No running down the street....

Everyday after work, I have been running a few blocks in my neighborhood. Well, for the past two days, I have gotten chased by dogs. I even had my 6 year old nephew running with me, and I had to keep the dogs away from him so they wouldn't bite him. Now, they have all been smaller dogs, but that is besides the point. I should be able to run around the block and not have to worry about wether or not I'm going to get bit. No one else seems to care. But, what if Beulah was outside and started chasing someone down the street. BIG DIFFERENCE!!!! Everyone on the block would make a big deal about it. Well, in my opinion, a dog bite is a dog bite!!!! I bet they would put their mean little dogs in the house if I put Beulah on her leash, and took her for a run.....But, then again, it would probably end up being another problem if something happened between the dogs....What should I do?

Take some sort of spray, like a pepper spray. I think you can get them where they are not that strong but they will keep the dogs a t a distance from you. Not maise (spelling?), just regular pepper spray. Beulah would probably like to go though........and that could be a deterant. Brady is so big that little dogs stay at a distace from him even though he just wants to play with ANY dog he sees. or person or child for that matter. He is quite the social butterfly!

So they may not even chase you if they see another dog with you.

Or even just bitter apple.

The real trick would be to find something really noxious so the owners would have to clean them up to be able to stand them.

Are there other people who run in your neighborhood? If there are, maybe you can get together and think of a way to talk to these neighbors about the problem.

You're right about not getting Beulah involved.

Let us know if anything of this works. If it doesn't, we'll put our heads together again!
You do realize I'm resisting the urge to rant 'n' rave about small dogs getting by with being vicious, ill-tempered little Hell-beasts while a large dog that even looks crosseyed at anything - no matter what the provocation - gets slam-dunked as a danger to society.

Well, I almost resisted . . .

I'll see what I can do...No one else really runs. At least not at the same time as I do. I haven't seen anyone else anyway! It's not that it really bothers me, but when I have my nephew with me, and we are running down to the park, and a dog starts chasing him and growling at him, that's the big problem. I can handle those kind of dogs, but he can't. He's only 6. He got really scared yesterday too. Of course I would do anything to keep the dog from biting him, even if it meant I got bit, but we shouldn't have to worry about that. I'll keep you posted.

Of course, you could always try keeping some treats stashed in your pocket and try to win the dogs over - which would be a good lesson for your nephew; much better than learning to make the dogs afraid.

It may seem kind of harsh but I'd call the SPCA (or local equivalent) and have them give the owners a warning. It is dangerous for the dogs to be running loose like that. They could get hurt themselves and also if they bit a kid they could end up being put down. Probably not if they are little dogs. Plus you don't want you or any kid/person getting bit by a dog. I'm not saying that you should try and get the dogs taken away. The last thing we need is more animals in the shelter but if they could issue a warning that might make the owners wake up.

Even when the dog was chasing us and growling at us, I was having to try to lure him out of the road before he got ran over. He just wasn't paying attention to anything else. I would rather get bit on the foot than have to see a dog get ran over. I don't want to see the dogs taken away or hurt, I just wish the people would take better care of them.

The only reason I'd hesitate on Saje's good advice is Beulah. Most people get really, really ticked when they get a warning about their dogs. And most animal control agencies are required by law to release the name of the person who made the complaint. That automatically makes Beulah, the Pit Bull, a target. All it takes is one lie - you can't depend on these things being investigated fairly, just acted on.

Ahh. I didn't realize that she is a pitbull. That's a good point.

I would have thought that they would have to keep the informant's name confidential. That doesn't make sense otherwise. Maybe it varies?

Hmmm.

That is a tough situation.

On one hand, confidentiality might be a good thing for some obvious reasons, but on the other hand, you have to remember that there are all sorts of nuts who will make all sorts of calls and accusations. Anonymity only gives them a place to hide. There really is no good solution as long as people just won't be honest.

Yeah, I still think that it should be confidential. At least from the people who are being complained about. At least the authorities/SPCA can no who he was but the other people involved don't need to know. I can't think of a good reason why they would. It would only encourage people to "take matters into their own hands."

My parents have a very spiteful neighbour who called the SPCA on our very nice meighbour on the other side. When the SPCA came they didn't say who had placed the call but the dismissed it as soon as they saw how well the dog was cared for. We know who called though. He's a horrible, jealous, vindictive person and he is a big trouble maker on the block. He gossips and really hates my parents. I don't even know how it started. I don't think they do either. He's an old man now though. I could tell you some stories!!!!

Anyway, I'm still surprised that they would share that info.

Saje

I know how you feel Ashmore, when it comes to other dogs making your run non enjoyable. All of the dogs around here are freindly to people but now we can't take our dogs with us when we ride our bikes or such because the dogs will come out and get into a fight with our dogs. Everytime we go on a bikeride now, we have to have the dogs pinned up and they cry and dig/bite (I'm talking grasps in mouth and yanks as hard as they can) the fence to their kennel. It is so sad. And it is just because our neighbors can't keep their dogs in a fenced in yard or pinned up when they aren't out there with them.

Our dogs are kinda dog aggresive, but it is really discouraging when we can't even take them on bikerides now, because of our neighborhood dogs. Even when we walk our dogs and our dogs are on leash and behaving quite nicely, if we walk past a house that has a loose dog, their dogs will come out and attack ours.
(Ok, I only know of 2 mean Aussies and 3 mean Aussie Cattle Dogs that will actually come up and attack our dogs, but the other dogs will come out and stand right at the edge of the road barking at our dogs. Some come close and try to fight, but most of them don't.)

It just ticks me off sometimes becuase we can't enjoy walking our dogs or biking with them anymore. All because people don't have their dogs contianed. (Their dogs stay by their house when they aren't fenced in, but when you walk by their house......they explode at you if you have a dog with you.)

We had some people over at the trailer park our reprehensible neighbor put in next to Charley's farm (and as far away from his home as possible!). They leave garbage out in open containers all over the place. There are dogs across the road that are out all night; they come over (seen 'em myself on numerous occasions when I've come in late from a road trip) to the trailer park and raid the garbage. Ours go out in the morning to do their thing, part of which is to do their job, checking the pastures and the perimeter and OF COURSE they smell the garbage and go over and get into it. We had a little problem with the animal control coming over. Having access to the identity of the complainant gave me the opportunity to speak to the proper person. Problem solved.

Also, there is a basic constitutional tenet here that guarantees the right to face your accuser. This is one of those areas that could be considered gray (or grey to our Brit and Canadian compadres), but if such a basic principle is compromised, even at the most elementary, trivial level, well, it's compromised. Not a precedent that should be set, no matter how seemingly innocuous the issue.

I understand that principle, Renee. I think it's a tricky thing. I'm always on the fence about grey issues. I always see both sides. It's my curse.

The BC (my province) SPCA says on it's website that it does protect the confidentiality of people who lodge a complaint.
http://www.spca.bc.ca/cruelty/ReportingCruelty.asp

It probably is different in different regions.

You KNOW I'm not saying you're wrong Renee, just curious about different areas and practises. I totally believe you. I know you know your stuff

You and I both have to see both sides in our work; or more correctly, we see no sides, needing a more panoramic view, and we only get to opine away from our professions.

Not being familiar with the Constitution of Canada, I can't presume to soapbox about not compromising its principles. I really do try to rein myself in before I go off into something I don't know anything about . . . I really do!

Most people here believe the information is confidential, and some staff will try to tell you it is, but if challenged, it's not the kind of information that can in any legally authoritative way be protected by any kind of privacy statutes. It's often difficult to get the information at first try, but there is always a way . . .

And in the reality of a situation like that, most of the time a conclusion is going to be reached by speculating and recriminations begun with no consideration that the conclusion might just be wrong! At the end of the day the only thing that's real is what people actually do.

That reminds me of those movies and tv shows about journalists who won't give up information because they are "protecting their source." They never face any consequences for that. Reality (in Canada) is that the judge can throw you in jail for as long as you hold your tongue. My prof said that there really aren't that many journalists that would go to that extreme.

Just like there's no fifth amendment (or equivalent) in Canada.

Back to the subject. There is always a way to get information, that's for sure! I'd have to look into the Canadian laws more. I'd like to believe that or Charter of Rights and Freedoms or Protection of Privacy act would help but I don't really know for sure.

If there is a leash law, which there is here, people call the police, which they do here. Its a law that needs to be enforced, and the should give them a warning. I personally have never done it, but a friend asked her friend to call for her so she did (after witnessing it herself, or course), and a warning was carried out. Problem solved for her. And her name was not given out.
Just a thought, idunno

I called the police once when a dog was riding (loose) in the back of a pickup on the highway. Really peed me off.

I gave them his plates and everything. I guess they gave him a warning.

Good for you!

I always hope that warnings are enough for people like this...