The photo above is Waffles the pug. No he doesn’t bite. His snaggle teeth weren’t built to do that. This is a story about another dog from a morning walk last week.
We headed out the door around 5ish a.m. The sun rises after 5:30, but the sky glows pink and gray, waiting for the intense sun to peak over the horizon.
At this early time, we see a few dog walkers in the neighborhood. One is a petite blond lady with a pit bull named Star. We’ve known Star since she was a puppy about a year and a half ago. She’d lay down submissively so we’d come over to her for a pat. Often, she’d roll on her back so she’d get a belly rub from my husband.
I’m not a pit bull fan. As Star grew older, the owner kept to her side of the street. Often Star would lunge, growl and snarl at us. The owner apologized and didn’t know what to make of the new attitude.
I said, “Maybe Star is getting older and more protective?”
Sometimes, she’d say, “Star wants to come say hi.” She’d walk Star over to us with different results. Sometimes Star was good. Other times she’d start sweet and then snap.
From then on (several months ago) we gave up on communicating with Star.
Last week, we spotted the woman across the street. Star laid down. The owner said something to us from across the street. My husband couldn’t hear what she said. I kept walking away from Star at a brisk pace.
My husband walked towards Star and the woman, but stopped six to eight feet away to not invade Star’s space. Star was on a thick leather leash, held by the woman.
The woman was chit chatting about how hot it was and how we have to get out early to walk.
Then Star, without warning or provocation, lunged, snarling from the ground at my husband and bit his hand. The woman didn’t have the strength to pull Star back.
Fortunately, my husband jumped away with only a puncture wound. When he caught up to me his hand was dripping blood. “If I didn’t move away, I would have lost my hand,” he said. “What was really strange is she didn’t say anything to the dog. Not bad dog! or anything!”
I reported the dog bite to the HOA board but didn’t hear back immediately. I wanted to let other families in our neighborhood be aware.
We looked up dog bites on our County website and my husband decided to file a complaint. He had a picture of his hand, the dog bite broke through skin, which were requirements. We don’t want to get the neighbor upset, but we worry about what could happen. Especially because most the people in our neighborhood are older. They might not get away as quickly — or even worse get knocked down.
The dog will be under house arrest for 10 days and tested for rabies. Other than that, I don’t think anything will happen to Star. We may have made an enemy in Star’s owner, but hopefully saved other people. Since reporting, we have heard that someone two houses away from the pit bull was bitten, too.
What would you have done in our place? Would you report the dog and/or ask the HOA board for restriction of some kind? How do you think the owner should corrected Star?
I think you handled the situation well. Our HOA is on top of dog complaints so I’m disappointed in yours for not responding stat. I don’t know much about having a dog, so I can’t say what the owner should/could do. Stay safe.
Thank you! I don’t know what the HOA will do, but I hope there are some restrictions on the books.
FYI, HOA replied back that they didn’t get my first email. I got a new email account that I used to send my first email. A day later used my old one that they replied to immediately. I can’t blame them for email
Snafus.
I’m glad you worked it out, if only in that you now know which email account gets you to the HOA. Ever onward, huh?
Yes!
You handled the situation perfectly. It must be reported. This dog is a definite danger, and I do know something about dogs. This dog is likely to turn on its owner. Very sad. It is not the breed,it is the owner not knowing how to handle the dog.
It’s definitely the human’s fault. We kept wondering what would happen to a child or someone elderly.
Wow! There’s a backstory to this EA- there has to be. Someone has to be encouraging that dog to be aggressive. I don’t hold to the idea that a PB is instinctively mean and aggressive and it seems Star was not for a long time so… As to the owner/walker I would want to know more about her and also about who she surrounds herself with and why and what the real story is.
I just found out her husband left. Maybe the dog is feeling stress or protective? Also there may be more to it as you said, that the dog is encouraged to be aggressive.
We had obnoxious neighbors with a nasty dog. I sternly talked to them the first time their dog lunged at my dog. The second time I reported them. The husband was all sorts of Pisces off saying things I did, and I asked if he’d like to review the Libby camera to ascertain who was right or wrong. I told them the dog had to be muzzled in common areas and if it wasn’t i would call the humane society and report the dog. Luckily they moved
I’m glad you took control of the situation. I can’t believe the attitude of the owner. I guess that reflected in the dog’s behavior. We’re going to ask the HOA for a muzzle law.
Agree!!
Wow — so sorry about your husband and the bite, but seems to me you did everything right. Like Deb I’d be curious about the owner but not so much that I’d avoid responding as you and your hubs did.
We found out the husband moved out of state and is divorcing her. I wonder if that coincides with Star’s bad behavior?
Oh gosh. Maybe so. A household under stress, for sure.
Yes. Also, I’m thinking the husband was the the alpha of the pack. This tiny woman doesn’t know how to be the leader over Star.
Agree….yes. Biting is not okay!
I’m terrified of the dog and thankful she is following the quarantine orders. When we first moved here, I was terrified of a woman with a huge pitbull and a presa canario. They would lunge at me while she was walking them on leash. If I’d spot her in the distance, I’d turn the other way. I never see them anymore. They were older dogs and perhaps two and half years later, they’re no longer with us.
Always good to listen to your instincts about animals, I think. 😉
👍🏼
Aww, that’s sad. Sorry for your husband. I think you handled it perfectly, especially since your husband was bleeding. I would like to think that if my dog did that, I would be apologetic and proactively following up to make sure your husband was okay.
Definitely I would be following up. Also we’d correct the dog!
Absolutely, the dog needed to be reported. What if he had bitten a child. Something seems strange. Maybe something she’s doing at home with the dog is off, so the dog gets aggressive out of the home.
I found out that her husband left. He moved out of state and is divorcing her. Maybe the dog feels abandoned or the husband was in charge of the dog? I’m sure it senses stress.
Stress and maybe mistreatment of the dog in “their” angry moments.
That’s completely possible.
I think n you did the right thing here. It’s not right for the owner to just stand by and let the dog bite or attack other people.
It’s so wrong! The lunge itself would have knocked over a child or elderly person.
Yes very true. And if the owner can’t handle her dog, she should take him out by herself
I guess the husband left her and the dog. I think she should muzzle the dog when she goes out. We’re bringing that up to the HOA board.
You should as it’s how it should be.
I write the newsletter for the HOA so I know everyone on the board. I’m sure they want to keep the neighborhood safe.
Yes you have that advantage and should use it to ensure the safety of your neighborhood
👍🏼
Yikes! I’m so sorry to hear that your husband was bit, though I think you did the right thing. My boyfriend was bit on his waist by a neighborhood rottweiler who had always been gentle and submissive and he didn’t end up reporting the dog or anything… in retrospect, I wish we had.
Ouch! How awful your boyfriend got bit! It’s weird when dogs act out of character. We didn’t report the dog the first day. Over night, my husband worried about the next person and is glad he called.
It’s especially concerning that the owner didn’t seem to respond or reprimand the dog.
She said sorry to my husband, but nothing to the dog!
I’m surprised she didn’t say anything to her dog. I think you made the right decision. Buddy was attacked by a pitbull years ago while we were out for a walk in our neighborhood. Fortunately, I was able to pull him up onto my chest, and the dog was dragged back by its owner. However, it made me never want to walk around my neighborhood again.
Lucky for buddy! Yes, I’m frightened every morning now walking. As if coyotes, javelina and bobcats weren’t enough to worry about.
Right??
Today Star was out, breaking the Animal Control rule of 10 day quarantine. It was a man walking her. My husband said, “Isn’t that dog under quarantine.” The guy said he didn’t care. Then he called my husband a prick!!! No words.
OMG. That’s terrible!
It really shook me up. Star and owner are ruining my love of morning walks.
I’m so sorry.
Thanks!
I have to say the reaction of the dog’s owner disturbed me the most. The fact that she did not say anything or reach out to your husband is weird. Your instinct to stay on your side of the street was correct. She should be reported. I know that we went to a public place to get rabies shot for our pug and there was a pitbull and another big dog who my husband identified as a dog bred to fight and very expensive with a muzzle around its mouth. I was petrified for the pug. In our area, we have some scary dogs. When I walk the pug, I carry a dog mace.
Yes, her reaction was so strange! We used to have one of those exotic fighting dogs in our neighborhood, too. Presa Canario. I was scared to death of it. The owner said it was getting up in age, and now it’s no longer here. It used to lunge and snarl at me while she walked it! I do have mace. Thanks for reminding me to carry it!
Yes, many of us around here from protection from dogs, wolves, and other things.
👍🏼
sorry, we have protection…racing to get a few things done this week.
Holy smokes – that’s awful. When Miss O was about 6 months old, I was carrying her in a front pack and a dog who was running with young kids from his house tried to bite her kicking legs. I turned my body so he bit my butt. I told the father of the family just so he knew and he handled it beautifully and we’re super friendly now. The reaction of the owner matters so much. It sounds as if she’s under stress but still. I hope your husband’s hand heals okay. And Waffles is adorable!! ❤️❤️❤️
That is so scary with your baby! Of course you gladly took the bite. My husband’s hand is healed. I hope we don’t see Star anytime soon. Waffles is a cutie!
Glad your husband is healed. Yes, I had plenty of extra on my backside to soften the bite… 🙂
😅
My thought about the owner is that she didn’t know how to react, was frightened into inaction, and perhaps also afraid that she’d be sued. We had a seriously aggressive, and very nasty Sheltie in my neighborhood. I’d see Abby and her “mom” coming and immediately cross the street. Once when I took my dog to the vet, there was Abby with her “dad”. The minute I walked in the small room guess what—Abby ran and ducked behind “dad’s” legs and cowered. I found that very intriguing. It’s no fun walking your precious puppy when there is a dog terrorist in the vicinity. I’m just glad that it wasn’t worse than it was, but still……
I’m with you. I cross the street or turn around when I spot them. Weird that Abby was cowering under dad’s legs at the vet. Maybe these aggressive dogs are scared and insecure?
You certainly did the right thing. I hope the bite was not too deep or painful. She should not have that dog if she can’t control it. Or at least not be walking it in the neighborhood.
I agree 100% she shouldn’t be out with the dog.
If your neighbor can’t control her dog she should not be outside with it. Keep him in a gated space for everyone’s safety. I’m sure the dog is reacting to all the unrest at home and acting out aggressively. I’m amazed the neighbor didn’t say anything? She must be in a bad place. Hope your hubby is okay. Everyone should feel safe walking in their own neighborhood, you did the right thing by reporting the bite. Hope she adjusts her behavior with this dog. Hugs, C
Thank you, Cheryl. I think she’s in denial. She definitely cannot control the dog. We found out there is another neighbor who got bit. That’s two that we know of. I’m not sure if the other people reported it. My husband is healed. It was a puncture wound thanks to his quick reflexes to get out of the way. He said if he was slower, his hand would be gone.I have more on the dog bite story tomorrow — the drama continues. If you have time, check it out.
So sorry about your husband, but I think you did the right thing. I don’t like to stereotype pit bulls, but my chocolate lab has been attacked by two different pit bulls. One was at a dog park. My dog was playing with another dog, and the pit came out of the blue, finding my dog’s neck immediately. My daughter and I were screaming for the owner because he or she was nowhere in sight. Finally, the owner, a man, grabbed the dog and apologized. But aggressive dogs aren’t allowed in the dog park. That was the last time I went to a public dog park because often owners aren’t watching their dogs.
The other time was on our street. A neighbor who we didn’t know was dog watching his friend’s pit bull. Well, the pit bull got out of the yard so the neighbor was running down the street trying to catch it. I was walking my dog in the same direction, and when the pit bull saw my dog, it charged towards us and attacked my dog. Another scary encounter with a pit bull. I was screaming because I couldn’t separate the pit from my dog’s neck (the place they go for first, apparently). The guy ran to us, finally arriving, grabbing his friend’s dog who he claimed was usually friendly. Sigh. Anyway, after these two encounters, I can feel the fear creep up my body if I see a pit bull on our walks. I can’t help it, but I try to stay calm. My dog isn’t a barker; he just trots along, so he didn’t provoke either attack. If he had, I would have done something about it.
And like you said, it makes me wonder what would happen if a child was walking a dog, or a mom was pushing her stroller.
Sorry for the long comment. You got me going on this subject. And I have to add that I know not all of this breed are aggressive, but when things like this happen, it’s really hard to think differently.
I appreciate your comment. You described your pit bull experiences precisely. My husband tells me the same line that pit bulls aren’t aggressive and can be good dogs. “It’s the owner’s fault.” My experience makes me scared to death of them! I don’t care if it’s the owner’s fault or not! We had the best dog ever, a yellow lab for 15 years. Angus was the poster child for our local Guide Dogs, but didn’t pass their tests. Thankfully, he became ours.
I feel the same way, and Angus sounds like a sweet dog. Our dog is almost 13 and he’s a love bug too. 🙂
I miss Angus. We haven’t wanted to get another dog since. My daughter has her pug Waffles, and I’m enjoying the “grand parent” role of sometimes care.
You need to report it to more than just the HOA. Not sure who exactly, but you need to create a legal record in case it happens again, or worse, the dog kills someone.
We did. We called the County twice. First after the bite. Second when they didn’t follow the 10-day house arrest/quarantine orders. There is now a record on the dog. Also, they sent out someone to the house to tell them they were serious about following the 10-order.
👍👍