I were pretty shaken up and went straight home. I considered it a fluke. A one time occurence. The next night we went for a walk, and although I was nervous, nothing ended up happening.

Tonight....my dog and I are walking. We approach a corner, and I see a boxer run into a cul-de-sac, with some type of red flashing reflector on it's collar. No leash. I see it's owner, a 70ish old man with a laser pointer. Apparently that's how he keeps control of his dogs.

So, since the man is going after his dog in the cul-de-sac, against my beter judgement I decided to proceed around the corner and get away from them as fast as possible, hoping that owner can prevent his dog from following us. (And thinking that that laser pointer thing is some high-tech dog round-up gadget that I'm just not familiar with. Because no one would be THAT stupid to bring their dog out at night without a leash, right?

) But NO.....the guy has another boxer with a bleeping collar that I didn't see because it was around the corner. That one attacked my dog, which caught the attention of the other dog--and within seconds both of them were on top of MY dog, pinning him to the ground and wrestling all over the street.

What could the 70 year old man do? Nothing. What could I do? NOTHING. Seriously, what am I supposed to do in that situation? Risk someone ELSE'S dog attacking me?

It just really ticks me off that I can be minding my own business, walking down the street the RIGHT way with my dog on a LEASH and be attacked by these idiot's unrestrained dogs!!

It's not like I live in the middle of nowhere....I live in a neighborhood...with lots of houses, lots of people walking their dogs...lots of small children!!

So, who do I call? Homeowner's association? The police? Do I bring mace with me or something? It's so pathetic that I can't walk around the block without fearing for my safety. When this happened, I felt a gush of warmth near my heart....I thought I was having a heart attack! (But I'm guessing it was adrenaline pumping overtime.) I had a panic attack. It was awful.

 

[princesss]

Wow, lucky, I''m so sorry this has happened (and TWICE, no less!). I hope your furbaby is okay. I''d be totally freaked out (and, not going to lie, probably would have lost it at the owner...I don''t have the coolest head when I am angry/afraid).

No advice, just a lot of sympathy and concern for you and your dog. *hug*

 

[door knob solitaire]

I can't imagine what you went through. I am so sorry.

Yes, contact your HOA also contact the Police. For goodness sakes...Your family member was assaulted. I would ask for medical history on the dogs. It doesn't matter-but it makes that owner work hard and realize what a moron he is. Is there a poopy pickup law? If so he was in violation. Hit him with everything you can. Responsible dog owners do not allow their dogs free like that-unless of course they have total word command control. This old geezer had nothing but a silly laser light? What the?

Also contact your city court house. (Make sure you have done this yourself...) but inquire if the Dog Tax has been paid.

This would be traumatic to have the city pick up his dog for lack of payment...and it would also be traumatic to the dog which I would try to avoid in a normal circumstance. But I vividly can picture what your dog went through in your description. It was like a gang attack.

I am so sorry you had to deal with this. Until you have concrete proof you have changed the system, please don't take you babe with your again. But DO TAKE MAZE with YOU to protect yourself from the dogs.

Hope you can close your eyes and sleep well and forget it...fat chance I know. But do try. You are both home and safe.

DKS

 

[luckystar112]

Yeah. I''m not a very good parent. Both times it''s happened I''ve dropped the leash because I''ve been afraid of them attacking me. Poor Bo (my dog) doesn''t want to fight...he just TAKES it. He''s fine now. He can tell I''m upset. It''s not even the fact that the dogs attacked my dog. Well it is, but it''s more the fact that these dogs are allowed to roam around the neighborhood at night without a leash. I mean, get some fricken common sense! I wish I had the guts to tell that man off, but you know me and my stupid fear of confrontation. (There''s a long thread about it somewhere on here.) I''m just so ticked off!

Although my dog gets plenty of exercise, I have always felt bad about not taking him for walks around the neighborhood. I was afraid that since he has some chow in him (and the way he reacts in our bedroom window when he sees a cat) that WE might be the dangerous ones, if the right situation presented itself. Apparently not. Apparently both of us are big babies. Big babies that follow the rules and should be allowed to walk down our own street!

But I really do want to contact someone about this. Should I contact our homeowner''s association? I just want them to put out a common sense flyer regarding dogs and leashes or something like that--and make them aware of what is going on and how unsafe it is.

 

[luckystar112]

Those are all good suggestions, DKS. If I ever dare to go on a walk again, I WILL be bringing some type of protection. Dogs will be dogs...they''ll sniff eachother, attack eachother, or make puppies if they want to. But the owners are responsible for them....which is why we have leashes. I would never dream of letting my dog outside without one, and they shouldn''t either, no matter how well "precious" knows how to sit and roll over.

I just wish I had the guts to tell that guy off.

 

[risingsun]

Fortunately, my dog hasn''t been attacked, but some of my neighbors let their dogs off lead and it drives me crazy

I have had larger, more aggressive dogs come bounding up to me and my small dog more times than I can say. I sometimes respond by saying, " You know how cars speed up and down our street. It''s so dangerous to have your dog off lead." I have also confronted the dog owner and said my dog was now afraid to walk by their house. The response...Oh, my dog would never hurt anyone

 

[door knob solitaire]

Luckystar lets crank this up a notch...

who would you contact if you had spent the evening in the emergency care vet clinic while they sutured wounds your dog suffered from an unleashed attack? Or worse, that you had to leave him overnight while he received intravenous fluids?

Don't let anything in your mind tell you to remain passive on this. Take a stance. Your dog is counting on you to protect him.

Get busy!!! Throw that nice guy, kind, passive part of you away and the the job done!! (I am your cheerleader! )

DKS

 

[Kaleigh]

Yikes how scary for you and your doggie. I''d report it to the police, and your HOA. The 70 year old needs to tow the line. If it happened to you, it will more than likely happen again to someone else, or a child.

You need to report it, and see to it that proper action is taken. Find your voice!!

 

[monarch64]

Lucky, what kind of leash are you using on your dog? Just curious...for your own safety as well as your dog''s I suggest a pinch collar and a 6 foot leather leash as it is MUCH easier to control your own dog on that type of setup. Also, when and if you see another dog who is unleashed make a run for you and your dog, make a firm, low-pitched verbal "ach". That "ach" sound if verbalized forcefully enough can give you a few seconds to calmly flee or at least bring both dogs to a standstill...hopefully. Shame on your neighbors for not having their dogs under control. Here we have a leash ordinance and people have been ticketed many times for not having their dogs on leash no matter who they are. I''m upset just reading your story, dog owners should know better and understand that it is NOT safe to have any breed of dog off leash and free to do as they please. Definitely check into what your city''s local laws/ordinances/whatever and find out what the rules are, and if any (and I suspect most are) laws are being breached report them asap. What if little kids are playing outside, etc? nevermind dogs being walked properly... I hope you are able to resolve this matter and my heart goes out to you and your dog. Good luck!

 

[diamondfan]

I am sorry you had to deal with this. I might call animal control and make a report of some kind, this is so freaking bad and a child could be the next victim. Owning a pet is a responsibility and sadly some people are not up to it, clearly. I wish I could tell you more, but maybe if you make a complaint and give as much detail as you can it will help somehow.

 

[chiefneil]

Wow. I''d have mace and a baseball bat with me for the next walk if I were in your shoes.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 8/25/2007 1:04:35 AM
Author: chiefneil
Wow. I'd have mace and a baseball bat with me for the next walk if I were in your shoes.

An alternative to mace/baseball bat that really works without harming any living thing is cherry bombs...they're little "firecrackers" that come in a box...you throw them on the pavement (you can carry them in your pocket and they're far from illegal, I think) and they make a super loud snapping noise that will deter any dog from coming near you. Also, pepper spray might be a safer alterative than mace, it's less damaging to dogs' nerves but will do the same trick if you really need to defend yourself, plus it's legal in most states I think. As a female out walking even with a dog after or around dark you should take this precaution anyway. Check the local gun shop and check the internet to see what the law are re. both in your state. Just familiarize yourself with the legalities re. dogs and what you can do to protect yourself, then you should be a-ok. Hope everything works out alright for you and your neighbors and all the dogs involved! Please check into that short 6 ft. leather leash plus pinch/prong collar (not a choker chain), I use it with our male beagle and while he walks well without pulling for the most part, if he gets distracted or p'd off and defensive I can always give it a good short yank and he'll stop....also, the short leather leash allows me to stay close to him without hurting my own hands and/or panicking if he gets out of control possibly or another dog off leash comes after him. Obviously you know this, but please never get in the middle of a dog fight, you could be seriously or fatally hurt. Again, hope you are able to resolve the matter soon.

 

[stebbo]

I like that cherry bomb suggestion monarch.

What's this laser pointer control system? Laser pointers are sold in pet stores as toys for dogs and cats.

It doesn't sound like they're too strict on dogs in your area. My dog has never once even snarled at another dog (many dogs like to go for it though, despite nearly being 100 pounds), but the first day I moved out to the country, he escaped as I was carrying in a sofa and brought back a dead pet rabbit.

Someone saw him walking the street with the rabbit and reported it. I was to face court facing a $4000 fine, have the dog declared as dangerous (it's a curly coated retriever) and muzzled, have to erect pool-type fencing, all because dogs here in Australia legally are not even allowed to chase something larger than a rodent.

 

[rainbowtrout]

I''m so sorry Lucky. This used to happen to us frequently when our dogs were still with us--people in our neighborhood were *unbelievable.*

The baseball bat might work if you are alone, but we never found it or mace useful in a dog attack against our dog----you hit them, they turn on YOU, you mace them, you mace your dog too.

We had some success with picking up our dogs leash and pulling him away, but the only effective tactic we have had was the time we were attacked in front of the house and hosed the dogs down. I''m sorry I can''t be more helpful. Do carry the mace/bat in case the dog tries to attack YOU.

I suppose we were "lucky" in that our dogs were large, agressive breeds that protected us and more often than not killed or nearly killed the attacking dogs. On the other hand, that''s more than the owners bargained for when they let their dog off leash, but I have a hard time weeping for the guy down the block who let his pit bull run free, try to attack myself and my baby brother, and then get killed by my dog. I do feel bad for the other dog, though.

Do call the police or at least try talking to the owners personally. Leashes are just something many people do NOT see as important for some reason!

 

[risingsun]

Date: 8/25/2007 3:17:14 AM
Author: monarch64

Date: 8/25/2007 1:04:35 AM
Author: chiefneil
Wow. I'd have mace and a baseball bat with me for the next walk if I were in your shoes.

An alternative to mace/baseball bat that really works without harming any living thing is cherry bombs...they're little 'firecrackers' that come in a box...you throw them on the pavement (you can carry them in your pocket and they're far from illegal, I think) and they make a super loud snapping noise that will deter any dog from coming near you. Also, pepper spray might be a safer alterative than mace, it's less damaging to dogs' nerves but will do the same trick if you really need to defend yourself, plus it's legal in most states I think. As a female out walking even with a dog after or around dark you should take this precaution anyway. Check the local gun shop and check the internet to see what the law are re. both in your state. Just familiarize yourself with the legalities re. dogs and what you can do to protect yourself, then you should be a-ok. Hope everything works out alright for you and your neighbors and all the dogs involved! Please check into that short 6 ft. leather leash plus pinch/prong collar (not a choker chain), I use it with our male beagle and while he walks well without pulling for the most part, if he gets distracted or p'd off and defensive I can always give it a good short yank and he'll stop....also, the short leather leash allows me to stay close to him without hurting my own hands and/or panicking if he gets out of control possibly or another dog off leash comes after him. Obviously you know this, but please never get in the middle of a dog fight, you could be seriously or fatally hurt. Again, hope you are able to resolve the matter soon.

You need to be careful with mace and cherry bombs. My dog is terrified of loud noises, so the cherry bombs are out. I once tested out my mace and the wind was blowing in the wrong direction. Yes, I did mace myself

My instinct is to pick up my dog. I've been told that it can precipate an attack on both dog and owner. I would lke to know some really effective and safe techniques to deal with
aggressive dogs.

 

[surfgirl]

I''d call the police and file a complaint. That''s ridiculous. If the guy cannot control his dogs he needs to hire someone to walk them or give them away. That''s just irresponsible. You have every right to be pissed!

 

[luckystar112]

I found a website for my development, and it said to call the non-emergency line of the sheriff's department for any issues before trying to contact any of the board directors.

With the amount we pay in taxes every year, I think I'll call ANY director ANY time I want. I may even call to discuss the weather, or what's on tv!
So I called the sheriff's office, and the dispatcher told me that they can't do anything about it, and that it's a problem for animal control. I didn't want to call animal control just yet...I want to give these people a chance to correct their stupidity. So I called one of the board of directors, and he said to call the Sheriff's department again and have the contract deputy come by my house so I can tell him what's going on.

The sheriff came by and basically told me that there is nothing he can do--and again, it is a problem for animal control. I guess he doesn't actually patrol the area, he just stays around in case anyone calls him. If he actually patrolled the area, he could stop people who are walking their dog without leashes and fine them! He told me to bring my FI with me if I'm walking the dog at night, and to call animal control if it happens again. But the point is, I don't want it to happen again! I don't want to be scared of it happening again! I want him to stop it before it happens....I want the board of directors to send out a flyer in everyone's mailbox...stuff like that.
Why should I have to wait until my dog gets attacked again before doing anything about it?

So, for now I guess I'm just gonna walk my dog in circles around my house on nights when FI doesn't feel like walking. And when we do walk, I'm going to bring some type of pepper spray with me or something. I'm also going to look into that leash that monarch suggested. I'm just scared because I can pull MY dog away, but the other dogs can't be pulled away if they aren't on a leash!

 

[door knob solitaire]

Chance to correct their stupidity? Arghhhhh....you are getting me hot under the collar. I want to smack you one!! Right in the old kisser!!!

Nobody has your interests at heart here...it is your job.

Have you ever heard...The Squeaky Wheel Gets The Grease? Well, I would squeak, and squawk

, and squirm until I got change!!!

Do you have a Mayors action center? Call them.

Call your county courthouse...Once again there is a tax dog owners must pay in most municipalities. I would take all addresses in my neighborhood and spend a day to learn who was legal and who wasn''t. THE BUCK STOPS HERE. Too bad if someone is in violation. You can''t get help from a phone call...looks like you are going to have to be more proactive.

What about local television stations with a consumer help crew?

I would pay an attorney to compose letters to the HOA and all other people in authority that seem to be skirting the issue. Send certified letters. Get a paper trail.

Then go back to law enforcement with proof of your work. Make sure they (not just the one who gets you call...get SUPERIOR STAFF) are aware of the situation. It is their responsibility to protect you from assaults. There is a precedent here. More than one occasion. Make notes of who you talked to...times and dates. Looks to me like you have grounds for a suit. So get your work in line.

Make signs yourself and stake them at entrances of your neighborhood.

BE ALERT!!
Unleashed dogs attack!!!
Beware.

Make your neighbors scared...and they will begin calling the HOA. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Enough squeaking or barraging the authorities...they will get some action to get you to quit.

DKS

I realize you didn''t call the HOA yet...this post is to give you some direction incase they don''t move on it.