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Ripley Was Attacked Today

2K views 12 replies 13 participants last post by  Wolfeye 
#1 ·
Today my husband took Ripley on a jog in our neighborhood with a leash that goes around his waist. There is a neighbor that has a husky mix that attacks the fence whenever we walk by. Well today the neighbor apparently let the dog in the yard and forgot to close the gate, so when my husband and Ripley went by, the dog came running at Ripley. He went straight for Ripley's face, but my husband was thankfully able to grab the dog's scruff and hold him back. The dog kept trying to get at Ripley, but TJ was thankfully able to get him to his owner by hold him at the scruff (he also had no collar on). Ripley has a laceration on his nose and three puncture wounds on the right side of his muzzle. The owner apologized and said her dog is only dog aggressive.... I appreciate the apology, but I'm really upset by the whole situation. I really don't think a "dog aggressive" dog should be left alone in a yard all the time, especially when that yard is located near a main sidewalk. It seems to me like it would just add to the aggression. And she really is lucky this happened with my husband and not a smaller person or dog, because it could have ended very differently. Thankfully it wasn't worse, but it makes me mad every time I look at Ripley's poor face.
 
#2 ·
So happy for the minimized injury, you are absolutely right. They should be thankful you didn't report it. Hope the lesson is leaned but sorry it was at Ripley's expense.


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#3 ·
I'm sorry you had to deal with this. People can be so foolish and obviously they need to be more diligent.
 
#5 ·
On no Jenny :(. I'm so sorry that happened to Ripley and your husband. I'm glad the injuries weren't worse but shouldn't have happened at all. Some people are totally clueless. Really, you know you have a dog aggressive dog and don't check the gate??? I just hope he's ok with other dogs now. Once when I was walking my Cosmo a collie/Great Pyrenees mix pushed their screen door open and bolted accross the street & attacked Cosmo. They were both up on their hind legs going at it. Thank goodness a neighbor came out & helped & Cosmo was fine. But he was NEVER the same with other dogs on leash. Off leash he was fine but on leash I think he felt vulnerable and unsafe :(. Poor Ripley :(
 
#6 ·
Sorry to hear that Ripley got attacked and was injured, hope that he heals up quickly.

Your are right, no dog, 'dog aggressive' or not, should be left alone in their yard to run the fence line, bark at or threaten people walking by but unfortunately there are some people who don't understand that or don't care. It is very stressful, anxiety producing for the dog (on both sides of the barrier) and can result in frustration and runs a risk of creating a dog who will behave aggressively should it breach the fence. However, switching to walking on the other side of the street before passing the area can create enough distance that the threatening dog does not become (as) agitated, defensive or aggressive, and gives a little more time for the person to react IF the dog should get loose. Taking advantage of parked cars, walking on the street if it is safe to do so, using the cars as a visual barrier between them and the confined dog, can help to make things less stressful, safer for everyone. Absolutely one should not 'have' to take such measures, but, doing so can help to reduce the risk of the 'unthinkable' happening.

Hands free leashes seem like a good idea , but they also have their risks, and drawbacks, that are seldom discussed, and this is one of them. When a dog is secured to their person, their ability to communicate and display socially appropriate behavior with other dogs is inhibited/limited, their option to choose 'flight' (escape) a risky situation is taken away, leaving them vulnerable, with no choice but to fight, (if they feel the need) and their ability to physically 'defend' themselves is severely restricted by the leash.Negative encounters can happen in a split second, leaving the owner no chance to release the dog, and increasing the likelihood that they may end up in the middle of a nasty encounter with another dog.
 
#7 ·
I would take pictures of Ripley's lacerations and take him in to the vet to have them cleaned. You will have a record of what happened in case it happens again. And it will happen again to someone's dog. Unfortunately, most people will shrug things like this off until someone or some dog gets really hurt by their dog. I would also show the vet bill to this person and insist that she pay it. They might clean up their act if they get hit in the pocketbook. I would also take what documentation you have and make a complaint to the police. I don't worry about neighbor relations when it comes to my dog's safety. I hope Ripley is okay and has no lasting problems from this encounter.
 
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#10 ·
Ugh I'm so sorry. Saying that a dog "is only dog aggressive" isn't enough. Dog bites on humans often come when a human has to intervene between two fighting dogs, or if one dog is getting attacked. Moreover, its not ok for a dog to be unattended if they are at risk for attacking another dog. They can do serious damage to your pet. Not only was it a dangerous situation for you dog, but it was a dangerous situation for your husband too.

Do take him to the vet. They can clean out his wounds and prescribe antibiotic prophylaxis in case the wounds are very deep. Puncture wounds are notorious for creating infections, because bacteria gets seeded very deep in the tissue and isn't exposed to air. He also needs a rabies shot--unless the owner can give you a hardcopy of his rabies vaccination within the past year....a rabies tag doesn't count--you want the actual documentation. Ideally, the owner should pay for all of this.

If it were me, I would take photographs of everything, and file a police report. Unfortunately, thats often the only way people learn and create impetus to change irresponsible behavior. There is a high chance this will happen again if the owner doesn't change their behavior. Gates get left open, dogs can jump fences (especially a husky), or dig under them.

I'm glad Ripley wasn't more seriously injured and that your husband is alright. I hope your pup is on the mend and recovers well!
 
#12 ·
I'm so sorry this happened, abut thank goodness it wasn't worse.

There was a dog on our street who had an electric fence who would charge our dogs when we would walk past the house. We would cross the street but I was always afraid she would break through and just ignore the shock. I always was surprised that she would be out there barking like crazy and the people in the house would just ignore it.
 
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