Hey Dog Owners!

I have two dogs if you didn't already know that. I love our two mutts and because I love them I take care of them. One of our two is a rescue. She appears to be mixed with beagle and she will run like one if she gets away. One time she went to chase a rabbit, tangled my legs in the leash knocking me to the ground, and ran nose-to-ground for over a mile before I caught her. It was one of the scariest moments of my life.

Our Scoops

Our second dog is a purebred miniature dachshund. She is the sweetest, funniest, most cuddly dog I've ever met. She sleeps with me every night and she's always either with my kids, my husband, or myself. I couldn't imagine life without her now.

Lily

And that's what makes what happened today so horrific to me. I will start at the beginning and see if I can write this without being a total bitch. (Yes, I'm swearing today. I am that upset.)

This morning Shane asked if I'd like to do my run before he went to bed. This meant two things: 1) I would be able to run outside. 2) I would actually run while it was still daylight. I, of course, said yes and ate breakfast quickly before donning my warm gear to brave the 20-ish degree temps.

I headed out the door and down to the recreational trail. I did everything right. I had only one earbud in and my music was turned down so low that I had no problem hearing everything around me. I eased into my first mile at about a 10 minute pace. My plan was to use 9:1 run/walks to reach 7-8 miles at an easy pace today. I hit the 1 mile mark at 10:36 after my first walk break and was feeling good. I was just settling into my second run interval when I heard it.

A terrifying snarl which was coming from directly behind my right shoulder. I barely had time to turn my head before the dog plowed into my back at full speed. Only my momentum from running kept me on my feet as I hurtled forward struggling desperately to turn towards the dog so I could defend myself. The dog ricocheted off my back and to my right landing on his feet and taking off through a yard beside the trail. I struggled to catch my breath, worrying the dog was going to return at any second, and decided that I would follow his tracks in the snow to see where he went so I could give the owner a piece of my quaking mind.

This is the dog that attacked me.

I followed the dog through one yard before losing sight of him but I did get a good look at him. Brown and brindle with a bandana on his neck.... NOT a stray! The woman who's yard I was walking through had heard me scream and let me inside quickly after I explained what had happened. She told me the dog had been walking around her house all day and she was afraid to let her own dog out because of it. We discussed it and decided the police needed to intervene.

A few minutes later two officers arrived on scene. They tucked me into a cruiser and we went in search of the dog. It only took a minute to find him a few houses over. The officers knocked on several doors but no one claimed the dog. Animal Control arrived but the dog wouldn't let them get close enough to catch him. They finally had to give up and an officer drove me home since I was now too afraid to run back.

When I got home I posted on my Facebook page about the incident and a description of the dog. It turns out the dog had been lost just a week or two ago and the picture above had been circulating until he was found and returned to the owner. A friend suggested it was the same dog and I identified it easily as the one that had ruined my run and taken the feeling of safety I have on my home trail. 

Shortly after that someone commented on my post that the dog is a 'sweetheart' and just likes to run with people. And this is where I get PISSED! A dog is a responsibility like a child or a weapon. It is the owner's responsibility to take care of the dog and protect other people from said dog. There are leash laws and control laws that this owner has broken, at least twice now since the dog was already running loose just a few weeks ago. 

I have NO WAY of knowing that the dog did not intend to hurt me. Had I been elderly or had my children with me or one of my own dogs along someone could have been hurt! The trail is covered in a thin layer of snow and ice packed hard from repeated trampling. Being hit behind by a 40-50 pound dog could seriously harm a young child, elderly adult, or cyclist. And no matter the dog's intention the owner was nowhere to be found to call it off or control it. 

The dog is obviously not friendly enough to allow police officers or animal control officers to approach it. It did not try to run with me or 'play' with me after it struck me. If this is the owner or dog's idea of playfulness they are WAY off base. This dog ATTACKED. It saw a moving target and went after it. 

So the moral of the story is that I will be carrying a weapon from now on. I will be carrying pepper spray and an emergency whistle as well. And should I encounter another loose dog (or human attacker, God forbid) I will not hesitate to use force. The owners of this dog should know that the next time I encounter this dog off of a leash it won't come home in one piece and I will press charges.

To all other dog owners out there: Be responsible for your pet. Just because they have never hurt anyone or 'just want to play' doesn't mean that they won't accidentally (or purposely) hurt someone if you aren't in control of them. If you let your dog off leash in areas where it is illegal or if your dog continually escapes your home/yard and you are not correcting the problem then YOU are the problem. You should give your dog to a home that will keep them safe and protect the general public as well. To the responsible dog owners, thank you for setting a good example!

Have you had an encounter with a dog? What was your reaction and was the owner there?