Here the big thing is to move out in the country, buy a trailer or old farm house, get some dogs to protect the place and cook some meth. They often are not fed well, and seeing the vet is pretty rare. The dogs and the owners are dangerous. There is little way to tell the good dogs from the bad, and rabies shots are not fun. There is an ethnic group that likes to keep pit bulls. Of course they call them English Staffordshire Terriers to circumvent the law. Yes, they do have dog fights. They let them run loose to keep people away. Often you have a pack of 3 to 6 dogs. Yes, most of the people out here are good folks. It only takes a few bad apples.
On one ride route I commonly hear someone shooting a rifle on full automatic. I am sure the local cops are eager to catch that person (not). So is it a dealer or a survivalist? Does it matter? So pepper spray is essential, you can not take a chance. Not ever. I agree with the statement the owners need sprayed. Not going to do that, they have guns.
Then there was the flat I got, when the door opened on the trailer near by, and 2 GS and one Rot came out in the attack mode. Hair up, teeth showing, tails down. They got sprayed, the owner came out with a broom to scream at me, and I told her if she got to close I would spray her too. I am not taking a broom hit from an insane old lady who set her dogs on a broken down cyclist. She said if I did she would get her gun. At that point I called 911 and asked for a cop to come talk to her. I picked up the bike and wheel and walked away. Replaced the tube in a hurry, did not pump up enough and got a pinch flat about 1/2 mile away. I have never seen the dogs again, and that trailer is also on a route I ride once and a while. This is near a city of 70K, and many of my country roads are paved, so it is nice riding, except a minority of the residents. Lucky for us, we passed a 1/8 cent sales tax for a county animal control officer. We have a county wide ordnance against dogs running free and a dedicated animal control officer, so I know I am not the only one having issues. My tenant farmers have lost caves to feral dog packs, they have come out and spent the night on a stand with a rifle to thin the pack.
There are lower forms of life, that dump their pets in the country. Pepper spray is too good for these sub humans. I will turn in anyone I see dumping, sadly I never get the chance. I have to pay to drop their pet at the humane society. One really hurt me to take her in, she was such a nice dog. No collar, no tag, but you could see the collar mark still in her fur. I hope she found an owner. I could not keep her.
Rod