2 Pit Bull attacks in my area last month...legal and "technical" advice required...

[alsaqr]

An attacking dog must be shot repeatedly until it no longer represents a threat (and that usually means dead).

This is my experience. We have a lot of feral dogs out here in the county. Was attacked last year by a big Samoyed that someone got tired of and dumped in a rural area. Was opening a locked gate to go hunting and the dog attacked from some bushes. Luckily i was able to get my .50 muzzleloader out of the truck and shoot the dog. After absorbing a 300 grain bullet in the chest, that damn dog still tried to get to me. Sat in the truck till the dog died.

 

[Flopsy]

"another option is to carry pepper spray and /or industrail strength ammonia. Both will stop most dog attacks in a heart beat.( on your dog, a dog attacks you, shoot )"

I beg to differ here, from experience. I once pepper sprayed a very large enraged dog, and it just pissed him off more and didn't stop him. He did this weird thing where he licked the air and then kept charging. I don't recommend relying on it against a dog. The collapsible baton I had was more effective.

 

[Z-Michigan]

"What is the best sized mule to get the most stopping power? The bigger stronger mule who is a little slower? Or the smaller mule that can kick and fight more quickly?"

Any mule should be good. Bigger would be better, but outside the miniature category it won't matter a whole lot. Bigger horses are pretty good too, especially if they have a no-BS personality. We have a horse that's 16 hands tall (big but far from huge) with a super-dominant personality and we don't worry a bit about dogs or coyotes going after her (she is actually Queen B_tch in any horse herd, even if she's new to it). I should add that the horse killed by a dog pack in my area was, IIRC, confined in a stall, not free to run around and stomp things.

 

[marineman]

When I go running, I carry pepper spray simply because it is lighter and more practical than running around the neighborhood in shorts, a t-shirt, and a .45. If I had a firearm and a dog tried to attack me, I would not hesitate to blow it away. If a dog is aggressive and people do not want to keep it chained, indoors, or caged, I would not worry about hurting their feelings by shooting their dog if it means that I save my own life.

 

[Eric F]

wow whats this a dog thread running "un leashed" no thread lock how can this be?

If a dog is aggressive and people do not want to keep it chained, indoors, or caged, I would not worry about hurting their feelings by shooting their dog if it means that I save my own life.

be aware of local laws on this subject some localities I have heard of making you the bad guy for defending yourself especialy by shooting an animal.

 

[Mainsail]

Here’s my recent incident with a dog attack:
I was on my bicycle riding through a small park near my house, openly carrying my Sig P239. There were some kids and parents near the jungle-gym and other people spread out around the park. As I was pedaling towards the back of the park a very large Collie suddenly jumped up and ran across the grass towards me. It got up behind my bike and tried to bite my right leg and I steered left away from it. Then it came around behind the bike and bit me on my left leg just below my knee. Somehow I managed to unclip my feet from the pedals and stopped, drew, and aimed at the dog. I yelled at the woman who was calling the dog that her dog was going to get shot, as it was ignoring her calls. The dog then just lay down on the grass and I re-holstered. In hindsight, the dog is a herding breed, and that’s what it was doing, herding me. As soon as I stopped it laid down.

I’m glad I didn’t have to shoot the dog, justified or not the kids playing in the park would only remember the mean man who shot the friendly dog. I also live in WA and spoke to Tacoma Animal Control the day after the incident and showed her the bite. She said I would have been justified in shooting the attacking dog.

Here’s the bite after I got back from the ride; about 4 hours or so:


As a solution to the problem of shoot/don’t shoot, I bought a can of pepper spray and a special bike holster:


Hopefully I can avoid the whole thing next time by spraying the dog before he gets close enough to bite me.

 

[Ltlabner]

Mainsail,

Just pack a mule next time.

 

[Erik]

Nice GPS and pepper spray set up on your bike, Mainsail.

 

[Hook686]

Some of the answers strike me as pretty 'macho', but lacking serious thought. In California I figure any discharge of a firearm in incorporated areas will bring LEO presence quickly. I would then expect:

- firearm taken by LEO for evidence
- arrest for discharge of the firearm in an incorporated area
- expense (a big one) for hiring an attorney
- criminal and civil charges
- possible court costs on either one, or both charges

I've never owned a dog worth what such a cenario might cost.

Now if the dogs assault me, it is an entirely different matter. I'm worth all the money I have.

I would also hope the dog's owners had deep pockets. I've never heard of the owner of a dog that was let out to roam getting sued after doing damage ... any reasons why not ?

 

[makarovnik]

My neighbor carries a machete because he was already attacked while walking his dog. Can you believe the owner of the pitbull that attacked him told him he should stay off the street (stop walking his dog). Good grief. Yes definitely save some pepper spray for the owner. Most (not all) pitbull owners have that type of dog for a reason, drug house, for fighting, to intimidate or they just have an attitude. Bear in mind I said most not all pitbull owners have an attitude so no flames please. If the dog collar fits...

 

[Cosmoline]

I like a baton or walking stick. I'm leery about shooting a CCW piece in town as it will bring the police and at the very least paperwork troubles. Plus I really really don't like the notion of shooting DOWN towards IMPORTANT PARTS OF ME. For your own rural property where there's less ambiguity firearms are more practical for dogs. You can shoot them for mere threat, whereas that can lead to troubles in town.

industrial strength ammonia

NO NO NO NO NO

Good lord that's a horrible idea. If the wind catches pepper spray you get stung eyes. Big deal. If the wind catches industrial strength amonia you're in a universe of hurt. Even 10% household ammonia can cause serious eye damage. The industrial strength will rip your lungs apart and irritate every membrane, not to mention making you go BLIND by burning off the corneas.

 

[Gunnerpalace]

I have this same situation, the advice recommended to me was basically what Cosmoline just said, actually he posted in the Thread so that is what he said,

Anyway, Continue on,

 

[give]

it is a shame that some people use certain dogs to make them selves feel better by making them mean,any dog can be made to do it,now for pitts,we have 1 and he is a big baby,we never played ruff with him and he loves everyone,also loves other animals,as for not having a fenced yard that guy should be throwen in jail,first for putting everyone at risk and second for putting the dogs at risk,i was brought up to treat dogs like part of your family,but as to what someone said abput them not giving any warning,they dont,if the dog is charging he is going to attack,shoot him in the head,i would

 

[Ridgerunner665]

What is the best sized mule to get the most stomping power? The bigger stronger mule who is a little slower? Or the smaller mule that can kick and fight more quickly?

Edited for accuracy...lol

Henry is 16 hands a the withers (64 inches measured up the front leg to backline)... His mother was a champion Tennessee Walking Horse, his father was a 14 hand (56 inches) large standard donkey...

ALL mules are EXTREMELY quick on their feet...Henry can jump a 5 foot fence like a deer...from a standstill...its called coon jumping (google it).

Unlike horses...mules don't get spooked and run blind..in fact, odds are they will turn and fight...mules ain't horses...totally different temperment.

And I wanted to add the reason I let Henry have those Pitbulls...I have 2 German Shephards that are EXCELLENT guard dogs...I don't want to lose them. They know better than to get within reach (10 to 12 feet) of Henry.

I'm going to show him off 1 time...then I'll hush about mules...

Henry...my 7 year old gaited mule (and best friend)

 

[Cosmoline]

Henry looks like he'd grab a bobcat with his teeth.

 

[sinistr]

i used a 4oz can of 10% oc to split apart two pitpulls that were fighting each other .it took over two minutes to take effect,i would not depend on it.clubbing/choking does not work.if i pit bull attacks your dog shoot it.

 

[Jim Watson]

Ref post #12.
Around here, if you shoot a dog under gravest necessity, you must be prepared to shoot the owner. I don't say it's right, I don't say it's legal, but mean dogs tend to be owned by mean people and you should be prepared to KEEP defending yourself.

 

[Chortdraw]

There was a film going around on the internet about a mule that killed a mountain lion. It had pictures and all about the battle, which the Mule won.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I have that saved on my laptop (I think)...having witnessed just how mean a mad mule can be, I was not surprised by it.

The cat in those pics had been shot...but the mule didn't know that.

I'll see if I can find them.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

 

[TAB]

go mule...

 

[ar10]

I only had one bad experience. Two pure bred German Shepards attacked me as I came home from work. The guy let them out thinking it would be "funny". It wasn't for the owner, me or the two dead dogs in the street. I kiled both with a 22oz framing hammer I had on my tool belt.

I think it was on THR some time ago that a LEO in Ft. Collins Co related his story about 2 pit bulls running loose and attacking a woman and her two kids. He stated he pumped one shot of 00 buckshot killing one the other one came after him. He shot it head on from about 8' and the dog just got back up and went after him again. He said he shot it two more time and the dog just laid down and started licking itself. A second LEO, by that time they were all over the place, killed with a bullet behind the ear.

 

[gripper]

Dobies and PBTs most of my life(DAMN I miss having dogs!!)Never a problem ...I must be doing something wrong.BTW;How DID this post wind up in the auto pistol part of the board??I don't mind,I am just curious

 

[oneounceload]

Shoot the dogs - that way they won't attack you again - if the owner gets pissy, sue him.

Had a friend get attacked while jogging by himself, didn't have his gun - when the dog went for his arm, he balled his fist and rammed it all the way down the dog's throat choking off his air all the while kicking him in the balls, ribs and stomach.......long story short, both survived and the dog's owner wound up buying him a new truck from the lawsuit proceeds.........

after that experience, my friend carried a 1911 when he went jogging

 

[45crittergitter]

My advice: S.S.S.