Ok....still kind of shaken up here...and not wanting to get anyone upset over a sensitive topic. But my dog and I got attacked by a pit bull tonight while walking through our neighborhood. It was loose, no tags, no collar, and there was no way we could get away. Now, I have walked and jogged through this same area for months, and this is the only time this has happened (thank goodness). But I was scared out of my mind. Luckily I have a large dog who is capable of holding his own and who also stepped in to guard his owner. I love dogs, but if I would have had a ball bat in my hand right then...well, you know. I kicked the crap out of it panicking and it didn't even phase it. Jasper was able to keep it from grasping hold long enough for a local to run out yelling a name. I had it out a bit with the owner, the neighbors who had witnessed what happened all slunk into their houses like nothing had happened. Not uncommon for this area. All I can say is thank God because he was watching over me and Jasper tonight. From now on I will be walking with some kind of protection, besides the dog. So much for destressing...
Sorry, just needed to get this off my chest as I sit here and try to calm down.
Kim
OT: attacked
Bless your heart darling...that breed scares me senseless too...anyone who owns an animal is responsible for the animal and it's behavior. I thank god that most of those owners are responsible and do not let the dogs loose to roam on unsuspecting people or animals.
"eyes"
Sorry this happened to you. What are you thinking about for protection?
Get a can of pepper spray....seriously, and a long pointed stick...
"eyes"
Kim, have you called the police? You may not be the first one to have had problems with that dog and owner, and they might step in to prevent someone else with no protection from being hurt or killled. I'm very happy that you and Jasper are okay! By all means get a can of pepper spray before you go out walking in that area again. You have a great dog!
Patricia
Around here unless the police see the attack it's just heresay and nothing ever happens. This area is known well for dog fighting. Now whether this one was a fighting dog or not I don't know. It was young and seemed to be in good condition, so I don't think so. But like I said as soon as the person came out all the neighbors acted like nothing happened. I won't be going that way ever again, and I warned my neighbor because her daughter jogs in that same area. I will be getting pepper spray tomorrow before I go walking or jogging anywhere again. I wasn't sure what I should be taking for protection...will pepper spray work on these dogs? Like I said, I would have needed a baseball bat to get this thing off if that guy wouldn't have come out. But it's a little hard to jog with a big stick in your hand.
Sprayed directly into the eyes and nose pepperspay and mace will both send them running...good for any nuisance 4 or 2 legged..
"eyes"
Kim, I am so thankful you and your k-9 friend are ok. I agree the owner should be reported. I don't blame breeds, bad dogs are just dogs raised by stupid owners! They chain them or don't put them on a leash, don't teach them to obey, etc. Any breed can be trained to be loving and obedient.
If you buy pepper spray get the kind that is a stream, not a spray or fog. That way it gets on your target not on you or your dog. They come where they will shoot about 12-15 foot I believe.
Glad you are ok, close calls make us more vigilant!
We don't have many dogs of any kind running lose in our neighborhood, but I see a lot of walkers and joggers carrying sticks or clubs of some sort.
Glad you and your dog were not seriously hurt.
I hope you'll report the incident to animal control. They should go out and talk to the owner. 'Then it's documented that the dog was loose without tags and menacing. We had a similar problem in our neighborhood with a pit bull that was visiting frequently. Animal control told the owners of the home their son was not to bring the dog to the neighborhood without being on a leash...to and from the house. Four homeowners nearby, asked to be informed when the dog was there, but that only lasted a few weeks. You do what you can....
I am jumping in here for a minute, what if it would have been a child with their little dog. It does need to be reported, we just had a case here in Oklahoma where a 6 or 7 week old baby was mauled by a Lab of all breeds. You would have never thought. It had to be the owners.
Kim, I'm sure your shaken. I'm so sorry, I don't understand and never will why some people can stand by and watch something as scary as that happen without helping. I understand the frustration with the police. We had a mentally ill man stalking and scaring my neighbors for months. The police could do nothing because he was never seen on our properties. As mentioned before the most important thing you can do is document it. Maybe one of the neighbors would be a bit more helpful without the threat of the dog's owner being around.
I don't think having a bat or stick helps with pit bulls unless you have it in you to kill it with a hard enough blow. I love animals and know it's a horrible and ugly thought. You can't hit or do anything else to distract them. I don't think it's in their genes to stop once in kill mode, not even if they're hurt. Get the pepper spray and aim for the eyes, blind them, it will be temporary . Your dog may indeed get some in the process. Try not to think of that when aiming, it may hurt him for a bit, but you could be saving his life and keeping yourself from getting hurt in the process.
I am glad you and your dog are okay !!!!
I can only imagine how that felt ..I noticed on my bus route in the country there is alot of mixed breeds pit bull with something else around here and that worries me as I know back in Illinois they were working on getting it so pit bulls were not allowed in Rockford.
Personally I would one make sure to report it like bigbubbles said and secondly I would even consider a stun gun and shock the $h** out of the sucker that tired that again LOL
and no I am not a mean person to animals I love them to death but pit bulls can do alot of damage in a short time with the strength of their jaws.
And I know at this time it is hard to believe but they just like other dogs are not all bad. alot had to do with training or lack of, or the way they are raised or abused by owners and the breeding but none the less it is still bad when that happens.
the puppy my youngest girl had was a lover not a fighter but chewed to high heavens and loved affection all the time and when she didn't get it she chewed..but she ended up missing.
I am so sorry that happened to you.
I carry a taser for such occasions. Got it after getting charged by a pit. Go to www.taser.com
Click on consumer. I've got the bubble gum pink one.
Call the law.
Kim, I'm so sorry that happened to you! No advice, just hugs. Glad you're okay.
You hear of this type of thing happening just way too often. I would definitely call animal control. If it happened once, it's bound to happen again.
I'm just glad that you and Jasper are okay. Sorry to hear about the neighbors turning away.
blue eyes, you need to file a police report. The police and animal control in Bryan/College Station and Brazos County are aggressive about enforcing leash laws, especially concerning pits. Just yesterday, one of our B/CS municipal court judges ordered a pit bull euthanized because he bit two different people on two occassions. Had the first person not filed a complaint, he might still be around to bite someone else. Luckily (I guess?), the last person he bit was a policeman who responded to the complaint. The new police chief in Bryan is not going to allow a pit like this to run the streets unchecked. File a complaint.
Yeah cuz it isn't funny being bit by a dog..I was bit on my face by a border collie at 3 years old...and can still remember everything about that day!!..so please file a complaint cuz the next person in the neighborhood...can be a child...
Nadine
(((((((((((((Kim)))))))))))))))))) I'm glad you and your dog are ok!!
Kim, are there any types of "canine defense" classes in your area? I know that standing your ground and staying calm helps to disarm most breeds intent on doing damage (like with the stupid Springer Spaniel that attacked me last month) but I'm not sure what the best defense is against a pit bull. Along with a potent container of mace, it might be a good idea to arm yourself with knowledge/research about what you can do to diffuse just such a situation. And then report back to the rest of us, as I think it would be very beneficial to the rest of us.
Has anyone successfully defused a situation like Kim was just in?
Carla
Carla...that is a good point and I am not sure. I do know once these guys latch on their isn't much that can be done to get them off. That is what makes them so dangerous. A friend of mine walks with her riding whip for just such reason. I know the mace thing would be temporary but I am thinking it would give you time to get away while the dog is distracted. There are plenty of kids in the neighborhood which makes me nervous now for them. I will call it in when I get home this afternoon, it may not do anything but it is a good point that it will be on record in case there is another offense. I still can't believe Jasper made it out of the situation with no more than some roughed up hair and slobber. I had no idea he could fight back like that...makes me glad he is my dog! Chalk up one for shelter rescue dogs!
:) Kim
Kim not to snicker about what happened but I am snickers (chuckling) about the shelter rescue dog...My german shepard lab mix is just that and in the last 2 months she had started barking and not her yap when she is after squirrels in the trees when someone is walking by on the road or the ups guy pulls in. She hasn't gone after anything other then squirrels but she is alerting us to someone new around she does wag her tail and go up to get petted once he(ups) is in the yard.
I think they know they have a dang good home and want to protect the loving person that rescued them (S)
Pic of Jasper please so we can say "Awhhhh".
Unfortunately, a lot of people in this area fight pits as well..... We had one of our pyrenees get out back several years ago and a guy caught her and SHAVED her.... I think he was planning on trying to fight her as well. He denied that he is the one who shaved her, but friends had "thought" they had seen our dog in his pen but when they went back they didn't think it was her because she didn't have any hair....... the guys yard was covered in white fur... but she got out and some other friends saw her and notified us and we picked her up. The guy stood in his yard full of white fur and denied that he had ever had her in his yard, or that he had shaved her.....
But, once when I was a teenager, my uncle had a bull get out on the highway (we lived in a rural community) so he called my Dad and I to try to help him get him back in the pasture. We only lived about 2 miles away but by the time we had gotten there his bull was back in the pasture - but was in awful condition..... A member of the community had stopped and let his pit bull loose to "help" catch the bull..... the pit latched onto the grown bulls lower jaw and would NOT let go - even with his owners commands..... By the time my father and I arrived, he had destroyed the entire lower jaw of the animal and the bull had to be put down. They used a crow bar to PRY the pit off of him.............. I WILL NEVER forget that site.......
I had a dog trainer tell me years later that a pit has to have extensive training from birth or they almost always revert to their "instincts" to attack and go for the throat and NOT let go. He said once one tastes blood - of any kind - that it is too late and he can never be trusted again..... I know a lot of people who really love their pits - and I know they stir up a lot of controversy.... but I shutter to think what he could have done to a child considering that bull probably weighed 2000 - 2500 lbs.....
Genna
Here's a link to a rather long discussion about pit bulls after my experience.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/687980/
I wish I could say it all ended well, but after doing everything possible to keep the dog out of the neighborhood.....he's back "to visit" a lot.
The dad of the little girl who was cornered called animal control and filed a report. Then he asked the neighbors who had had encounters with the dog to sign a letter he sent to the dog owner's family stating we wished to at least be told when the dog was present so we could close gates and protect children. The only thing that has happened is the cited neighbor had a 6 ft wooden fence built about one foot inside of their original backyard fence! They even have one small part that is separate for the meter reader to go into the backyard. The son brings the dog over, opens the back of suburban and leashes dog to go into the house. We all think this is part of the agreement with animal control. But the father of the dog owner said he would not comply with letting us know when the dog is there.
Yesterday, as I got out of my car, I saw the dog on leash pulling dog owner's mom to the door. She clearly had no control over him. Her dog died recently, she got another, returned it 'cause it barked all day while she was at work.....so now she's trying the son's pit bull for 'protection' while her husband's away. I'm still shaking my head.
Carla, I thought about your post and found these tips on line..what to do if your attacked by a dog.
*Never scream and run?
*Remain motionless, hands at your sides and avoid eye contact with the animal?
*If the dog does attack, "feed" him your jacket, purse, bicycle or anything that you can put between yourself and the dog.?
*If you fall or are knocked to the ground, curl into a ball with your hands over your ears and remain motionless. Try not to scream or roll around.
I suppose this helps if you see a strange dog and have time to think about the possibilities. But I was hoping for more
Well....we walked a different route tonight and took pepper spray with us. Here is a picture of my Jasper.
:) Kim
what a cutie and the look on his face looks like he is saying oh gee a picture LOL
I see he is a pampered pet on the couch(?) LOL
AWWWWWWWW that is one good boy, I bet he got an extra special loving.
Kim, I think that you really need to call animal control. Whether or not it does any good at least you can say that you tried. If if happens again then maybe they'll take note and you'll at least have given the animal and its owner their one "strike"
Anne
I have heard when a pit attacks you can get them off by (I know it sounds bad but it's your life we're talking about) digging your fingers into their eyes as hard as you can.
Hooray for Jasper! What a cutie. He knew you were in trouble and bowed up. Good boy!
Good Dog Jasper!!! He is a big boy and so cute! Glad you had him along.
One gorgeous animal in more ways than one.
Christi
When I was charged by a pit last fall, I screamed bloody murder (don't you hate it when you get an 'old lady' voice, and it cracks when you yell?), telling the beast to get back. The dog silently ran up on me and my dog from across a street and parking lot. I could just hear it's nails click on the pavement as it was advancing. The two boyz who owned the dog totally ingnored the situation, one kept working on his car and the other watched from an apartment doorway. As I was digging in my pocket for my phone to call 911, the thugs came to get their dog.
Being threatened by a potentially deadly animal will change you. Later that fall I learned how to shot a gun at a TPWD BOW program. And as I said, now I carry a taser. I'd like to be prepared for the two legged species, too.
I live in a community of just under 50,000. Pit bulls are not allowed in the entire city. Rotweillers have to have special permission. Two children have been mauled to death by both breeds at different times.
If a dog (ANY DOG) is caught out of his yard or leash, first fine is $200 and pay for a chip to be put in the dog. Has really cut down on those that let their dogs off leash.
The majority of the citizenry pushed for it.
Christi
Just a note on the above info, if you are knocked to the ground by a pit bull, I would try to get my hands or ANYTHING in between my neck and it .... Pit bulls are bred to go for the neck, latch on and NOT let go. The suggestion to possibly poke their eyes was a good one, and the suggestion to FEED them anything that will occupy space - jacket, purse, package etc was a good one..... a walking stick with the end sharpened might also be a good thing if vicious dogs are a possibility in your area - the stick could be held as the dog lunges - and it would inflict injury to itself. (I know that doesn't sound nice, but we are talking about a potentially fatal situation - better the dog than you! ) Of course, that would only work if you SAW or heard the dog prior to the attack.
Probably the most important thing is to TRY to avoid panicking so you can THINK clearly and defensively...... easier said than done I am sure.
I am AMAZED that your sweet little Jasper was not seriously injured by the brute.....
Genna
Kim - I just saw this and I am SO glad that you and your precious Jasper are OK!! What a horrible experience!!
I was amazed he wasn't hurt either. Apparently he can hold his own pretty well in a fight! We have been avoiding that neighborhood and walking and jogging in daylight hours with the mace. Jasper is really good at keeping and eye out while we are walking, so I think in most cases I would know something is approaching us. I refuse to let this keep me from my daily routine in my own neighborhood.
Kim