So this morning while heading home from an early morning spin class at the gym I saw this dog get hit in the intersection I was stopped at. The dog was diagonally across the intersection from me while I was in my car with the widows up and I could still hear the dog crying. It managed to get up and walk over to the side of the road and collapse in the grass. I saw it sit up and fall back down a couple of times but didn’t try to move much further.
To my surprise no one from that side of the road stopped to help the dog, but kept going on their morning commute. I’m not a huge dog fan but I hate to see anything suffer so like an idiot I drove over there and parked in a lot nearby and got out to check on the dog. It was wimpering and looking very hurt. It had on a t-shirt (like my kids do to my dogs – did I mention I’m not a dog fan? Yet I still have 3 of them) that was all torn up and I could see it had a collar on. I slowly approached the dog, but no closer than several feet away to see if I could get a look at its tags. I was about 4 feet from the dog and it’s lying in a submissive position and it suddenly rolls over and lunges at me. It bit my right hand and tore the skin to the bone on two of my fingers and then collapsed again. I was absolutely shocked at the speed this dog moved. I never even had a chance to react before it had my hand in its mouth.
At this point in time I walked back to my car and grabbed a clean rag and wrapped up my hand and called the police. When they showed up they offered to call and ambulance, but that was unnecessary since I was only a few miles from the local ER and could drive myself.
Once I got to the ER I finished my morning with numerous puncture wounds, rips, and huge lacerations to my hand requiring numerous stitches, an extremely pain antibiotic shot, pain pills and a 5 day antibiotic prescription. They instantly starting talking about a series of rabies shots but luckily the dog was captured by animal control and the owners and they verified through the veterinary the dog’s rabies shots were good through 2011. Now the biggest thing I have to worry about is infections and healing.
I have also managed to jeopardize my first big race of the year this next weekend – 80 mile mtb race with the www.ouchitachallenge.com. Hopefully by Sunday I’ll be healed enough to compete.
Moral of this story – respect a wounded animal and call for help. I thought I was smart enough and kept enough distance between me and the dog – WRONG. I have a new respect for how dangerous animals can be.
Sorry to hear that you got bitten but that was a good thing you did by stopping to help. It amazes me that people can be so heartless that they would drive by an injured person or animal who clearly needs help and not stop.
When I was a little kid, my beloved Airedale broke away from my sister, ran into a busy street and was hit by a car. My sister ran out after Heather, and when she reached down to comfort her, Heather bit her. Even though the dog knew my sister, in her dying minutes, she clearly was not herself in her tremendous pain.
Thanks for being a good person and stopping for the dog. Sorry about your race, but I’m sure there is good Karma out there waiting for you in return for your actions!
I, too, say kudos to you for stopping. I’ve learned a totally new appreciation for dogs over the years and how loyal and serving they can be if trained and cared for by the owner. I’m sure a dog in that state of pain and shock is very confused and their response to anything becomes a defensive reaction. Hope you’re okay and know that everything happens for a reason. Hopefully someday people will start talking responsibility for their dogs and not just consider them like another pair of shoes or appliance that we’ll just go buy another one when this one breaks.
maybe they aren’t heartless maybe they didn’t want to lose a hand
Sorry to hear that you got bitten but that was a good thing you did by stopping to help. It amazes me that people can be so heartless that they would drive by an injured person or animal who clearly needs help and not stop.
I, too, say kudos to you for stopping. I’ve learned a totally new appreciation for dogs over the years and how loyal and serving they can be if trained and cared for by the owner. I’m sure a dog in that state of pain and shock is very confused and their response to anything becomes a defensive reaction. Hope you’re okay and know that everything happens for a reason. Hopefully someday people will start talking responsibility for their dogs and not just consider them like another pair of shoes or appliance that we’ll just go buy another one when this one breaks.
I don’t think they’re confused at all. In the wild a pack of wolves will descend on and kill an injured pack member. Even if the dog recognizes his owner, you’re just the Alpha male and the one that it would expect to finish it off.
That being said, many dogs will overrule that instinct and treat you just fine when hurt.
Uh, what about the dog? While getting your finger bit is obviously “bad times” and it sucks for you to get bitten, I’d say that getting hit by a car is worse. Did the dog make it?
Sorry to hear about your pain, and the dogs. Any idea why it was in traffic? It seems like dogs often pay the price for their owner’s poor judgement. Most dog owners are responsible, but there are always a few who think they are special and let the dogs run loose. Unfortunately the dog is the one that gets injured and in this case you too. If owner neglect caused this, you might see if they can be sited for the neglect.
That is a very sad story. I didn’t know that an injured animal became violent, it is good information. I hope that you are alright and I really hope that the dog received the care that it needed. Irresponsible parents of animals should be prosecuted for animal and human endangerement.
I got bit trying to help an uninjured dog that was stuck trying to cross a highway a few years ago. I only tried to approach him because he had tags on (ok he also looked to be at least part collie, which aren’t known to be vicious and I had a collie mix as a kid) and I wanted to get a look. As I was SLOWLY approaching cars were zooming by or slamming on their brakes while laying on their horns which definately seemed to spook him. I think I have unusually quick reflexes but I had no shot once he lunged. Caught my hand enough to draw blood in a few spots. Undetered and with a break in the traffic I shuffled him off the road. I tried several more times to get a look at his tags, but couldn’t and by now he was turning more aggressive. It was a weekend day (forget which) and New Years eve so there was no one at animal control (seriously my tax dollars at work), so I had to live with the fact that at least I got him off the road. My wife forced me to go to the hospital and began the several weeks of rabbies shots. The ER Doc “off the record” advised against it, but seeing my wedding ring said he wouldn’t let me leave until I checked with my wife. Actually the convo went something like this:
Doc: Off the record, if the dog had a collar and didn’t appear to be dirty orout on the street too long I doubt he would have
contracted rabbies, so you probably don’t need rabbies shots.
Me: Cool, thanks Doc
Doc: Sorry but I know women and I don’t want you leaving until you clear it with your wife because I don’t want you to have
to come back here.
Me: Ok is there a phone around here?
Doc: Yep, you can go around the corner and use the one there and I’ll go order the first round of shots from the pharmacy
(or whatever it is they call the place they keep the drugs in the hospital).
Wife: You are not coming home without those shots.
I don’t think they’re confused at all. In the wild a pack of wolves will descend on and kill an injured pack member. Even if the dog recognizes his owner, you’re just the Alpha male and the one that it would expect to finish it off.
I have done a lot of research and study on both wolves and canine behavior. Sorry, but there is no scientific or actual evidence to back up that statement. Wolves, being quite social will actually look after and care for an injured pack mates. Dog behavior is different from wolves but they have just as high a pack social bonding.
Injured dogs can be very dangerous, even normally friendly family dogs. They have a reflexive defensive action when in pain.
Before we “judge” the owner, please consider dogs do get out accidentally at times. In fact dogs that are often afraid and confused. Not used to roaming the street they are much more likely to hit in traffic.
To the OP, hope you heal quickly and thank you for your kindness.
Dogs can’t assess situations like humans can so when they’re threatened or hurt they just defend. I can understand why one would react that way. Oh, and heal up soon.