Keep Your Pets Safe; Beware of Others'

This past weekend our dog Snickers was attacked by two dogs while on a walk with my husband. The dogs, a bulldog and a French bulldog, left their yard and started a fight with our dog for no apparent reason. Snickers, a seven year old lab and boxer mix, along with my husband Jeremy, was able to fend them off with the help of an umbrella he was carrying. The owners were not home. Instead, there was someone working at the home, although he was in the back mowing the yard, apparently oblivious to what was happening out front. We don’t know why the dogs were left to their own devices that day, completely unsupervised and uncontained. If they hadn’t picked a fight with our dog, they could have been hit by a car, or even worse, gotten into a fight with a bigger, meaner dog.

None of this should have happened.

Snickers appeared to be okay, although a few hours later we noticed him limping. A trip to the Animal Emergency Center in downtown Rochester found that his hind leg was probably strained a bit, but nothing serious. Why this incident made us angry was twofold: it was completely unnecessary, and it’s the second time our dog has been attacked.

In June of 2009, Snickers was attacked by a large pit bull while we were living in Royal Oak. It was nearly an identical scenario. We were on a walk. As we passed the dog’s house, we could see him in the window, barking furiously. I made a comment about how riled up the dog was by two people walking by with a dog. Seconds later (and to our horror), the dog busted through the screen, jumped onto the flowerbox underneath the window and landed in the yard. He tore over to us and attacked Snickers on the sidewalk. It was absolutely terrifying. This dog was not messing around. His rage was out of control, and he could have easily killed Snickers for nothing other than walking by its house. Somehow, Jeremy was able to separate them (which was amazing given the dog was not wearing a collar), but not before the dog bit Snickers several times, leaving puncture wounds around his head and neck. The owner was not home. Luckily, a neighbor allowed us to leave the dog in his fenced yard until the owner returned. We were scared, shaken, and infuriated.

In both incidents, we called the police. A dog attack, especially by a larger, stronger dog should always be reported. Let me be clear that I’m not trying to stereotype certain breeds as being vicious and dangerous. Any dog can turn vicious under the right circumstances. But let me also be clear that all dogs are not created equal. Dogs can and will kill each other. They are animals. They are not children, “babies,” or people. Thinking that implies dogs have the ability to reason similar to a human, and they don’t. The rules are different. I’m not saying this because I’m a cold, unfeeling person. I’m saying this because I’m a lifelong dog owner who understands the stark distinction between humans and animals.

Having a dog is not a right. It is a responsibility; one that lasts for easily a decade. Anyone who owns a dog must be willing to do what is necessary to ensure their dog’s safety, therefore ensuring everyone else’s. This is especially true for those who own larger breeds traditionally used for protection and hunting. In the case of this weekend, the dogs appeared to be wearing shock collars, but the electric fence was clearly ineffective and most likely not activated. Why was this? And in both cases, none of the dogs appeared to be wearing any sort of identification. What if they had run away? How would you like a ninety pound pit bull running amok in your neighborhood? Having a microchip is fine, but that doesn’t do anyone a whole lot of good in the moment. Dogs should be wearing a collar with proper identification at all times. No excuses.

Dog owners should also invest in proper training. I say invest because comprehensive training takes time and can cost more than typical training sessions at big box pet stores. And training is not just for the dog. It’s just as much for the owner, because it is the owner who needs to enforce discipline. Every day. 

If your dog is attacked, call the police and file a report. They will check to see if the dog is registered with the county and whether there are other incidents on record. To register your dog, visit http://courts.oakgov.com/opls/. And if you are a dog owner, please keep your dog securely in your yard. My husband is a thirty six year old man who was able to fend off the dogs. But lots of kids walk their dogs, and no kid, or anyone for that matter, should have to go toe to toe with a vicious dog to protect his own.