Dogs, Leashes, and Streets

Thoughts as they occur on dangerous dogs...

I try not to be bigoted or prejudiced against man or dog. I watch how they treat each other, how they treat those I love, and make my judgments on an individual level wherever possible.

In the mid-1990's I was living the pedestrian-commuter dream, walking to work at the Kitsap County Courthouse on days that weren't too wet or stormy. One fine spring day I was attacked without warning by an untethered pit bull. It saw me from a block and a half away, took a dislike to me for some unknown reason and charged me. The encounter ended with the dog getting a one way trip to the Humane Society and euthenasia, and me getting about two weeks of painful healing and lasting memories.

Two years ago my family was threatened by a neighbor's untethered pit bull as we moved into our new house on Hillcrest Avenue. That encounter ended with the pit bull getting a pellet in the face from me after charging without warning or cause, and the owners gettting warned (& possibly later cited) by Animal Control.

Today, as I drove back from a meeting with the Kitsap County Democratic Women I was passing a pedestrian with a nice black lab mix on a leash, walking along the left side of the road. As I drew near him his face darted to the right side of the road and he shouted "HEY" in a loud voice. At that moment a pit bull streaked out of some bushes directly at him and his dog, and directly under my right front tire.

There was, of course, no time to stop, or even hit the brakes. Even though I was only going about 25mph, I knew from the sound of the "thud" that there was no hope for this dog's survival; it was a direct hit.

I walked around the back of the van with the pedestrian and watched the dog's final moments on Earth. We watched a group of young adults, teens and adolescents pile out to the road and grieve for the stricken and dying animal. I turned and looked at the pedestrian.

In a low voice I said to him "those dogs should be leashed at all times."

He gave me a knowing look and said "they bite people."

I said back "I've been bitten."

Enough had been said. I turned to the kids and said "I'm sorry, there was nothing I could do." I'm sure they barely heard me in their shock and grief.

I don't know if the answer is more laws. I do know that I accidentally prevented at least a good scare, and probably an attack by an untethered pit bull. I felt bad for the loss of life, but I also felt that in some sense, the right thing had happened.

Wish I could afford to repair the dent in my front end.