ottoluv
I just want to remind everyone that you cannot judge the viciousness or scarryness of an attack by how big cuts/scrapes are. I know everyone is always sensitive about the pitbull=aggressive thing but the OP IMO just posted an aggressive dog attacked her family and small dog, not any social commentary
You are absolutely right and I hope I did not sound insensitive to the attack. This is going to be a rather long post but I think it has a few important points...... Last weekend at a show three friends ended up in a dispute, One friend was handling, ( for a third friend) a Champion RR female who tends to be beyond snotty when annoyed. This girl is about 78 pounds ( best guess) the other friend walked her Irish Wolfhound , a youngish girl maybe 2-3 yrs and about 128 lbs , up to the friend and the dog's owner...they stood chatting for several minutes. The IW got bored and decided to sniff the RR girl, who stood it for a moment or three than went after the big girl !!
So Later I hear from The IW owner, the RR owner, The RR handler and 3 folks who witnessed the entire thing. sighhhhhh being a long time RR owner and one who prefers a girly household I KNOW both the attitude and the actions of an irate female. They either bluster, just enough to make some one wish they had never gotten up OR they, in near silence...... do serious hurt!
The RR apparently blustered. Fussing loudly and with specific complaint ( YOU , GET OUTTA of my Butt!!!) The IW who is like many, rather sheltered , ( seriously how did the giants manage to survive into this century? Food , stress, bloat, anxiety ...we won't even go into shorter life span and breeding issues) sorry I dogress, She Jumped back behind her rather petite human grandmom hoping for intervention....
That is the account I was given ...at legnth...from everyone........ BUT the IW grandmom. Who was very , very sure something is seriously wrong with the RR, that, had she, the human, not put herself "in harm's way" the less than 80 lb girl would have savaged her nearly 130 lb girl. I listened and tried to be sympathetic. I agreed the RR handler and owner should have
#1 warned her that the girl tended to be very reactive,
#2 they should have kept the distance since this was the RR's issue rather than the IW's
and finally #3 her IW was most likely going to need "therapy" to get over it... okay that last bit is an attempt to be funny but seriously this person was convinced her dog would never be able to walk easily at a dog show again.
In my most honest opinion the fault lay equally with all of my friends. As RR folk we KNOW the attitude a girl can cop, they do not like overly pushy pups sniffing about thier privates and they will not stop and say "Gee that dog is waaaaay bigger" RRs really rarely know any fear. The IW friend has been showing for decades and should KNOW better than to allow her dog's head that type of freedom.... okay so this time it was a simply grumpy bit*h. Next time it could be spoiled bait , or a totally unsocialized dog that would try to injure as opposed to discipline. The IW , should be out and socialized to a greater extent...better manners create a more reliable dog. When you are of this size and weight how do you justify "sheltering" the dog? It isn't as if it will get easier, instead it will very possibly become a risk issue, not because it may be aggressive but should it bolt how would you easily stop and calm it? The RR owner and handler both were at fault since they know she is a retired dam, that she does not suffer puppies or fools lightly.
Same girl.... different day she blustered at my young male. He is easily close to 20 pounds on her and again a MALE..but when they, the owner /handler walked up to chat with my husband of course the upstart boy turned around to flirt, it went from wagging tail and easy expression on the older girl to full bluster and everyone within earshot turing around expecting to see a fight. RRS rarely have to fight, they have an impressive bark and battle roar, it will back off most animals and every human that has ever had it directed at them......
OKAYYYYY So how does this long ramble have to do with the OP ?? Again I did not wish to sound insensitive. When AC or the Police hear about a "PIT BULL ATTACK" they are expecting the very worse. being frightened SHOULD be enough, regardless the breed. But with the number of stray or unsupervised dogs factored into simple old every day crime law enforcement is now , imo, looking for significant events. Being chased by a dog would be enough for me to raise some serious static, I would have letters and phone calls out to every and any one. And had it happened with my grandkids around OMG the owner would want to disavow all knowledge... because , yes it would get UGLY. But when the call(s) came in I would wonder if it went something like ...." we were attacked by a Pitt Bull"... Response may have been "Are you hurt?" You may have said "we are scraped up..." At that point most AC or PDs are thinking .... "Whaaaaaaat a PIT only scraped this person up? " They may have asked "Is it still running loose?" , If your response was anything like " The Owner/caretaker came out...or a man came up and sprayed the dog ( even w/o the info it was mace or pepper spray they can assume a water hose).... YOU were not at fault here but they are listenting for KEY words.... At some point either they are BEYOND incompetant or, they felt you had the problem under control. dumb I know but IF you are a crime victim, say something really awful and you need a police man there fast, would you want them to stop to find out about an iffy situation with a dog that did not seem to add up? ie HUGE SLOBBERING PIT BULL ATTACKED and left "scrapes"? That is what the operator / dispatcher may have "heard" when speaking with you. a VERY angry person who had not been put in the hospital by a dog .... I am not saying this is right but please think about the sheer number of calls rec every day. At some point it becomes hard to really "hear" everything they may need to.
SO , here is the last I will try to say about this and I appreciate the patience of anyone reading this far. As a retired RN and Rape Hot Line Counselor there are certain things that YOU must take control of in any event that causes you not simply to be frightened but as others have said causes a break in your skin.
#1 Niether Minimize or Maximize the event. It is a given you are both scared and angry, you have the right to be. walking your pet and walking with your child you should NOT have to feel as if you have to be uber protective just to walk around the block. SO State the Specifics
IE Phone call YOU : I need to repport a dog attack. MY Child( give the age ) and I were walking our dog and an Unleashed dog charged us, IT made physical contact with us, Specify if there is a bite, if not a Bite ...stress, "We were left scraped up and bleeding from the dog's nails and possibly teeth. We need an officer to respond to verify the vaccine status of this animal." (PERIOD) If they say it will take time or they are busy then ask, politely HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE ???? IS there anyone else I should be reporting this to ?? Again if they seem less than concerned , YOU need to ask thier name and a supervisor's name, Ask for a return call ASAP.
#2 Now If I did not know for sure if the scrapes came from toenails as opposed to teeth I would then do the following..... Grab a camera and take pictures of everything. Paw prints, scuff marks, torn clothes, scrapes ANY broken skin !! IF at all possible get a photo of the dog. It is bizzarre how often people allow the loose animal to stay in the front yard when they think the event is "over" I know, how sad is this ?, but I have raised my kids and grandkids to keep a disposible camera in the car and house and all of them have cell phones w/cameras. documentation makes a world of difference in the world we live in today !!
#3 Then I would take my child and myself to the nearest ER. At the point the dog bite is reported the authorities MUST become involved. Have the address of the animal and of where the event happened. You need to remember It does not matter if this was a little pooky-wooky sweetie pie that bit you or actually a Pit bull. Rabies do not react according to size or breed. By stressing you believe it is /was a pit you are simply coloring the emotional issue. You do not need to do this. A bite is wrong, bad and must be dealt with. By leaving folks wondering how one earth you got "lucky" enough to be only slightly hurt ( And yes I know what a jerky thing to say ) you are diffusing the issue.
#4 Now the authorities are involved and yes this get's even scarier , if the dog can not be id'ed or found you are looking at dealing with Rabies shots. Holy Crud !!! BUT way better than the alternative !! More and more idiots are not bothering to vaccinate and or license their animals. I was bitten by one of my own older dogs when we were evacuating for a hurricane. ( Hurricanes often up the agrression level in animals for a million reasons) and two of my own dogs got into it, then dumb me.... I got into it.... I titer my older kids rather than pump a ton of vaccine into them that I have some specific issues with. So I had 2 choices.... go to the ER and get sewn up risking ( almost certain) the death of my own dog because in evacuation mode NO ONE waits for anything. Or having a very interesting scar.... I choose the scar. I Knew my dogs were clean and healthy. I knew why the fight had happened, and how I was bitten ......ALL important facts in a bite.
#5 And I promise I will stop with this part. NO ONE has the right to subject you , your child or your pet to injury. It does not make it okay that this person was "taking care of" the dog ... it makes NO difference that he owns or simply knows the animal. It was This person's Responsibility that this animal not be able to injure any of you !! Some one who routinally does this level of poor care is actually criminally neglegent in the majority of our country.. even a one time offense is still a person finacially responsible for the medical bills , damaged clothing and in nearly all municipalities pain and suffering. When YOU accept the responsibility to care for a friend's dog.... that does NOT end with did he eat today ?? It also extends to did he eat ANYONE today !!! The more documentation you have, again cell phone bills showing the time calls were made to authorities and or ER / Drs are vital. Photos can not be denied in court cases. A day later a welt may look like a run in with a bush, but at the time of the event there will almost always be significant redness, swelling and an overall "angry" look. We are speaking about what the event really "felt" like rather than a simple record of where it happened on your body. Torn clothing should never be washed or thrown away. simply put it in a bag AFTER the photo has been taken that id's it as the item worn during the event. Judge's , even in small claims seeing say a pair of jeans with a tear in them, even if there is the tinyest bit of blood will look at the offending owner/ caretaker of an animal and tell them LOOK AT THIS !!!!
Does all of this seem extreme? It isn't, what was a really bad scare for you , Chico and your Daughter today ....could well be a profoundly injured animal or person the next time. It is not about the breed. It is about RESPONSIBILITY. This will not be a popular statement BUT... Dog Ownership is NOT a RIght anymore, It is a privelage. WE must protect our desire to share our lives in the company of dogs. And we must protect our dogs from slackers who do not understand what a legal onslaught is happening in the pet owning world of today !
I hope the 3 of you are feeling okay this afternoon, and please , please take your little guy out to a safe place and re-socialize him, an event like this can ruin his entire personality if left alone and just hoped for the best. Be pro-active make sure he is well trained and reassured and that YOU can take him anywhere... like I said before it does not matter if it was a Pit or a tenny tiny pooky wooky sweetheart a bite is a bite!
Bonita of Bwana