Well, yeah. It is like this, I have always been and still am a dog/animal lover but I now have a phobic fear of any kind of aggressive dog, especially pitbull type dogs or anything that closely resembles them. It is a phobia, I do not have to justify it or explain it and now if need be, I will kill them dead on the spot if one even gets near me. That is just how it is. So, here is the story, riding along, by myself a fine but blistering hot 105 degree Sunday afternoon almost exactly one year ago, out of no where, on a road I had traveled many times, two pittbull type dogs attacked me, this is the result:
There were other scraps on my back and head, a busted helmet and a damaged bike and burns on my back from laying on the hot asphalt. The femur bone was broken in two places, once piece was jammed in my groin, the other was sticking out of the leg. I went unconscious in the impact but snapped back to reality and good thing because the larger dog was trying to get on my throat. I punched him wildly, completely disoriented and then somehow got my helmet off or maybe it was already off and in any case began swinging it at them and screaming. It was a lonely country road, the two houses to which the dogs belong were set far back and nobody came to my rescue. I fought the dogs for possibly as long as five minutes. When they left (---hmm) I passed out again and when I came to off and on I lost track of time. I think that I laid on the road for at least 30 minutes. I lost a lot of blood. The first car that came by went around me and did not stop. Then a truck stopped, somebody got out and then left. I could not move, I was at that time paralyzed from impact, exhaustion, pain and shock. Despite my cell phone being only inches from my finger tips, I could not get it--period! I passed out again and when I came aware again there was a policeman there trying to get me to get off the road, wtf!!!!! He did nothing to help me. I told him not to touch me and to get away as I was seriously injured. He was a jackass. About that time a deputy came up and and pretty much chewed the policeman out and he stayed by me until the paramedic arrived. He later took my bike home. He held my hand until the gurney ws under me as I screamed every time somebody touched me. He asked me if the truck hit me and I told him there was no truck, it was dogs. Apparently somebody had gathered the dogs away---hmmmmm!. Also, it appears they though the truck that stopped and left had hit me. I told them no again that it was the dogs. I guess it appears the truck had both called 911 and had gone to a fire station about a mile away to get them. He should have stayed with me because I was, well, it was not good.
My leg is never going to be the same, there is a titanium rod and screws etc now. I missed two months of work and only recently stopped using a cane. My leg still hurts and it has a non-union and would require a third surgery and a graft to replace a missing piece of bone. My doc says I can do OK without it and recommends my waiting to see what happens. My leg is still weak and still only about 90% as big as the other. I wake up quite often fighting in the bed and punching and kicking and in a sweat. My wife has the bruises now to prove it.
So, back riding, guess what, this:
That is right, it came in the road and attacked me. I dismounted and placed the bike between me and the dog as it continued to lunge through my frame trying to bite me. Three shots of bear Mace finally made him leave. See, this is the thing, I have a CCL and while I have NEVER carried before for any thing other than to the range, I am packing now, every ride. I think I did pretty good Macing the dog as I was extremely frightened by the dog. I had my hand in my bag and was about to kill him when the third shot of Mace sent him away. The owner was there and did nothing and told me "f---a---X, get on your tricycle and get out of here etc and etc" and of course no way was I going to get on the bike so the dog could pull me down like last time. I make no apologies, if need be, I will kill any dog that comes at me. I was able to maintain my fear under control and use the Mace but it is not guaranteed, a phobia is a phobia, an irrational fear and if I am afraid for my life or injury, then I can do what I need to do to protect myself and I will. I ain't putting up with dogs chasing me, biting me or any other bull-sXXXX again. That was my one time and that is it.
The bills went north of 100,000 pretty quick and yes I sued them and won. Seems the authorities don't think much of aggressive breeds of dogs either. I bought two things with the money and put the rest away, a new LCD television and a new, compact 40S&W auto pistol with concealed carry holster, oh, and a new bottle of Mace.
Yeah, I been bit.
LC