Dog Attack At Ocean Hills

 I've got a lot to handle right now.  The death of Ron just 4 months ago, and the pandemic, which brings fear and isolation.  I did not need something else, but I got it just the same.  On Saturday, October 17, Pepper and I were attacked by a neighborhood dog.

Let me go back to the beginning.  About a year ago, I was standing with Pepper (my dog) at the corner early one morning.  The next thing I knew, a dog was barreling down the street (from 2 blocks away) at full speed.  I was terrified, but was able to pick up Pepper and hold him in my arms.  When the dog attacked, she bit my coat and Pepper, breaking the skin, but not causing any serious damage.  Our dogs have never met, so I was stunned by this, and curious as to why my dog would be chosen for the attack.  The owner paid the vet bills and promised to get the dog trained and to walk the dog with a muzzle.  That did not happen.

Back to October 17,2020.  I was walking on my street, when I saw the same dog walking on a leash up the main street, Leisure Village Way.  For safety, I ducked into the driveway of the house I was in front of, to wait for the attack dog to pass.  She must have smelled Pepper.  She bolted from the owner's hand and raced toward me, with teeth barred, and ears pinned back.  I was panicked.  Pepper was squirming, as he wanted to run from danger, and I could not get him in my arms.  The result was that my arm was bitten, scratched, swollen and bloody, and Pepper spent 14 hours in the emergency room.  Broken fibula, bites and contusions all over legs and stomach, and trauma.  

All I can say is that the law favors the attacking dog, not the victim.  I will get my medical bills paid and hopefully a little more, but will forever fear this dog might do it again.  No, animal control does not remove the dog from the home.  No, our HOA and security do little more than warn the owner to control her dog.

If you have a dog and live in a community with an HOA, check with them to see what their policy is for aggressive dogs.  Most HOA's have a policy for nuisance dogs, but ours has no policy for aggressive dogs.  From now on I plan to walk with a walking stick.