Yesterday I’m out for short skate ski before this weekends Great Nordeen 42K ski marathon, and I brought Buddy. He is my 30 pound Beagle who loves to go for a run and follow his nose. We’re about five miles out on the ski trail (in National Forest) in one of the few areas near Bend you can bring your dog. We approach a dog team from behind, driven by a lady, who suddenly stops and grabs her dogs and starts to wave. I’m thinking she wants me to pass but as I draw closer she’s yelling at me to turn around and grab my dog. But it’s too late and the four 90+ pound Malamutes break her hold (they are in a harness) and drag her and the sled at my dog. The two lead dogs knock over Buddy and start mercilessly tearing at him. They were literally ripping the skin off him, so I dive in (with my skis and poles still on) to defend my dog. In what seemed an eternity I somehow get the two attackers off my screaming, wounded pet. I got bit too, a puncture wound through my index finger. The owner starts to lecture me that I should have had my dog on a leash! She also added she is a Vet in town and that I can bring my bleeding dog in later that day if I’d like. How considerate. So I pick up Buddy and carry him out on skis, fortunately the race director came by on a snomo and gave us a lift the last few miles. I picked him up today, he had seven major wounds and was near death when I brought him in. My Vet told me she heard of those dogs and they were recently involved in a similar, more violent incident recently! I’m looking forward to bringing over my $700 in vet and doctor invoices to this caring pet owner.
Wow. I’d unleash a firestorm of bad publicity on that vet. Perhaps you should have had your dog on a leash (if it’s required by law), but this vet having her dogs leashed didn’t seem to enable her to control them. Furthermore, leashing your dog wouldn’t have prevented the attack nor would your dog being leashed have enabled her to control her dogs. Call animal control. Write an editorial in the local paper. Write a letter to the local Humane Society. I’m not much for litigation, but goddamn, sue her just on principle.
BTW, I love dogs (I have two).
Sue her ass!
A violent dog that cannot be controlled is like a loaded gun! The people that cannot control their violent dogs should be put down with those dogs. I have had my lab for going on 12 years. I trained him to heel off leash, not jump on people, etc. People that don’t train dogs are taking on a huge liability. I don’t get it.
Very sorry for your and your pup’s pain.
Regards.
Dogs are a menace. Everyone I train with has been taken down or bitten multiple times. I have a 3rd degree AC seperation from one. If dogs attack humans they should be put away forever.
You did not do anything unreasonable. My only concern is if you are required by law to have you dog on the leash, but in this case (as someone pointed out already) it would not have mattered.
I’m thankful you didn’t have any young kids along with you (or no one else was out there with their dog and kids).
As we are finding out in this modern world, people are very much responsible for the actions of their dogs. MOF, it seems that a dog’s actions are equated to the people’s actions in many court cases.
I’m not a big fan of sueing, but that is likely the only way you’ll get this lady to stop taking dogs she cannot control out in public. Does she really expect anyone with dogs to avoid her? Unfortunalte y a dog attack will not likely persuade her to leave her dogs at home, so the only way to get it done in reality is to hit her in the wallet, and cause monetary loss to her business. It’s a shame it works that way, but hey, at least it works.
The vet is lucky, if it had been me, all of her dogs would have critical wounds that would appear as if they caem from ski poles.
If you cannot control your dogs … do not take them in public, have them in areas where people can access them, or have them around children. This is going to be a major item in the next few years.
Like you said, I wonder how many times this has hapopenned previously. Obviously it had since she knew to stop her dogs, and try to wave you off.
I disagree. Irresponsible dog owners are the menace. Some people forget that dogs, no matter how domesticated, still instinctively protect their territory, food source, et cetera. It’s hard to blame a dog for acting in accordance with its evolutionary development. The human that accepted the responsibility for a dog should be held accountable.
Fine. If it’s their instinct to attack it’s my right to protect myself by whatever means necessary. I’m not going to end up a quadroplegic because of some dogs “instinct”.
So she should be put down? No, but she should not be allowed to continue to use the public trails with her dogs if she can’t contol them. Bad dogs are often a result of bad owners. Sled dogs are not bred to be house pets, they are work dogs. I’ve heard that the really good sled dogs are almost wild in nature and the sled owner has to be the stongest alpha dog of the pack. This isn’t a labrador. Given she tried to wave you away indicates her awareness that her dogs were not controlable, and thus should not be out in public. She should be held liable. As a sled dog owner, much less a vet, she should have known better.
Sorry to hear that your dog suffered because of her lack of judgement. I wish him a speedy recovery.
30lb Beagle/skate ski/turn around and grab my “dog.”
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So your dog was behind you, the way I read your post.
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Every place I have had opportunity to understand the dog issues, it has been abt control not abt whether there was actually a leash. The way I read your post, your dog was under control. Heck he was probably lagging behind your skate skiing and dragging his tongue.
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your “wrong” in not having the leash does not in any way allow her dogs attacking yours.
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if you had picked up your dog what would have prevented the other dogs from killing you? How would you have protected yourself if your arms were busy?
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What will happen if a child is out there with their pet dog on a leash?
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I have seen dog teams with muzzles on exactly for this reason.
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talk to the police/sheriff pay the fine for not having a leash and get that other person in JAIL QUICK.
I am incensed!
“Fine. If it’s their instinct to attack it’s my right to protect myself by whatever means necessary.”
Of course. I never implied that you should not defend yourself or that you should become quadriplegic.
I presume that every dog that’s attacked you and your friends had an owner and that the dog attacked you because the owner did not handle the dog responsibly - for example, they didn’t keep it from biting you. My point, very clearly made in my post, was that a dog is going to act like a dog (for which you can’t blame them, after all, they are dogs). Therefore, if one chooses to own a dog, the onus for controlling that dog belongs to the owner, and as such, they (the owners) should be held accountable for their dog’s actions.
Ow man, reading that just makes me feel sick. I hope you and your dog make a full recovery. I do like some dogs, but am definitely not a “dog person.” This is a personal responsibility issue. Pure and simple. The thing that scares me, is that she apparently knew exactly what was going to happen and that she would not be able to control the situation. Why else would she wave you away like that? The level of arrogance of some people and their total lack of consideration for others never ceases to amaze me. People with that level of wanton disregard for others often (and hopefully) find themseves in deep with the law.
As for your dog not being on a leash, if that is the law and I saw you, I’d surely be pissed. Regardless, that seemed to have nothing to do with what happenned and certainly doesn’t justify what happenned to your poor outmatched dog.
Best of luck.
- I have seen dog teams with muzzles on exactly for this reason.
I almost wonder if there may be a law stating this. The comment about these being “work dogs” and not “pet animals” makes me double curious about a muzzle law. We’re not talking about taking your dog outside to go poop here.
To the author of this thread … I do not know if you are a non-confrontational, passive type person or not … but I encourage you to take action … even though your dog will be okay. I encourage you to take action so that something can be done “for the next time” or the “next person”.
Imagine sometime in the future a mom is out skiing with her 6 year old son and their dalmation. The sled dogs attack the dalmation and out of pure love and loyalty, the 6 year old boy dives in determined to help his dog. Anyone who has been 6 and has had a dog, knows this will happen.
I really feel compassion for you in this situation. You could be involved in a fight that you did not volunteer for, nor wish to fight. But I ask, almost beg, that you explore this throroughly and see what can be done to prevent future occurances.
Granted we all have rights, but if we partake of activities that will lead to harm/violation of others rights 100% (or even close) of the time … such as her dogs attacking every dog that comes along … then that cannot be permitted. Her dogs must not be in public at any time if this be the case (I would say, even with a muzzle).
I’m trying to be rational and not let anger get the best of me, but the fact that she stopped and tried to wave you odff tells me the vet knew EXACTLY what was going to happen. Unfortunately, she likely knew this because of previous behavior (either publically or privately) or she knew there was a strong chance that this would/could happen, but decided she would go sledding anyway. That is very irresponsible.
Good Luck, and please keep up updated on your dog and in any interactions with the vet. As someone who loves kids, people, and dogs, I’m curious as to what comes of this.
So it turns out that the dog team owner had a choice to run her dogs where non-team dogs are NOT allowed, and this is within 20 miles of Bend. The Beagle owner had few choices as stated to ski with their dog. This kind of behaviour by the team dogs and the owner is highly frowned on by the dog team associations.
I used to live in Bend and visit occasionally. I hope I do not meet those dogs…
The team owner needs to go to jail, have the dogs taken away, and possibly since as a vet knew the problems the dogs posed, be stripped of the vet license. This is just one step from the horror in Ca recently where a woman was killed by dog.
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http://www.alaskanmalamute.org/wdx.htm
AMCA Working Dog Excellent Rules"Sportsmanship — Common courtesy and good sportsmanship shall prevail during all events and trips. Any applicant who is abusive to his dogs or other people shall not be eligible for a WDX award for his dogs. Dogs must present a good example for the breed, being manageable, non-aggressive workers and not posing a threat to other dogs or people.
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http://www.bendbulletin.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=5792
Bendbulletin.com
Dogs, except working dogs in harness, aren’t allowed in Dutchman Flat Sno-park or any of the other parks on the north side of Cascade Lakes Highway, Sabo says.
In the parks to the south, including Wanoga, Edison and Skyliner, the Forest Service asks dog owners to scoop the poop and maintain control over their pooches via leash or voice command.
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http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/recreation/winter/skidogetiq.shtml
Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests
Crooked River National
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dude, I am absolutley incensed. I LOVE dogs…all of them, short, fat, tall, skinny, athletic, couch-potatoes. If it’s a fuzzy little bundle of joy, I love it. But what I HATE are the incredibly irresponsible owners that allow something like this to happen. Of course I restate all the other posters comments about “leash-laws” and the like (but most places I’ve been are pretty lenient with “voice-command”, and the like, being sufficient). If you for one second become lax in your decision to pursue some sort of justice just think if your little guy would do it for you. He would, and he can’t because, well he’s a dog and wouldn’t do so well for himself in the courts 
A similar, but not nearly as horrific, incident happened to my wife and I at a dog park in Pittsburgh when our Lab was just a pup. (how happy am I to be living in VT now ? - yay!) Some jackass with an “uncontrollable” dog (breed is really unimportant here so I won’t label this one) brought his dog into the off-leash area, where it proceeeded to take my 4-month-old puppy’s stick away. That’s all well and good and most dogs in the area would have just wanted to play a little “tug” or “keep away” and my puppy resonded in turn. Well that got his ear torn in half. My wife is screaming/crying hysterically, I pick up my profusely bleeding pup (I think it’s like a head wound in humans, tons of blood, but not such a huge injury) and was pretty freaked out. I SOOO wanted to beat this guys ass, but was really worried about my puppy and all the blood so we ended up just running out of the park to get to a vet and get him stitched up. I left my wife at the vets and went back to the park to find this guy and have a “discussion” but he had already left. A bunch of very kind people saw me with blood still all over my shirt and body and related to me that the guy left right after we did. Worst thing was that the people told me that it had happened at least once before (with his dog), and maybe more than that; and he was back into the off-leash area to “test” his dog out and see if it was “better” now. “Better”, yeah, freaking great.
Point of my story being, I still think about that day (it’s been 3 years now) and feel like I didn’t do all I could to protect my puppy or be his “defender” or stand up for him or whatever, and I know (as all other dog owners do) that he would die for me; and I just wish I would have beat that guys ass when I had the chance. That’s a really violent statement from a guy that is about as big a pacifist as you can be, but like I said this kinda stuff just infuriates me.
So I implore you, stand up for your little beagle (although I do NOT recommend going and kicking in that lady’s door). It sounds as if you might have real options here, legal and financial, to make her understand that she is wrong. I’m not even mad at her dogs (although I would have been at the time) SHE is the one with the responsibility to make sure they are controlled, SHE is the one that should feel your wrath.
Good Luck and godspeed in your (and your dog’s) helaing.
Complaining to the “authorities” doesn’t seem to work. We have done that and the same dogs go after us week after week. The dog needs to be taken away. This removes the problem and punishes the owner. And don’t give me that crap that there are no bad dogs only bad owners. Dogs , like people come in all varieties some naturally good, others bad. Get rid of the bad ones. A guy who rides around here is an ex state trooper who carries a gun and won’t hesitate to shoot when attacked. Because “authorities” lack the will to act frontier justice has come into play.
<<So I implore you, stand up for your little beagle (although I do NOT recommend going and kicking in that lady’s door). It sounds as if you might have real options here, legal and financial, to make her understand that she is wrong. I’m not even mad at her dogs (although I would have been at the time) SHE is the one with the responsibility to make sure they are controlled, SHE is the one that should feel your wrath.>>
I’m sorry to hear about your dog’s suffering, schubwa. I agree with don, it does sound like there are proper repercussions that will hopefully prevent another incident from occuring, perhaps to someone less able to defend their cherished pet from these dogs.
Brett
“don’t give me that crap that there are no bad dogs only bad owners.”
I’m not sure what you’re reading into my posts (both of which made the exact same point but which you have ignored twice while launching into an unrelated diatribe) to infer that I’m suggesting this. I agree with you - there are good dogs and bad dogs, just as there are responsible dog owners and irresponsible dog owners (there’s goes my point, again).
Hell, what am I saying? Just go out and open fire. Let the end justify the means. Come to think of it, there are a few neighborhood kids to which I’d like to apply the same logic (and firepower). Bad parent? Kids get shot. Irresponsible dog owner? Dog gets shot. Everybody wins (except the kids and the dogs that suffer because they have shitty parents).
Having been a dog trainer for over 25 years, I do know a lot about both dogs and the laws regulating them.
My first comment is I am very sorry that your dog was badly hurt and that the sled dogs were so aggressive. There is no excuse for those dogs to be out of control as you described. If they are that aggressive, they should be muzzled in a public at the very least. You should report the incident to authorities so they will be on record as “dangerous dogs”. If this a second report authorities have more legal power. I find it hard to believe that dogs that aggressive would be able to function as a sled team as they are constantly around other dogs when in competition.
HOWEVER this incident may never have happened if your dog was on leash. You should have been able to keep him safely away from the other dogs. Any time you are outdoors and your dog is off lead, he is subject to danger. No matter how well trained my dog is, and I have some pretty well trained dogs, I never take my dog off lead while in a public place. I have heard hundreds of horror stories of dog fights and the small dog always loses. 99% of the incidents involve one of the dogs off lead. Many times it’s the small dog running up to a leashed bigger dog. I guess it’s like they say at triathlons, in a competition between a bike and a car, the car always wins. That doesn’t make it right, but as a small dog owner, you must be extra vigilant.
Unfortunately the laws of most communities would hold you at least partially responsible for your dog not being under control (on leash) either. Again, I am not excusing the behavior of the aggressive dogs, they certainly sound dangerous to me. There is no excuse for the callous attitude of the driver.
At the very least, demand she pay the vet bills.
I really fail to see how having his dog on a leash would have protected it in this case. Sled dogs (especialy in a group) aren’t usually that intimidated by a strange person, let alone a strange person holding a small dog. Had he been holding/controling the dog I’d say there would have been a very decent chance of him getting attacked in the process. Getting attacked is not worth the legal leverage it would give you in a case like this.
My advise would be get a good lawyer and take her to the cleaners. You may not win, but a hard fought legal battle certainly won’t help her.
“HOWEVER this incident may never have happened if your dog was on leash.”
Please explain how his dog being leashed would have changed anything about this situation. From the original post:
“…the four 90+ pound Malamutes break her hold (they are in a harness) and drag her and the sled at my dog. The two lead dogs knock over Buddy and start mercilessly tearing at him.”