While bicycling I have been bitten by 2 dogs over the years. (One was a German Shepard and the other a little freaking yapping Pomeranian.) Today I was almost munched on by a St. Bernard. I live in the desolate rural country in Indiana and I am well versed in dogology. This critter must have been lurking in the shadows of a barn and as I was just past the middle of his turf, he came busting out from the yard and was going for my right leg. A 10-15 mph head wind had me bogged down so I was unable to do any sprinting. I braked hard and he shot in front of me and I clipped his huge horse like butt. And down I went. I hopped back up and began yelling at the house for the owners to get their freaking dog. All that happened was a peek from the blinds. No attempt to reel in their massive poor excuse for a pet. After I yelled about 10 times, the dog began to back away while still barking and the owners never did anything but peek from the blinds. (Younger home owners from the looks of their tricked out vehicles.)
After walking my bike about 100 yards down the road I pedaled about a half mile away to asses the damage. With a road rash on my left leg and a big road scar on my less than 1 week old Brooks B17 Imperial saddle and a big scrape on my almost new Shimano PD-324's I began to get a little pi$$ed. I took off my helmet and noticed I hit my head on the pavement because my helmet had a road rash of its own. I also noticed that I had an area in my palm that was swelling. Since the owners never responded, I decided to call the Sheriff's Dept. to file a complaint.
The deputy took pictures and filed a report so I can provide the info to my insurance company and they can battle it out. He said he was going to talk to the owners and let them know what occurred and they were responsible for their dog's behavior.
I told him that I typically carry HALT pepper spray with me but today I had not because I left it in our SUV from yesterday's trip to ride. He said that people have the right to protect our life and property using any force necessary.
I love dogs & cats, but animals like this just may get an extra dose of force next time I ride by. This POS dog probably got his demeanor from his POS owners. Maybe they need a little extra force too!!!!
Well, maybe the Sheriff knocking on their door this morning may have an impact on their response next time someone yells for help and to get their dog back in their yard. If not, maybe the insurance company sending them a bill will. Or.....
There, I fell better now. Any comments for how you handled a similar situation is appreciated! I am getting too old for this stuff... glad my wife wasn't riding with me today.