This is Cupid. She is just over three years old. She is a half Beagle, half Dachshund mix. She has a memory like a steel trap, the biggest personality (in a very small size) and an amazing hound dog howl. She is fiercely loyal, and cannot bear to spend a night without cuddling with one of us.
She was also almost brutally killed last Thursday.
Like every other day, I leashed up Cupid with her red leash and harness. At the sight of her matching set, she howled up in the air as if to announce the exciting beginning of the fox hunt, and after jumping into her harness, she led me out the door and down the road.
Our walk was relaxing and proceeded without incident, until we approached a house at the end of the road. A large dog leaped out of the front door almost without warning. Just a second later, a young woman exited the same door. I called to her, asking her to call off her dog. Unfortunately, she replied with the same line I have heard far too many times: "He's fine!" I started to walk the other way to avoid the dog and respect what he perceived to be his territory. Still, the young woman did nothing. What was to ensue was simply horrifying.
The dog jumped Cupid, picking her up into the air in one swift movement. He pierced her ear and the side of her neck with his fangs and violently shook her from side-to-side, attempting to break her neck under the weight of her own body. The entire attack was so fast it was almost a blur. I kicked the attacking dog once in the ribs - entirely ineffective as he was already moving in the same direction as my foot. I screamed at him to break his concentration, which also failed. Luckily, almost soon as the attack started, the same young woman came from behind the dog and pulled him away as my dog was thrown into the dirt, looking into my eyes while howling and screaming in agonizing pain. I fear that if the attack lasted a half second (or one thrash) longer, little Cupid's neck would have snapped. To be completely honest, I am still astonished I did not spend Thursday night burying her.
. . .
Unfortunately, this is far from an isolated incident. In fact, the only thing that makes it unique is the violent extremes to which another dog went in its attack. You see, almost every single time I walk my dog, we are both confronted by other dogs whose owners have refused to keep them on a leash, despite being in public areas which demand the leashing of dogs at all times. Every single time, I hear the same refrain from the owner: "He's fine!" At least half of those times, he is very much not fine.
It has become an absurdity how often I am left to fend for myself as I break up dog fights initiated by an animal owned by a complete stranger. What is just as absurd is how often other dog owners become angry with me over my frustration with them and their out-of-control dog. I was even once told, "Geez, he's a nice dog!" Niceness is not something I think about when a pair of fangs is just inches from my femoral artery.
Regardless of where you stand on the ridiculous should-you-leash-your-dog debate, the simple fact remains that anyone, whether with a dog or by his or herself, has the right to walk in a public place without being assaulted. Period. If a human were to jump you on a sidewalk or trail, you would promptly find an officer of the law and have that individual arrested. Still, many dog owners do not see the parallel, and they allow their dogs to run ahead and jump other people or their dogs. I am very much a dog person, but it is never my responsibility to control your dog. It is yours.
This attack is also unique in that for me, it is the absolute last straw. It was bad enough having to be worried about being jumped by out-of-control dogs, but now my own dog was almost killed, and the long-term extent of her spinal injuries have yet to be determined. I used to half-joke that I would stop worrying and the next time we are assaulted, I would just sue the owner whose dog drew first blood - especially if the blood were my own. I now have a different approach. Now I walk with a heavy, sturdy walking stick - and not just because the uneven terrain of the hills and woods is my favorite place to walk.
Of course, I would rather not ever have to resort to self-defense. I would rather that other people simply follow the law and local municipal ordinances.
. . .
If you have a dog, or have friends who do, please see to it that they are leashed. Everyone's dog is a good dog who would never be violent - that is never to its own family. And lest you think I am whining about nothing or that I am being melodramatic in my plea here, scroll back up and look at Cupid. Now imagine a large dog who was "fine" and who was "friendly" - and who was trying to tear off one of those ears and snap her neck in mid-air.
That was my Thursday afternoon walk.
