Question about animal attacks and self defense

[Emptymag]

There's something to be said for police reports that can document incidents such as this.

Our neighbor was recently bitten by another neighbor's dog. The dog had bitten someone in the past (documented) and had jumped my other neighbor and growled at, but did not bite him (police would not file report as he was not bitten), so when this one happened, there was a pattern documented.
The dog has been put down.

It sucks, but when it's a repeat offender what other choice is there. That would not have happened without documentation though.

[Cyclops]

In July of 2014 I was bitten on the forearm by a pit bull, which moments before the attack was having a good time being friendly. I have no idea what changed its disposition. It latched onto my arm so suddenly that I was taken completely by surprise. There were children watching, and I did not want to kill the dog because of that. When in recon in the Corps in the 60s we were schooled on what to do if attacked by a dog since the NVA used dogs to track down recon folks.

Amazingly, the training kicked in 50 years later. I knew not to move my arm because if I did the dog would be motivated to to start wagging its head, and then my arm would be ground meat. Training told me to freeze in place, eat the pain, and look the dog in the eyes. Those two actions actually confuse the dog because it is expecting a totally different reaction. Then I shouted No, No, No, Let Go, Let go.. In Nam that would be futile because the dog would have no recognition of English command.

Meanwhile, the confused pit bull started to relax its bite as I hollered the No command, but it did not release. So the next step was to punch the dog in the nose. Dogs do not like to have their nosed attacked because they rely upon them. That made the incisor bites a bit longer, but the dog released and backed off. The best defense is a good offense. Then its owner restrained it, and I went to the emergency room for treatment. A year later everything is OK, and the dog was not put down at my request.

All that said, if the dog had attacked my pet, I would have killed it because my pet was not trained to deal with such an attack.

[Sgt.K]

That didn't take long.

Yeah, well...

Somebody was gonna do it, I figgered I'd get it over with...



(I'm not a believer in that, for the record)

[mosseater]

I like the idea of eating the pain and remaining still. Very tough to do while your arm becomes a sandwich. I'm also thinking the same things that elicit a spinal reflex in humans may work on other animals. As mentioned, nose attack, eye gouge, throat punch, testicles (if there are any?), etc. After successfully removing yourself from the animal, shoot the owner who didn't control their animal. I do a lot of trailer camping and pet people are some of my largest peeves. I like dogs, but I don't have to like YOUR dog, tolerate it, control it, clean up after it, etc. Doesn't take a village. Not my responsibility. It's YOUR dog!

Just recently my niece visited us while camping at a state park with her 30lb beagle mix, on a leash per regs. As we were taking a hike near the water, a guy with his setter were watching us walk by. He was wearing a state police t-shirt of some description and looked the part. He smiled as we walked past, holding his dog by the collar, no leash. After we had walked almost 300 yds away I hear yelling. Here comes the dog at a full run, followed not so closely by the guy in the t-shirt. The dog was running right at my niece and her dog. I tried to run interference but the dog ignored me and blew right past. By the time the guy got there apologizing all over the place, the two dogs were deeply involved in "discussion". No barking, growling or snapping, just figuring out who each other were, so in the end, it was harmless. Could have easily gone the other way. Then what? When it goes the other way, me being the only male adult on scene, it's up to me to intervene. I'm more apt to kick the guts out of the dog than be reasonable. My wife, kids, and niece in danger for the stupidity of an asshole? Naw, fuck that. His dog gets her dog down for the count, I'm drawing.

[BestDefense=StrongOffense]

...The best defense is a good offense.

Interesting concept...

[PGU5802]

Obligatory IANAL, but all of the laws cited only say that you may kill a dog under certain circumstances, none say anything about discharge of a firearm.

[Statkowski]

Obligatory IANAL, but all of the laws cited only say that you may kill a dog under certain circumstances, none say anything about discharge of a firearm.

You don't fire a gun to scare - you fire a gun to hit a target and eliminate the threat. Anything less and you'll be the one in handcuffs.

Of course, you could try to kill the animal without a gun (which might be the point you were trying to make), but clubs, knives or garbage can lids are a far more difficult way of accomplishing the task at hand.

[JrFreak]

A few months ago I was out walking my dog (cocker spaniel) and a neighbor's dog got out of it's fenced yard and started attacking me and my dog. It was one of those large poodles (50 pounds maybe?) I wasn't in fear for my life, but that bastard was vicious - he bit both me and my dog. He was really attacking my dog so I was about to shoot the damned thing when the owner came out and took control of the dog. When I got home I was pretty shaken up. To this day I'm not sure if shooting an animal in that situation is legal or not. I mean a bear attacks me I'm in fear for my life, but a poodle? BTW the neighbor was very apologetic and insisted I take my dog to the vet (he paid.) He also offered to cover my medical expenses. What do you guys think?

I was in a similar situation years ago. Walking my border collie with my boy (1 yo) and wife. A german sheppard jumped a fence and came at my dog. At first it wasn't super aggressive but as time went on it got more so. A lady came out and tried to control the dog but it got away from her twice so I grabbed it by the collar and it bit me. She ran into the house yelling for her lazy husband telling him someone out here grabbed his dog. After the dog bit me it ran back into the yard. As we quickly moved down the road I could hear the sob yell "Who in the F is grabbing my dog? I'll grab that f'er." We called 911 and long story short he's lucky the cop entered one charge incorrectly or that dog would have been put down cause of the 3rd strike rule. He ended up getting a pretty big fine and some other stuff.

The cop told me I had every right to pull my firearm and shoot the thing, but the circumstance didn't warrant it imho. If the dog would have went after my boy or wife it would have died. I didn't think it was worth risking this loser coming out with a shotgun when he heard someone just shot his dog. No need for a gun fight in the middle of the street with my wife and boy in the middle of it.

Now when we walk I carry a stun baton. I'll use it unless it's a pit.. it it's a pit all bets are off.

[Storm88000]

Besides the holding still thing; there are 2 certainties that will stop animals from attacking: interfering with their breathing and/or vision.

[Greywolf]

But morally and practically - I think you made the right choice given the situation (not a big dog, neighbor apologizing/paying...). But your dog could have been seriously injured or killed - so there's that. I'd rather have a quick bite than a dead dog on my conscience, but I'm a softy for dogs. Maybe I'll be mauled to death by a poodle one day and should have taken the shot, who knows.

I love dogs. As a dog lover and a dog owner, I recognize that it is MY responsibility to keep MY dog under control at all times.

A loose dog attacking me AND my dog? I would have taken the shot and felt no guilt whatsoever.