Advocacy & Safety - Dog bite!

Good day all. I'm posting this mainly to record the event as it's still fresh in my mind, but also to see how any others have handled this sort of situation.

Today I out enjoying my new fixed gear and was bit on the ankle by a Pit Bull. I was approaching a stop sign when 2 dogs chased after me from a yard to the right of the sign. Before I could dismount, the Pit Bull latched on to my ankle. I groaned in pain and pulled my knife to defend myself. Yes, this may seem silly to all of you, but it was the only thing I could think of at the time. Both dogs fled as I screamed at them. When I felt comfortable enough, I let my guard down and reached for my cell phone to notify the authorities. As I was doing this, I looked for a street sign to let them know where I was at. Well, the street sign had been ripped from the post, so I made my way to the other end of the street. I took a few steps when the owner of the dog exited her house. I told her about what happened and long conversation short, I have her information and she said that the dog was up to date on it's shots. I did comment on the many children's BMX style bicycles in the yard and suggested what if it would have been a five year old? She stated that the dog had never behaved like that in the past. I did not make threats other than stating that if medical attention was needed that I would expect for them to be covered by her.

The ironic thing about this is... I've been around this dog in the past and didn't realize it. The Pit Bull used to belong to my girlfriend's brother (who is unfortunately not the most reputable of characters).

I have not called animal control or the police yet. I've dressed the wounds to the best of my ability.
Here are a few bad quality photos of the damage:

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s290/croscoe/random/DSCF4603.jpg

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s290/croscoe/random/DSCF4604.jpg

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s290/croscoe/random/DSCF4608.jpg

The bite hurts pretty bad and I'm limping on that leg due to the pain. One side of the bite is sore while the other gives a burning sensation. The doctor says I have 72 hours to get something done about it.

If you have expirience dealing with a dog bite, please share your advice on the matter. Thank you for reading and be careful out there!

Get your tetanus updated if it's not current. You will probably also need a good course of antibiotics; deep punctures plus dog saliva can make for a nasty infection.

This is from experience; breaking up a fight between two Akitas.

Get your tetanus updated if it's not current. You will probably also need a good course of antibiotics; deep punctures plus dog saliva can make for a nasty infection.

This is from experience; breaking up a fight between two Akitas.

+1. This isn't something you walk off; get to a hospital and get it taken care of.

Call the police, animal control and your attorney, in that order.

And, call the police or animal control.

How would you feel if the dog HAS bitten before, and later bites another young child?

No report???? I think not!

Do not hesitate to call animal control. A lot of them are animal lovers. At least those I've met and I doubt very much they will make a hasty call against an animal. If this is just one strike no big deal for the dog or owner. If it is the last strike then the animal is dangerous.

I would try to get the dog offed by the authorities. Do everything that you have to do to make sure it happens. That is not a little love nip by a dog that is playing. That is a serious attempt at a kill bite.

Sorry, but dogs like that just cannot live. Its not the dog's fault, but I'm a speciesist and this kind of animal can't live around huimans, sorry.

I'd be talking to three people: a doctor, a LEO, and an attorney; not the owner of the dog.

Go to the emergency room immediately. If you are experiencing severe pain that could indicate the beginning of an infection. The faster you get it treated, the less likely it will result in something drastic, like amputation or death. You should also file a police report, just to have an official written record of the incident. I would also report the matter to animal control. Dogs that aggressive should never be left out in a yard where they can get to someone and hurt them. I have a dog, and I love him dearly, but I would never leave him unleashed outside because I know he's a bit unpredictable. In addition, dogs like the one that attacked you put other dogs and people at serious risk. PLEASE report this ASAP.

Sorry about your mishap! Coincidentally I just finished posting Bud and Sheryl's material about using Virginia's dangerous dog law:

http://www.vabike.org/dangerous-dogs-campaign/ (http://www.vabike.org/dangerous-dogs-campaign/)

I'm glad you're taking this up with law enforcement. When someone has a problem with a dog, it's usually not the first for that dog. Unfortunately people don't report this stuff, which is what allows it to continue.

I don't know what other states have, but under Virginia law, any dog that injures a person can be declared a dangerous dog, which is not trivial for the dog owner. This applies to bite injuries, but also to injuries from a crashs caused by dogs.

We encourage bike clubs and advocacy organizations to copy our hang tag idea, to alert dog owners of the seriousness of their dogs running loose, and seriousness of the legal trouble they could get themselves in if they don't keep their dogs under control.

Your bite looks pretty bad, but in fact dog bites are rarely serious. Very few even break the skin. The greatest danger to a cyclist, by far, is that the dog will cause a crash. Injuries from dog-induced crashes are often very serious indeed. We've had at least 5 bad ones in our bike club in the last 4 years -- we're talking major broken bones, surgery, etc.

Get well soon, and be careful out there!

Ouch. Dog bites sting like crazy, too.

Any time a dog bites someone, especially if they break the skin, the owner is responsible. The dog has to be either kept in the house or gets taken to the pound, depending on the seriousness of the situation. In the serious dog bite situation, the dog was put to sleep.
My brother's Rottweiler mauled a relative's child and she had to have several bouts of reconstructive surgery on her lower face and jaw. His homeowner's insurance covered it because the dog was on a long chain in the back yard and there was a sign up "Beware of the dog", but the girl won a lot of money in damages from my brother's insurance company even though she should not have approached the dog. Didn't matter, having a dog like that is a huge liability. He doesn't have dogs any more.

Sorry so long winded, but having been attacked and bitten by dogs in four different situations, one which required a long hospital stay, this is a touchy subject for me. I'm just reinforcing what others have said about contacting police, etc. Those bites of yours look deep enough warrant going to the hospital for a proper cleaning, or you could get a serious infection. The cost of the ER should be reimbursed by the owner of the dog either through her insurance company or out of her pocket. All dog owners need to be responsible for their animals.
Also, once a dog bites a human, it will bite again, so you may save a kid's life if you act right away.

Giant young malamute decided to taste my calf in Gold Hill, Colorado. It's just a natural reaction for many dogs, unfortunately, to chomp on a bicyclist's lower leg. Bicyclists rank right up there with running cats on the irresistible list. I had one big puncture wound that looked very similar to what you've got going there. I was lucky in that I was able to wash my leg soon afterward under a kind citizen's bathtub and slather on neosporin, put on a sterile pad and wrap it all up in an ace bandage (then ride for a few hours to get back home). My whole calf was pretty sore due not so much to the puncture but the getting clamped. I meant to ride to the hospital but when I finished my ride the leg felt pretty durn good, so I adopted a wait and see strategy. When I finally removed the bandage the wound had healed up nicely as if touched by ET and all that is left is a scar that looks very much like a bullet entry wound, which will be quite useful at parties.

Note: I am not recommending this as a treatment strategy.

I'm a dog lover, but that Pit Bull has to be destroyed. Do not let chance dictate the future, the next cyclist or child may come off a lot worse than you. You need to file a report with the police and involve animal control. Get a professional to look at your wound.

Whenever you get bit, call animal control or law enforcement immediately. What if the lady takes the dog to someone elses home and denies that her dog ever bit you? Your word against hers. A lot of people suck and deserve to have their feet held to the fire.