*THE HULL TRUTH is the world's largest FREE network for the discussion of Boating & Fishing. Whether you're researching a new boat, or are a seasoned Captain, you'll find The Hull Truth Boating & Fishing Message Forum contains a wealth of information from Boaters and Sportfishermen around the world.
Welcome to the updated THT!
If you are having trouble signing in, please email feedback@thehulltruth.com with your username and we will help you. We thank you for your patience as we help you access the new site!
Random Quote: Our Drinking Team has a fishing problem!
I had just finished walking my dog Tan around the block, and two kids with three dogs were in my yard. The boy was about 14 and the girl was maybe 8. Two of the dogs were pit bulls, one was a black pit bull mix. The boy was holding one pit bull by the collar, and the girl was holding the other by the collar. I asked if their dogs were friendly, and the boy replied “Not really”. Just then one of the pit bulls lunged at Tan. Tan curled on the ground submissively, and yelped as the pit bull straddled her. Then she ran and broke her collar. The two pit bulls chased her into the woods, she crying the whole way. I snarled at the boy “You need to control your dogs”, and he replied “I’m sorry, they got out of the house”. For an instant I considered fetching my shotgun, but instead I grabbed an axe handle from the woodpile and gave chase. Tan ran back into the yard, the two pit bulls right behind her. I jabbed one of the pit bulls in the snout with the axe handle. It paused long enough for the boy to grab it by the collar again. Tan ran to my feet. The other pit bull came at her, but I slammed the axe handle into the ground just in front of it, and it paused long enough for the girl to grab its collar. The black dog came at Tan, but I ran to it with the axe handle raised over my head, and the back dog ran away. I carried Tan into the back yard and closed the gate. I went back into the front yard where the kids were struggling with the dogs and asked if they wanted some leashes. They pleaded “Yes”. I went into the house and got a couple of 3/16 cords I use on my kayaks, tied a bowline (know your knots!) made slip-knots and handed one to the boy. As I did, the pit bull he was holding lunged and grabbed my forearm. What a bite that dog had! I’ve been bitten before, but this dog got his molars around my arm and the power of his bite sent tingles up my arm! It didn’t break the skin, but I’ve got a bruise where it bit me. The kids got the ‘leashes’ on the dogs, and went away. I had to leave to meet my girlfriend, so I didn’t call the sheriff.
I can sympathize with the kids- they had terribly distressed looks on their faces as this mess unfolded. The three dogs were their pets. And twice my dogs have broken out of the house and attacked other dogs. Stuff happens. I am comfortable with my decision not to shoot the dogs- I think that would have been overkill, and the kids didn’t need to see that. I didn’t want to hurt the pit bulls, but I was going to prevent Tan from getting hurt, no matter what. But there are lots of kids in the neighborhood, and two of the pit bulls are genuinely vicious. The one that bit me had a look of hunger in its eyes as it lunged for me. So now, 7 hours later, I type this feeling uncomfortable. I have never seen the kids or their dogs before, and I walk my dogs twice a day, so its not like these dogs are a menace.
I guess I’ll call the sheriff tomorrow and report the incident. Obviously if I ever see any of the dogs again I’ll call the sheriff. I couldn’t bear the thought of one of the neighborhood kids getting mauled by one of the pit bulls.
chip you showed more restraint than most would have...
however, the dog that bit you will attack someone else
you have no way of knowing where those dogs came from, or what they've been trained to do or not do
they need to be removed, period
give the sheriff all the info you can, and follow up
next time it might be a child
sorry to hear the story...i'd have been hysterical
I on the other hand have a tooootaly different view on this one. I WAS attacked by three wild dogs while out in no mans land. I just barely survived with my life - I WAS dinner and there was no getting around that FACT - I WAS DINNER! - ZERO DOUBT!!!!! I WAS DINNER!
I ESCAPED WITH MY LIFE that night!
In times like you have decided, my instinct coupled with my intelligence plus an axe handle, I WILL prevails.......I will GUARANTEE you that much! There will be only on dog breathing at the end of it all; ME, THE TOP DOG! I don't care how much blood I have to spill, It...Will...Be...ME that wins!!!!!!! I will NEVER (even if it's my brother's dog) hesitate to kill any dog by whatever means possible when I doubt! I would dig brains out with my thumbs if I had to - I would not stip until I killed it or them.
Don't think for a moment that I'm scared of dogs - I love dogs. What I fear is, what I might have to be when I'm around them.
Those dogs are a hazard to the public at large. Call the sheriff and report the incident so the attack is documented. The next time you see those dogs on the loose, call the cops and get the dog that attacked you picked up.
In the meantime, I'd get some pepper spray, or other non-lethal deterrent to carry in my pocket when walking Tan. That dog may have learned a trick or two since it attacked and you need to up the ante while they pose a threat to your safety.
__________________ I/O, I/O, Got to restore, I know...
1987 Stingray / 165 Mercruiser
If you DON'T call Animal Control and then hear about an incident involving those dogs won't you feel horrible knowing that YOU could have prevented it??????????
Was this before or after you returned my call yesterday? It better had been after!!
I think Bailey has the best advice. You are grown and capable, a kid will not be so lucky. The only problem I read is that you hadn't seen kids or the dogs before so where do you start to look.
Another point, your dogs are not pit bulls. While they may have attacked another dog they are not that powerful (no offense). Do the right thing.
Report the incident ASAP...you don't know if they have attacked anyone else, and it needs to be documented. If they have attacked others, Animal Control will probably have them destroyed. They are a time bomb waiting to explode.
You showed remarkable restraint....I would have popped a cap in their ass!
Well, I just got off the phone with the sheriff’s office and animal control. As I suspected there’s not anything they can do now. Animal control said if I see the kids again to get their address, and they’ll go talk to them. I just wanted the incident to be on record in case the dogs get loose again.
To give a little more background, I’ve walked my two house dogs twice a day every day for five years. I thought I knew all the children and all the dogs in the neighborhood. Every once in a while, one of the neighbor’s dogs will get loose and when they see me, they come over and I pet them. When I walk my dogs, most of the kids run over to pet them- I shudder to think what would happen if they ran out to pet the pit bulls. I will tell all the parents what happened so the children will know better.
Tidester, that’s a good idea about pepper spray. It’s obvious to me that if those pit bulls get a child, I wont have time to get a gun from the house. I don’t want to carry a handgun (after all, I’ve walked the dogs thousands of times without incident). I live in a quiet suburban neighborhood, and I’ve always felt perfectly safe any time day or night here. In a worst case scenario, if I were to come across a pit bull mauling a child, I have to wonder if the pepper spray would repel it? It’s a pretty unsettling thought...
Tommy, it happened after I returned your call. It was about 4 in the afternoon.
Before this incident, I tended to disregard horror stories about pit bulls, but the power of that dog’s bite was much worse than I imagined it could be. And it wasn’t really trying! Thanks again for the input. I’ll keep an eye out for the kids and dogs. chip.
Sounds like you had a bad day. Glad to hear you and your dog made it out ok.
I don't care for pit bulls, but also believe that no breed of dog behaves this way with good owners and proper training. You showed a ton of restraint... I'm sure you don't want the kids feelings hurt, but they attacked you. I'd want to see that they were eliminated, moved, better restrained or something. Maybe a visit to the 'short' dad would help, but I doubt it.
I love our dogs, they are 'family', but if one attacked someone I would shoot it on the spot. Just can't have it. Many people have joked about how they could take my mastiff if he ever attacked them. I know that he wouldn't, but the power of a large breed dog is nothing to take lightly. People seem to equate their strenght to the dogs they are used to. Any powerful dog requires more of their owner than the average ankle biter. This owner is clearly not up to the task.
Call the man Chip! Go visit with dad, shoot them or whatever... It sucks that you are now involved in this situation, but as someone else here said. Next time someone, or their well behaved pet may get seriously injured or even killed. How will these dogs react to you or your dog Tan next time?
Watch out for the rabies vaccine. My father in law was bitten by a dog Nov last year. They took him to the hospital for a check up and gave him rabies vaccine. A few weeks later, he fell over in his apt and could not move get up. He has been paralized from the waist down since and the doctors think he will stay that way. Anyway, he*had a very rare reaction to the vaccine...*
Location: Quebec, Canada and Pirates Cove, OBX, NC
Posts: 17,813
RE: I was bitten by a pit bull
My understanding is that pepper spray can enrage certain dog species and their viciousness can increase . . . I would check with the dog handlers at the police deprtment for their advice . . . also your mailman probably knows the answer and risks associated with pepper spray and dogs.
I have an elderly friend who walks twice a day rain or shine . . . he got harrassed by a bunch of young bullies . . . he installed a small tazer in the end of his walking stick . . . a certain german shepard now keeps his distance
I think you did the right thing reporting the incident to the authorities.
Pepper spray, first hand, seen it myself, on some dogs it has absolutely no effect except to pi$$'em off.
Pit bulls are not exactly wired like other K-9s, that is why they went for your dog, wouldn't have one myself. If you would have given him a little more chance he would have went for your throat instead of your arm. Pit bulls are not childs toys, no way should any child be allowed on the street with a pit bull in tow.
__________________ Cape Horn 17, Yamaha F115
with
Elmo the Boat Dog
Some years back a freind of mine lived out in the country, and raised labs. One day as he was coming home he saw a group of neighbors in his front lawn. As it turned out a group of pit bulls had gotten out of there pens and had attacked and killed one of his labs in his front yard. Being the avid hunter and outdoorsman, he loaded his shotgun and went down the road where the pit bulls lived and killed all 6 of them.
The neighbors were happy to see the dogs gone, and after a few months the owner of the pit bulls moved as well.
Sheriff was called but no charges filed.
__________________ If you can't do it, let me do it !
Cause I'm use to it !
bwhitaker - 12/23/2004 9:23 AM
I love our dogs, they are 'family', but if one attacked someone I would shoot it on the spot. Just can't have it.
amen...
my golden retriever is the gentlest animal i've ever seen...however he is 90lbs of muscle and teeth. if he wanted to turn, there's not a whole lot i could do about it if i lost control over him, except to drop him
I was a gas company meter reader for a while,many years ago, and they issued us pepper spray for dog protection. I speak from painful experience--don't depend on it to protect you!!!
The first time I had to use it, was on a medium sized Boxer/Pitbull cross. It stopped him cold--he just stood there and shuddered and pizzed a big puddle,and then bit me on the leg anyway. That was the last day I carried that crap--I went back to my old faithful--sawed off pick handle on a leather lanyard.Never fails to do the job!!! I still carry one around here when I go for walks--lots of pit bulls in this neighborhood.
__________________ If you argue for your limitations--Sure enough they are yours
You handled it better than me....I would have shot them or at least brained the crap out of them with the axe handle.....you are well within your right seeing as how they were attacking you and your dog. No doubt they need to be disposed of because it WILL happen again and a child or your dog will be killed. Tough situation and I ere towards aggressive in those cases....handling through sheriff Billy is obviously smarter. Call and talk to Kevin Bryant the chief deputy...nice guy and he will help you out. Since it bit you they will have to show proof of rabies vac. or be impounded and gives you lots of leadway to have them gotten rid of...be sure to photo your arm...maybe even consider the hospital for a written report. Greg
I was bitten by a pit bull 
photob
ucket.com 
