While Dog Bite Prevention Week is over, I must share this story, which happened today.
We take Luke for walks every morning. We aim to socialize him and make him comfortable in as many situations as possible. We also take Luke on playdates, go to doggy school, and work with trainers. Sometimes things don’t go as we expect, like this morning.
It was an early spring morning with light rain. We had hoped to get Luke some exercise before the big storm. Brad and I were out walking with Luke. We had been out for a while and decided to pick up coffee from Dunkin’s before walking home. After picking up our coffees, we started to head home.
As we approached home, we realized our neighbor’s dog was outside. We focused on Luke to keep him moving towards home rather than the dog on the porch with a toddler present. Little did we know this dog was loose. The child and the dog were in the neighbor’s breezeway. As we walked by, the dog charged Luke.
Luke was on his leash getting attacked by a loose dog. Luke has a good 30 lbs on this smaller dog attacking him. Brad dropped his coffee, trying to pull Luke back. I quickly dropped my coffee and started going after this smaller dog. I pushed the dog back with my foot and then began to chase the dog home. Thankfully, the toddler stayed on the porch.
As I chased this dog back into its yard, the owners came outside and grabbed the dog and the child to bring them inside. They never asked what was going on or if everyone was okay.
We stood in the road in shock, checking Luke for injuries and trying to calm him down before proceeding to our house. Luke was fine; his breathing was a bit heavy.
All I can think about is what could have happened if the child got off the porch and came to get her dog. This child would have been in the middle of a dog fight. This situation should not have happened. Where were her parents? Why would you allow a toddler to be outside alone, never mind with a loose dog?
It’s our responsibility as adults to protect our pets and children, train them, and show them that they needn’t worry. I’m sure this was scary for the child as well.
This child was in a hazardous position, outside without supervision, and both dogs were in a dangerous situation. It was scary and could have been much worse if the child had gotten involved. We live on a reasonably quiet street, but lots of folks walk their dogs on the street daily. So it’s not uncommon for dogs to be walking down the street.
This situation blows my mind. We have all heard this same story too many times. They all end up making headlines and directing blame at the dogs. Pointing at the breed, would this have been Luke’s fault if the child had been bitten? Please protect your children and dogs from being put into this situation by providing proper supervision. Yes, accidents can still happen, but it’s our responsibility to protect the innocent.
What would you do in this situation?
