BEWARE OF THE DOGS

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM CANINE ATTACKS.

- Dana Benner

According to DogsBite.org, each day, about 1,000 U.S. citizens require emergency care for serious dog bite injuries, and more than 14,000 people are hospitalized during the course of a year because of them.

I recently read a story in the local newspaper about an elderly couple walking their dog, a big, old golden retriever that they’d rescued, along a popular trail not far from their home. They are well-known to their neighbors for their daily walks.

During this regular walk, the couple and their dog were attacked by a pack of eight large dogs. Trying to defend themselves and their dog, the man, woman and their dog were injured in the fight that ensued. If it weren’t for an alert neighbor who witnessed the attack and came to their aid, things could have been much worse than they were.

All the attacking dogs were wearing collars and were obviously well-fed, so starvation was not the driving force. These dogs were simply allowed by their owner to run loose, despite the leash laws in the area. When confronted by law enforcement officers, the dogs’ owner showed no remorse; nor did he offer an apology. Charges are pending, but the damage has been done.

Reading this story brought back memories of just one of the dog attacks I’ve been through—the worst one. While walking my daughter’s dog, Brandy, a beagle-basset hound mix, we were attacked by a rather large German shepherd that was running loose. The shepherd came in from my blind side and was on Brandy in a flash, flipping her onto her back and going for her throat. I engaged the shepherd—something that some “experts” say not to do—and the fight was on.