[nagdu] Dog Attack

[Craig Heaps via nagdu]

Well, we survived our first dog attack last night.  My wife and I were 
walking out dogs in our neighborhood.  She has a small standard poodle, 
Cody.  I, of course, have Chase, the black Lab.  I had Chase out of harness 
and on leash, while I walked with my white cane.  As we came around a curve, 
a pit bull mix came running out of his house and went straight for Chase, 
wtith the owner of the pit bull right behind.

The dog lit into Chase and Chase went submissive.  (I think he thought the 
other dog was playing, the way Chase and Cody wrestle when Chase is out of 
harness).  The dog had Chase on the ground by the neck.  The owner was on 
top of the dog, trying to pull him off.  It wasn't until my wife kicked the 
pit in the hindquarters that he let go and his owner was able to get control 
of him.

Chase had one through and through puncture wound on his right ear and a 
small insignficatn abrasion below his right eye.  We took him to the 
emergency vet, who put two surgical staples in his ear and wrapped his head 
like those guys you wee in old war movies.  He was able to avoid the cone of 
shame so I can put his harness on him if I need to.

Chase didn't seem at all traumatized.  His tail was wagging right after the 
attack and he wanted to greet all the people who came ouf of their homes to 
help us.  Our poodle, on the other hand, was a mess.  He couldn't calm down. 
He was barking and baying so loudly I couldn't tell at first if Chase was 
crying.  He wasn't.

The dog's owner indictated he will have the dog euthanized.  We have a lot 
of small children in our development, and it just wouldn't be responsible to 
keep a dog like that around, even though it's been around and aggressive for 
some time.

In training, they told us it would happen eventually, and now it has.  Do 
any of you take steps to protect your guide?  It's remakable how fast it 
happened.  I was beating on the pit bull with my graphite cane until the tip 
flew off, and I might just as well have been scratching him behind the ears. 
My wife's well-delivered kick to the rear end seemed to do the trick.  I 
don't know what we would have done if his owner had not been there.

Craig and the mostly unfazed Chase