A dog bite

[Javier730]

Someone I know was bit by a boxer who stuck his head out of a window of a parked car at a convenience store. The dispatcher asked if the dog was still attacking which he responded no. The dispatcher said they didn't respond to dog bites unless the dog was attacking. He was told to call animal control. They never showed up. He was bit in the shoulder, luckily not the face.

[RetNavy]

just asking some info on the legality of shooting a dog...

Background info:

yesterday (23 Sept) was riding my mobility scooter up some side streets to a local convenience store, after turning on one street saw three dogs running around about 50 yrds ahead of me... about the time i reached thier area, they saw me and started running at me and barking ( i was still in the roadway,) one was barking and snapping about 2 inches from my left calf... about that time my wife called on the cell phone, (could have ignored but she was leaving her doctor's office)... dogs still barking and snapping (like when chasing a car).... so just kept on going full speed, just hoping that's all they were doing, just practicing their barking...

After Action Report:
should have just ignored the phone call and be ready to take action, would have fired only after being bit
if i needed to shoot, would have stayed on scene and called police ( illegal to discharge a firearm in city limits)
if owners of dogs around try and explain why, (why hoping police arrive quickly)

as it was everything turned out okay, dogs alive, wife okay, still have my left calf...


any other input greatly appreciated

[VMI77]

just asking some info on the legality of shooting a dog...

Background info:

yesterday (23 Sept) was riding my mobility scooter up some side streets to a local convenience store, after turning on one street saw three dogs running around about 50 yrds ahead of me... about the time i reached thier area, they saw me and started running at me and barking ( i was still in the roadway,) one was barking and snapping about 2 inches from my left calf... about that time my wife called on the cell phone, (could have ignored but she was leaving her doctor's office)... dogs still barking and snapping (like when chasing a car).... so just kept on going full speed, just hoping that's all they were doing, just practicing their barking...

After Action Report:
should have just ignored the phone call and be ready to take action, would have fired only after being bit
if i needed to shoot, would have stayed on scene and called police ( illegal to discharge a firearm in city limits)
if owners of dogs around try and explain why, (why hoping police arrive quickly)

as it was everything turned out okay, dogs alive, wife okay, still have my left calf...


any other input greatly appreciated

Not all barks are the same. How conversant with dog "language" are you? Dog barks run the gamet from please open the door I need to go outside, to let's play, to what are you doing in my territory, to I hear an intruder, to I'm scared, to watch out I'm going to bite you. What position were their tails in? their ears? Snapping can be a warning but then our dogs also sometimes snap at each other when they're playing. Dogs can be read, more or less, if you have enough experience with them. I can't say what these dogs might have done without having seen their behavior but since everyone including the dogs came out ok it sounds like you made the right choices.

Personally I would not shoot a dog unless it was attacking me or another person, or about to do serious injury to one of my dogs. And by "attacking" I don't mean running towards me, barking, or growling.....nor do I mean one nip, but sinking his teeth into me and trying to do damage....IOW,not a scared dog taking a nip but an aggressive dog being vicious. Depending on the dogs involved ---size and attitude--- I would also try to separate an attacking dog from my dog before I resorted to shooting it. This is not a hypothetical for me as I've had to do it before. It depends on the nature of the attack.....I might let them sort things out between themselves if it was a more or less even match up, not a vicious attack, and neither was drawing blood. But same as if you were attacked by a knife wielding thug if you're being attacked by a dog you have a right to defend yourself, inside city limits or not.....though just like with the thug, you're responsible for for the final destination of every bullet that leaves the barrel.

In a couple of previous incidents other dogs attacked my now deceased Great Dane. In that case I was usually more concerned he might kill or injure the attacking dogs than that they would injure him. When we brought him home from the pound after adopting him he was badly undernourished and still reeling from being neutered and our 80 lb pointer mix attacked him. Our pointer mix wound up with his head inside the Dane's mouth in less than a second....the Dane was showing who the big dog was...didn't hurt him at all, didn't bite down, and no blood was drawn. When we lived in town we were walking him one evening and two medium sized dogs actually knocked the screen out of a second story window and jumped out to go after him. We were able to separate them as they showed no aggression to us humans even as we pulled them apart.

If the relative sizes were reversed I might well have to act differently but most of our dogs have been in the 110 to 175 lb size range so they're usually the bigger dog in a scrape. Since moving out to the country we haven't had any dog "incidents." I encounter loose dogs all the time....and people dump dogs (which is why we have so many)....but knowing more or less how to approach them without triggering aggression neither my wife nor I have had any problems....including with breeds like German Shepherds that can appear rather intimidating.

[Pawpaw]

You might want to consider keeping a can of pepper spray on your scooter, within easy reach. The gel-type would be best, so it can't blow back in your face.

[MONGOOSE]

In my state, warning signs go a long way for both dog and horses. That being said, and city folks being city folks, I still carry a sizable umbrella polcy.

[krieghoff]

In my state, warning signs go a long way for both dog and horses. That being said, and city folks being city folks, I still carry a sizable umbrella polcy.

What state might that be?? I have been around dogs and horses all my 69 years and have yet to find one that can read a warning sign..

[MONGOOSE]

NM

[RetNavy]

You might want to consider keeping a can of pepper spray on your scooter, within easy reach. The gel-type would be best, so it can't blow back in your face.

thats not a bad idea, just wondering if they make a skunk spray too.... thought of the doe urine spray also.... just in case the dogs happen to go inside their houses

i grew up around dogs which is why i mention of doing anything ONLY after being bit..... wife called just at the wrong time.... one hand on scooter and other on the phone.... could have kicked but that might have provoke them...