Dave and I were on our way home from the gym and he had to make a stop at the store before he got home, so I got to our house first. When I pulled up to our street, I saw two cop cars right outside of our home with their low lights on, and our neighbors on both sides of our home were out on their front lawn. Immediately, that gut sinking feeling overcame me. I knew something was wrong, and I knew it had to do with our house, and even worse, I just had a feeling it had to do with Thor. So I pulled up to our one neighbor who was being questioned by the cops, and asked what was up...she informed me that her dogs, 3 of them, had broken through our fence on her side and came into our yard and attacked Thor.
That was all I had to hear. I was HOT, without even knowing all the facts; I was so angry and worried. I pealed into our driveway and started frantically asking where Thor was, and if he was okay. Luckily, our other neighbor, Brian, on the other side had heard the attack just as it was starting. He jumped the 6-foot privacy dividing our yards, along with a huge two-by-four plank and was able to stop the attack. He said that the board was enough scare the other dogs off of Thor, who at that point was completely on his back. Brian said that he also yelled loudly with his booming country voice. The din he created brought the owner of the other three dogs (1 is a Shar Pei- Pitbull mix, and the other 2 are Pit mixes) out into her yard, she soon realized what was going on, and crossed into our yard through the missing fence boards that the dogs had busted through like a rabid Hawaiian Punch Bowl Man.
So, Brian called the cops to report the attack, and that's about when I arrived at the house. I called Dave, and told him to drop what he was doing and head straight home, which he did immediately. Once Dave got home and was brought up to speed, he provided all the documentation on Thor that we have, along with his rabies and vaccine information and we were good to go. The neighbor, on the other hand, had no documentation on her dogs and was given three citations. We were told that because Thor was the "victim" dog and it occurred because our neighbor's dogs came into our yard, Thor was not in trouble. However, the police said Animal Control may be in contact with us to evaluate the dogs, etc.
Thor is okay, aside from several scrapes and knicks on both of his ears. We cleaned them up, and put Neosporin on the scrapes. He laid low all night and has slowly started to act like his goofy self this morning. The fence still needs to be fixed and more importantly, improved so that this can't ever happen again. Dave's suggestion was something electrical and barbed. Always so helpful.
The one thing that really upsets me the most about all of this is the irresponsible dog ownership on our neighbor's part. We have always noticed that out of her 3 dogs there was one that was particularly aggressive, and definitely the leader of the pack. That dog has on multiple occasions attacked one of the other more submissive dogs, to the extent that we have almost called the cops before this most recent incident. After what happened yesterday, I regret not calling the cops before. I don't know what I hope will result from this incident. I want her dogs gone, and if not all of them, then at least the Shar Pei. But at the same time, I know what happens to dogs, when they are taken from a home and put in a shelter because of aggression, euthanasia. Although, I do not want to be responsible for that, if it comes down to protecting my own dog's safety or the saving the aggressive Shar Pei's life, I must choose our Thor Boar.
I want to be able to put our dog in his backyard while we go to work without fear of him being attacked. We have no worries about Thor getting out of the yard, or breaking through a fence. This may seem funny to some people because if they simply see pictures of our dog, they may think he can fight and can hold his own. Well, he is actually a bit of a wuss and has never displayed any aggression or any displays of being able to fight, mostly because we have trained and socialized him to be a family dog. Despite his strength and his large size, he is not that type of dog. We knew this was something we never wanted our dog to be, and we have been successful in being responsible pet owners, however, now it's other pets their owners we must worry about.
Stepping up on my soapbox: Owning a dog is full of responsibility, even more so if you own a large and powerful breed (Bull dogs, German Sheppards, Doberman Pinchers, Pitbulls, Rottweilers, ChowChows, Shar Peis, ect.). If you live in a suburb or the city, you MUST MUST MUST socialize your dog to other dogs, people and noises. If a dog attacks another dog, it's only a matter of time before it is a person. It starts with the owners of the dog; it is not the dog’s fault, ever. You must be responsible and know what type of dog you can successfully own before you even purchase that dog. If you are not going to be a disciplined dog owner to own a powerful breed that requires a little bit more training, and exercise, pick a dog that is more compatible with your lifestyle. It is just not fair to the dog, or the other dogs and people who fall victim to an attack.
The following "Ten Commandments for Dog Owners" were written from the perspective of a dog, and provide some good guidelines about your duties to your "best friend." I found this from some website, and I wish more people would take dog ownership more seriously.
1.My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you will be painful for me. Remember that before you get me.
2.Give me time to understand what you want from me.
3.Place your trust in me. It is crucial to my well-being.
4.Don't be angry with me for long, and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, entertainment and friends. I only have you.
5.Talk to me sometimes. Even if I don't understand your words, I understand your voice.
6.Be aware that however you treat me, I'll never forget it.
7.Please don't hit me. I can't hit back, but I can bite and scratch, and I really don't want to do that.
8.Before you scold me for being uncooperative, obstinate or lazy, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. I don't speak your language. Perhaps I'm not getting the right foods, or I've been out in the sun too long, or my heart is getting old and weak.
9.Take care of me when I get old. You will grow old, too. You'll hope someone cares.
10.Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say, "I can't bear to watch," or "let it happen in my absence". Everything is easier for me if you are there. Remember, I love you.
Stepping off of my soapbox.
Amanda - how scary that must have been for you! Lucky that your neighbor was there, poor Thor! You are completely right about being a responsible pet owner and I commend you for recognizing that owning a dog is not something that should be taken lightly. While I do agree that certain breeds have more aggressive tendencies I would say that the responsibilities expected of those dogs' owners should be applied to ALL dog owners. The two times I was attacked by a dog they didn't fit the typical breed that someone would think of (the first was a black lab and the second was a cattle dog mix). All dogs have a potential to be aggressive and destructive and it's up to the owners to train and socialize their dogs. Unfortunately for these dogs they fell into the care of this owner.
ReplyDeleteA statistic that I find interesting is that the number one breed responsible for biting humans are Cocker Spaniels (a supposed "family" dog). Breeds like Pit Bulls get more media coverage because, while they bite far less fewer people a year, their bites are more devastating. My guess is that those dogs are raised by people like your neighbor.
Thanks for your post and I hope that Thor has a speedy recovery!
-Emily