Another big dog attack

[Anna_525]

I was walking Alfie yesterday on our usual route...I know there are Akitas around the corner but they are always fenced in, although they always bark and growl when we pass by...for some reason the door was open, and the female Akita came out unleashed when we were passing by the house. I got really nervous but was hoping it wouldn't do anything and tried to remain calm, but she went straight to Alfie (there was really no time to do anything) and grabbed him on his neck while shaking him. I was yellling No! No! No! and pulled Alfie away wherein the Akita just trotted back to her house. Her owner did not even come out until after the attack. He apologized, and we both examined Alfie. He said the Akita is in heat....well then the more reason he should contain her. We didn't see anything at that time. I was really shaking. I took his information and said I'll contact him if there is anything (I didn't know what else to do). We took Alfie to the vet...on our way, blood started to come out of a puncture wound on his neck. Alfie was still OK, barking as usual at motorcycles, etc., but I could tell that his demeanor was subdued. He's now on antibiotics and I have to clean his wound daily. The Akita's owner agreed to pay for the fees, including those incurred if there are complications. Neighbors are telling us to file the incident, although my husband and I think that if the owner is this cooperative, there is no need to (it will just create conflict among neighbors). What is your opinion on this? Are we obligated to?

Poor Alfie...although he is recovering nicely...this morning, he wasn't that excited about taking a walk....

[grillywarren]

Poor, poor Alfie!

Please give him hugs and kisses

Grilly and Maddy

[bradl]

Sorry poor Alfie got attacked. Good that the Akita owners have stepped up to their responsibility. The downside to not reporting it is that you can end up with a situation where a dog has a serial history of attacking other dogs and yet, when somebody finally does report it, the legal assessment is that it's a "first offense" because, after all, nothing has ever been reported. It's a tough spot to be in as a neighbor, for sure.

[wags]

Anna, tend to side with you. If it were me, I wouldn't report it- unless I have trouble with the Akita's owners.

So long as you don't report it, you'll have them on your side. And being that they're neighbors you'll WANT them on your side.

[bubba]

I'm sorry but I have to agree w/Brad. If it goes unreported and these dogs do something else just as bad or worse, there will be nothing on file for the animal control people to know about a possible chronic problem. Next time, it could be a small child. Even though they are cooperative, I think it still needs to be reported....a dog off leash, at least here, is in violation of the law.

pat.

[rileysmum]

That's so sad, I know from past experience,that it would impact on me just as much as my dog ,it took me years to feel confident about walking with a dog, and now with Rebel if I see other people walking their dogs I ask if there are any houses I should avoid,I'm glad poor little Alfie is ok.

What will happen if you report it?If they aren't going to get in serious trouble I would report it(unless you think they will react with hostility).

Another option could be to keep all vet records ect. and to let them know you thought long and hard about reporting it, but decided not to as they have been so good,ask for assurance the dog won't get out again, and explain if you see it out you would feel duty bound to report it.

Follow your gut,and good luck.

[Bailey]

How horrible...I hope he gets better soon.

I always worry about Bailey when we walk because we live in Boston, and there are so many big dogs in our neighborhood, and he doesn't understand he can't nip at them like he could with his litter. I'm waiting for one of them to take a bite at him one day. I mostly keep him on a short leash though.

I have to agree that at least the owners are being cooperative. I think as far as reporting goes it all depends on what'll exactly happen. Like everyone else has said, you don't want to get on their bad side since they are neighbors and all.

[Guest Guest]

Eli's Up-Right, here. I would report it if it happens again. An akita can kill your pup just by shaking him. I have called animal control in my 'hood. My Airedale had to fight off a loose rottweiller and a dingo. They get warned the first time and fined after that. The dingo is still loose and we can't even walk in that part of the neighborhood. I'm getting ready to call again!

Sure, he was sorry and compensated you. But even if he has to buy you a new pup, you wouldn't want to go thru that.

[Teri9672]

OMG, I'm so glad he is ok.

[Scully'sMom]

I'm glad that Alfie seems to be doing alright. You must have been scared out of your mind, I'm sorry that happened. Boy that's a tough spot to be in. I can see both sides of the issue and I feel like I lean towards letting this one slide since the owner seems to be taking responsibility. I hope Alfie continues to do well.

[Anna_525]

This is really tough. It is true that another incident can happen and if I don't document this one, then no action will be taken on the next one because of the lack of a documented history. If we do file it, my husband and I think we should let the owner know, and say it's because we feel it is the right thing to do for the safety of the community. Except for myself, there were no other witnesses. I'm just worried that I might be opening a can of worms. Although Alfie does like to boss other dogs, in this case the Akita just went straight to him without provocation.

I'll think about it some more. Your opinion really helps.

[Guest mrskti]

Oh man, that is so scary....I'd freak out if that happened....heck it sorta did....a rottie ran out to us while walking, luckily the owner came out and called him off. But certainly scary! I agree with Brad, History is important to have when owners are a little lax with their pets. I call it in.

[maggie]

I'm so sorry! It makes me so upset to see dogs running lose in the neighborhood or fences that you know won't keep them in! I sure hope Alfie does okay.

[Eliz222]

I'm so sorry this has happened to you and Alfie....I hope he is going to be ok! I have to agree on calling Animal control. With a first offense (at least where I live) you just get a warning.

I have called AC on the neighbor across the street, which attacked the dog next door(the dog...not the neighbor!). The dog didn't attack anyone, but my mailman won't deliver any mail on the stree if this dog is out. I told the neighbors that their dog was running free, and I can understand that dogs DO get out of backyards at times, but this was the third day in row being afraid of going out the front door with my dogs!

Please let us know how Alfie is doing, ok?

[Darcy's Folks]

I 100% agree that you SHOULD report this. And I think your thought of letting your neighbor know is a good thing to do as well. Here's the thing... what if this Akita attacks Alfie again... or another dog or a child, etc.??? I know this is probably a very hard thing for you to deal with... on top of the fact that you probably have lots of pent up feelings about the entire situation and that Alfie was affected by this. If the gentleman is the kind of neighbor who is willing to step up and take responsibility then he SHOULD understand why you feel compelled to report it. And hopefully, it will make him all the more aware to keep an eye out on his dog. Also, it would worry me a bit that not only did this happen, but the fact that this dog always growls at Alfie on your walks. So I think the history is important.

And... I would definitely switch up your walk for Alfie so that can gain more confidence back when you take him out for walks.

Overall, I hope Alfie is a-okay. Give us an update how he's doing.

[kayharley]

I'm also relieved Alfie was not hurt in that encounter. As much as we "dog lovers" have a common bond, not all owners are quick to accept responsiblity for their pet's actions. Your neighbor did just that and I might be inclined to forgive that one mishap. BUT, I would definately keep a watchful eye on the Akita making sure it's never loose again.

[TheScotts]

PLEASE REPORT IT! You can of course document the neighbor's cooperation and so forth, but it is the right thing to do. The principled thing to do.

I constantly encounter well meaning people out on walks who violate leash laws and let their big dogs run loose. They always say,"Oh, he/she is friendly" and I always say " Yes, that is what people always say after a dog attack: gee, he never did THAT before"

oh yeah, and I carry a zapper with me. I guess its a stun gun. Its the size of a pack of cigarettes and rides on my fanny pack. I used to jog alone in our canyons and dh did not want me to be defenseless (this thing will drop a dude without permanent damage). Now, I have it for the damn big dogs. I will not let them jump my babies.

[Lesley]

We hope Alfie is feeling better. Very concerning. I could not own a dog like that - never knowing who or when he would attack - if a small dog - could someday be a small child. Yes, due to ongoing safety, reporting would be my vote. Our neighborhood has a great # of large dogs contained by electric fence, and when walking Rusty, I'm never feeling absolutely secure - in the event that they will run through the shock. Any of you have this happen?

Lesley

[Anna_525]

oh yeah, and I carry a zapper with me.  I guess its a stun gun.  Its the size of a pack of cigarettes and rides on my fanny pack.  I used to jog alone in our canyons and dh did not want me to be defenseless (this thing will drop a dude without permanent damage).  Now, I have it for the damn big dogs.  I will not let them jump my babies.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We are getting one, or a mace (maze?). I am just afraid to hit Alfie, or even myself if I get the thing backwards. We are reporting it, because if we don't our next door neighbor will.

[Darcy's Folks]

Good, glad to hear you are reporting it. It really is the right thing to do although I'm sure it doesn't feel that way for you.

[CathyAnn]

Lesley....we were walking Piper just last week and a Maltese came thru it's Invisible Fence and jumped our dog snarling and biting. Thankfully, Piper wasn't hurt.

The owner was standing right there and didn't realize that their dog didn't have it's collar on. This is the fourth time we have had this happen in the past 5 years.

I was so frustrated that I called our city animal control and city council. They allow these electronic fences in the front yards right up to the sidewalk. I am sooooo tired of worrying everytime I approach a dog unleashed in a front yard.

Cathy

[Milopup]

So sorry this happened. You may remember that the same thing happened to Bosco and myself back in July. We didnt report it, and then found out a week later that the big dog was not up on his shots! Well we waited a few days and the dog was still barking so at least he didnt have rabies! But after a few weeks we found out he had bitten another dog. We did not report it because they live 2 doors down from us - but several people in the neighborhood heard what happened, so if anything else happens, we will all be reporting it.

Now if we can get the other neighbor to lock up their damn akita - always running loose, even after the mailman wrote 2 letters asking them to lock up their dog.

(BTW - Bosco still hates the dog that bit him - they bark at each other "fence fighting" when we go near their house and vice versa. )

[dunraeven]

You're a lot calmer than I would be! I wouldn't go on another walk without something to protect myself and my dog. It's a miracle the Akita didn't hurt you or your Cairn.

The Akita attacked your little terrier in order to kill him. He didn't attack him to sort of hurt him or almost hurt him or maybe scare him. He meant to destroy him. The shaking is how a canine instinctively seeks to break an animal's neck.

If another dog tried to kill one of my babies, I would NEVER give it a chance to try it again. Thank goodness Cairns are so tough. PLEASE REPORT IT!

Kathy

[Eliz222]

We have never had a problem with dogs while we are out walking, but I remember our instructor telling us that she NEVER goes out without her mace, and she stressed that we do not either. There is a spray that you can carry with you.

http://petsmar.com/

I hope this link works...this is what she recommended to use if you felt uncomfortable using mace.

shoot..the link didn't work...it's under training/safety, and the number is #360646

[bradl]

I think this is the link you were going for:DirectStop Animal Deterrent