Close Call, letter I sent to dog owners -UPDATE -Ellie just attacked

[mountaintopchicken]

About your hand - what do you mean by fine? It sounds like the dog broke the skin - is it a puncture wound? Not to be a worry wart or anything, but I have known people to get very bad infections from dog bites, especially puncture wounds (a friend of mine ended up in the hospital), so I'm just checking.

In your letter you were very diplomatic, but I think a dog bite to a human hand warrents a call to your local animal control officer. If you call them, they should make a record of your complaint that will start a paper trail that will help you if this escalates. Also, you don't know if these dogs may have bitten others, again a paper trail made with animal control would help to track this sort of behavior.

 

[Emzyyy]

People don't realize why we have pet chickens. They don't understand their like dogs to me. People ask me do you eat them. I reply "no." People ask me "Why do you have pet chickens?" I reply, "Why do you have a dog?"

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Oh hunny everyone has said it all where the BJ and Ellie are concerned as well as your hand. But my Goodness you lost your job because of these dogs as well. I am so sorry for this. Hope you can find a job soon.

 

[Fudgie]

So, did you loose your job because of being late to this meeting? OH MY!!! Not Good.

 

[chilling in muscadine]

Oh what a terrible ordeal you had to go through and while you were trying to get ready for work on top of all that. The letter you wrote was long and I beleived covered all the points. I could see were you were going with it, stateing all the issue, not leaving anything out and I'm sure you did this so the woman could fully undertand the importance of how serious the issue was and in hopes she would take the letter serious herself and correct the matter permantely. You were very professonal in the letter and in no way sounded threatning {although you had the right to be}. The ball is in her court now as to what she will do. If the lady has any sence at all your letter has her thinking. {lets hope and pray anyway} I am curious if she will respond to your e-mail about the bite. If she does not then I would tend to think you will have other problems from her dogs. If there happens to be a next time, and I pray there isn't, your attitude and demeanor need to change extremly.

The only thing I could advise you is when you were bit, and the owner can not prove rabbies vacinations that dog should have been placed in quarantine for the 10 days to make sure it didn't have rabbies which is fatal. Good luck with your problem and let me know how it goes.
SARA

 

[jjthink]

BYC folks are just the best. Thank you all for your concern and thoughts. The truth is that my hand seems fine so far - does not seem to be getting infected. So long as the dog is rabies free, I am fine. Hopefully they'll leave me a message today that he/she has had the vaccine.

Particular since rabies does suddenly seem to be making its way through this area again.

The job loss wasn't from being late (it's complicated but for one thing, the organization is having funding problems) but it didn't help that I showed up looking like I had a starring role in a horror movie. I could have done without the intensity of it all from worrying about getting there late and looking a wreck. I gave the dog lady a lot of detail in the note because she seemed not to comprehend the concept of my needing to get somewhere being more important that her desire to talk to me at her convenience. You know the type.

(Re: the property nightmare, been working every possible angle - it is truly one of the most insane situations I have ever witnessed.)

THANK YOU.

JJ

 

[sred98]

Please promise us all that if you do not hear from her by the end of the day, that you will report this dogbite! Like a previous poster said, if a child had gone out to check on the chickens (mine do every morning) it would have been a lot worse.

People shouldn't have potentially dangerous breeds of dogs if they can't control them. You're lucky that it was only a bite on the hand. Rhodies are beautiful dogs, but, like was already mentioned, they were raised to hunt lions. They are solid muscle and are fearless. That is a bad combination in a big unsocialized dog.

Having said that, I also want to say that they are gorgeous dogs and the ones I have been around have been very well-mannered and friendly, so I don't want anyone to think I am breed-bashing!

My point is, if the Jack Russel had attacked you, you might have needed stitches. If the Rhodie had attacked you, you could have died.

Sorry about your job.

Unfortunately, with the economy the way that it is, a lot of us are having to worry about this happening.

Your letter was great. A little nicer than mine would have been! LOL! Actually, a LOT nicer!

Please keep us posted!

Shelly

 

[Harley's girl]

Well said!

I think you got your point across! I sure hope this never happens again!

 

[speckledhen]

Judy, report it. No if's, and's or but's, report that dogbite. It may be necessary if someone else is bitten, the dog can then be confiscated for having a history of aggression. And get the wound looked at, for heavens sake!

 

[jjthink]

Hiya, and thanks. I've e-mailed the health officer (animal control falls in that department). They are not in the office today but at least my report is written now and in their hands. I've asked for them to get in touch asap to confirm they've received it. I will follow up with a call tomorrow when the office is open. I am sure odds are in my favor that the dog is not rabid but would prefer not to expire from this so it makes good sense to be certain.

The hand is otherwise already healing -(surprised that I am healing that quickly living on chocolate!) - it was more like small scrapes from teeth rather than punctures because I went Alpha on him so fast. Instinct is a wonderful thing. Some years back when I heard terrible, utterly agonizing screams outside at 5 a.m. I ran out to find my other neighbor's escaped chow brutally attacking a spotted fawn, blood everywhere. I threw myself on that dog and was Alpha so fast I didn't know what hit me. Held him down, the fawn hobbled off and I yelled for help till someone came and gave me a place to lock the dog up so I could go look for the bloodied fawn while they called animal control. I never found the poor fawn - the blasted chow was biting pieces off the live screaming fawn's back end.

Again, as we read on BYC time and again, irresponsible humans causing unspeakable pain and horror for innocent beings.

JJ