1959 near Alamogordo NM:
Nine (as best I can remember) feral dogs attacked me a couple of miles outside of Alamogordo NM, in the desert. "Mom" was the boss and Mom seemed to decide that I was to be their next meal. They spread out to flank me and 'she' came at me directly, vigorously and with obvious intent. I shot her, shot her 'lieutenant', then turned and shot the 'closer'. The others, deprived of their leader(s) and technique, turned and ran away. I wounded and probably killed at least two and probably three more.

I called the sheriff and the Game Warden, whom I knew. It turned out that this pack was in the habit of killing folk's dogs & cats. No one had been directly assaulted before.
It was sad but better than losing some child to hungry and sadly desperate dogs. I can still 'see' what happened; what I saw, what I did, and, well ---why I had to do it. Just another nightmare.

Joe