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[RC] Dog attack.. - Alan Kay

I had the misfortune of encountering a loose Pit Bull while riding one
horse and ponying another at a beach where there are lots of leash law
signs posted.  The dog charged at us at full throttle and and, without
breaking stride, leapt up and grabbed at my leg.  I was able to kick
him off of me after which he disappeared beneath the horse I was
riding.  My poor horse flailed, reared and bucked trying to get away
from the dog.  I came off and snapped my wrist and the dog chased both
horses approximately one mile down the beach.

The dog's owner managed to catch him after approximately 10 minutes
(you can imagine what I was saying!).  I "ordered" her to put her dog
in the car and help me catch my horses (showed her my wrist was
broken).  She disappeared and I ended up walking the length of the
beach to catch my two horses and get them trailered up for the ride
home.  Fortunately, a witness captured the license plate of the dog
owner.

My wrist required surgery, the horses sustained soft tissue injuries
and I became a major thorn in the District Attorney's side until they
were willing to press charges against the dog owner. Justice prevailed
and she had to pay for all of my medical expenses, a substantial fine,
and perform several hours of public service. Additionally, the dog was
required to be either on leash (with someone over the age of 18 at the
other end of the leash) or behind a 6 foot fence for 3 years.

My horses both recovered emotionally, but I have not. I had always
held fast to the notion that a horse/rider combination presented much
too imposing a figure for a dog to ever truly attack. Now when a dog
off leash comes racing up to us, I feel a HUGE surge of adrenaline. In
the past, when a dog charged, I pretty much ignored it figuring that my
horse would deter the dog from getting too close. That's all changed
for me. I have become much more aggressive about facing off with the
dog, yelling and charging, but it certainly takes awhile for my heart
rate to settle down. I have no real tricks up my sleeve for preventing
this from happening again, but strongly encourage any other victims out
there to do your best to get the district attorney's office involved.

Nancy Kay



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