Bitten by a dog!
#101
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Bozeman
Posts: 4,094
Bikes: 199? Landshark Roadshark, 198? Mondonico Diamond, 1987 Panasonic DX-5000, 1987 Bianchi Limited, Univega... Chrome..., 1989 Schwinn Woodlands, Motobecane USA Record, Raleigh Tokul 2
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1131 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
If a toddler had toddled into the yard and the dogs killed it, that would be fine because they were "perfectly happy staying behind their fence" ... ??
Basically, if you want to have a dangerous dog, you have to make sure it is never accidentally a danger. If an animal---or child---could get through the fence and into the danger area, it was not the fault of the dogs, but your fault, as the owner, for not making sure the yard was 100 percent secure.
If another animal can get in, it is the same as if your dogs could get out. Having a hole in the fence is no different than leaving a gate open.
But ... neither of your dogs were on bicycles so none of this is relevant to the thread.
Basically, if you want to have a dangerous dog, you have to make sure it is never accidentally a danger. If an animal---or child---could get through the fence and into the danger area, it was not the fault of the dogs, but your fault, as the owner, for not making sure the yard was 100 percent secure.
If another animal can get in, it is the same as if your dogs could get out. Having a hole in the fence is no different than leaving a gate open.
But ... neither of your dogs were on bicycles so none of this is relevant to the thread.
#102
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Western Florida
Posts: 1,581
Bikes: 2017 Kona TI, 2016 Bike Friday Haul-A-Day, 2015 Bike Friday New World Tourist (for sale), 2011 Mezzo D9, 2004 Marin Mount Vision Pro - for now :)
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 103 Post(s)
Liked 5 Times
in
5 Posts
Had one hell of a scary ride on Friday. On one of my usual 35 mile routes./.. gorgeous 70 degrees with mild headwind on the outbound leg I was riding well, especially so for not being in the saddle for eight days. Out in rural Yadkin County NC I pass a house on Fish Brandon Road about 200 feet set back from the road. In the dozens of times I have ridden this route I have had to dismount only twice before as the three dogs that live here can get aggressive and they have a great visual preview of a rider approaching their territory so they get a great headstart on the chase. On Friday something was different… there were way more than the usual suspects and I unclipped early and figured I would do what I have done before; just calmly walk the bike 100 to 200 yards until past the house and yard in question. I made it only about fifty feet. Nine dogs… all without collar and all of the mixed breed pit bull variety we like to call Carolina dirt dogs. Four of the pack became the advance aggressors… and two were in full attack mode. One kept at me from the side closest to the house… teeth bared and lunging every fifteen to twenty seconds while the bigger and more muscular, testicled male circled constantly counterclockwise around to get behind me… lunging only two or three times during each circle around. The most aggressive one… white and smallish head… had the appearance of being totally crazed... as in “mad dog”… so I kept the bike between him and me at all times making the larger, circling musclebound brown dirt dog even more terrifying as he seemed determined to get first blood. The “be calm” approach was not working. I grabbed the saddle in my right hand and the stem in my left hand and every time a lunge came from either direction I spun like a helicopter letting frame and wheels smack the dogs when they were too close. This of course had the adverse effect of luring the rest of the pack into the street. At one point all nine were within twenty feet of me. The standoff lasted eleven minutes. It took me just under six minutes to walk seventy-five feet backwards… some of the time in a soybean field across the road from the yard of these animals… all the way a spinning-around whirling dervish. No blood… no actual contact other than bike/wheels/tires striking aggressive dog. My heart rate data when viewed later online showed I hit 167 bpm for this episode (resting rate is 58 and average for rolling terrain at 17 mph is 143). I have not been able to sleep since. Never been so afraid in my life. Never feared for my life like this before. There is no question in my mind that if any one of the dogs had made contact and brought me to ground I would have been killed. No question whatsoever.
I have reported the incident to a less than interested sheriff's department that pretty much said "you do what you gotta do." After reading most every post on most every forum I have concluded that one must report every close encounter no matter what the outcome. It helps build a history that may someday help another cyclist. It helps leave a trail for the next complaint to follow.
Also from reading everything I can find on this topic I have concluded that anyone who rides without a pepper spray is foolish. There are many other defense options but none that provides the same level of safety as an OC spray like Fox Labs or Halt II. Yes you can carry a gun or a combat knife but these two options will probably get an owner to shoot back in the rural south. At least the pepper spray gives us a non lethal method that has the added benefit of perhaps training the animal in some way such that the next cyclist feels a little safer.
I have reported the incident to a less than interested sheriff's department that pretty much said "you do what you gotta do." After reading most every post on most every forum I have concluded that one must report every close encounter no matter what the outcome. It helps build a history that may someday help another cyclist. It helps leave a trail for the next complaint to follow.
Also from reading everything I can find on this topic I have concluded that anyone who rides without a pepper spray is foolish. There are many other defense options but none that provides the same level of safety as an OC spray like Fox Labs or Halt II. Yes you can carry a gun or a combat knife but these two options will probably get an owner to shoot back in the rural south. At least the pepper spray gives us a non lethal method that has the added benefit of perhaps training the animal in some way such that the next cyclist feels a little safer.
#103
Senior Member
#104
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: In the middle of Danube route
Posts: 12
Bikes: Scout TerraMan
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Six months ago I was bitten by a stray dog, injury was minor, but I still went to the doctor, and I thought that was the end of the story. But after ten days I received a letter from a lawyer from the town hall, where he told me I could take € 1,500 due to injuries from dog... all that for two scratches
#105
Banned
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Lincoln Ne
Posts: 9,924
Bikes: RANS Stratus TerraTrike Tour II
Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3352 Post(s)
Liked 1,056 Times
in
635 Posts
No you didn't. Response Time
#106
Senior Member
I've begun carrying pepper spray on every ride in response to an alarming uptick of dogs walking their owners sans leash on our local cyclepaths and canals. I recently felt the compulsion to discuss, at loud volume, with a dog owner whose large breed chased at me and got within a few feet of biting before their owner was able to call them off. I explained to them that animal control, once alerted, often is required to impound an animal that bites people, and that it only takes once for this to happen. I think this startles many dog owners to learn their precious floofy mini-them could so easily be sent to doggo heaven, and sets them straight with the leashing... at least temporarily, as with most rules in life that some people feel they are especially entitled to ignore.
#107
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 885
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 150 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
its also the best way to get the cops there if there unwilling.. a "possible on drugs" also works
ive had to kick a dog off my leg, and later on almost the owner aswell i dont care how nice your dog is to you, if its attacking me i will defend myself and will have zero consideration for your property or feelings.
get yourself checked out, infection/shots and let him pay for your costs.
ive had to kick a dog off my leg, and later on almost the owner aswell i dont care how nice your dog is to you, if its attacking me i will defend myself and will have zero consideration for your property or feelings.
get yourself checked out, infection/shots and let him pay for your costs.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
speedwobbles
Road Cycling
151
10-20-13 08:45 AM