There is a house in my neighborhood between my house and the gym that faces the main road. They have a big dog, maybe a collie mix of some kind, that they sometimes leave tethered on a chain in their front yard. Not all the time...I didn't see the dog left out in the winter, for example, nor have I noticed him outside in the rain. But still, he's left out a little too often for my comfort as a dog owner, and it's bothered me to see the poor thing straining at the end of the chain, barking at everyone who passed.
Well, today on my way home I got to know the dog a little better...he'd managed to pull out the tether. As I came down the sidewalk, he jumped up on me. I did the few things I remembered for behavior with an unknown dog: no eye contact, low soothing voice, offered him the back of my hand to smell. He jumped and slobbered and wrapped the chain around my feet as he flailed. I think he was freaked out because he was no longer restrained. I was trying to get ahold of the chain (one of those rubber-coated metal cables, thankfully, not an actual metal linked chain, or my legs would be in bad shape now) to lead him back home, but he was moving fast and, on his hind legs, he was taller than I.
He actually knocked me down once, and when I was down I was able to free my feet and step on the cable. I was close to getting a decent grip on his collar...although he did put his mouth on my arm and I was starting to worry about being bitten...when his owner came out.
Well, actually, it was the teenage daughter and her friend. The dog went right to them. I told the kid very calmly but in what I hope was my best adult authority-figure voice that the county has a law prohibiting tethering dogs, and they risk being fined or having their dog taken away. The kid apologized profusely to me, but I have a bad feeling my real point--you're gonna get your dog killed or confiscated!--didn't get through. I left, mostly relieved I wasn't hurt and that the dog was safely inside.
In just the two more minutes it took to get home, though, I got pissed. For one thing, I was starting to feel the scratches and bruise on my arm. That wasn't a vicious dog, but he was scared, and could have really hurt someone. He could have also darted right onto the fairly busy road, getting himself hurt or killed, and potentially causing an accident where people could be hurt or killed. And as far as the traffic...while I was essentially being attacked by this dog, several cars drove by. I made actual eye contact with one guy who stared out the window at me...I clearly was not someone out for a nice walk with my own dog. Not one freaking driver stopped to see if I needed any help. Thanks, neighbors.
I'm not sure if I'd have stopped either, I admit it. I hope I would have, but I'm not sure. I will now.
I looked up the animal control law, too, and unfortunately I'm wrong about the tethering...it isn't completely illegal. I'm not sure if their conditions were okay or not...certainly the dog being able to get away is not allowed. I'm still considering paying the adults in the family a visit (while you can see my bruises...as I typed this, my arm and hand did start hurting), or giving animal control a call. If nothing else, I will be keeping a really close eye out, because that poor dog deserves better than what he's got.
Posted by Nic at May 11, 2004 05:18 PM