[pct-l] Pct-L Digest, Vol 37, Issue 16

[greg mushial]

> Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2011 10:11:34 -0800
> From: Tortoise <Tortoise73 at charter.net>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] thru dogs dates?
> To: Kevin Cook <hikelite at gmail.com>
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Message-ID: <4D275756.1060800 at charter.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> I have not had a really bad encounter with a dog, on the trail or
> elsewhere. I've been lucky.
>
> Several times I've had to face down dogs and so far so good. But the
> problem is out of control dogs and their owners not my attitude towards 
> dogs.
>
> The owner is responsible for his/her pet's conduct. Not someone else,
> especially one threatened or attacked by a dog.
>
> Tortoise
>
> <> Because truth matters! <>

As someone that had to give up rock climbing because of being bitten by a 
dog (still too painful to do any jams with the right hand): I find the 
comments about somehow the attacked invited the attack a) disturbing, and b) 
prototypical of dog owners (isn't this the old argument that women invite 
being raped???). In my case I was enjoying a sunny spot, crashed out on my 
ensolite pad beside the trail (PCT just above CastleCrags), was mostly 
asleep to wake to find that my right hand was in the mouth of a Shepard and 
he was madder than h*** at me. Even today I find the situation surreal in 
that I managed to get free of the dog, get stood up and the d*** dog was 
still coming at me...  I started to kick at it, to flail at it with my 
hands, and the lady owner started screaming at me that she was going to sue 
me if I hurt her dog. Eventually the dog went back to her and she 
disappeared down the trail toward I-5 in a hurry... I never got her name or 
anything. When I got back to CC park hq I reported what had happened, but 
no-one had seen a lady with the dog, I reported what had happened to the 
MtShasta City police, but they weren't able to do anything, in that the 
description matched probably half of the "ladies" of the area. A couple days 
later back in redding I talked to Pope, the then sheriff, about what had 
happened. His basic messages was: legally this is no different than if the 
owner of the dog had come after you with an ice axe - assalt with a deadly 
weapon - and deal with it accordingly. A) try to get away from the dog and 
find out who the owner is; give that information to him and he + DA will 
take it from there; plus talk to a lawyer about civil action (especially 
since 20 years of rock climbing came to an end because of this); but b) if 
"A" isn't possible, kill the dog, beat the s*** out of it - if nothing else, 
he'll probably end up hearing about the event - the owner will probably 
report something about being attacked on the trail etc...  but most 
importantly, they will identify themself to him, and after he finds me (or 
likewise I report what happened, but from a very different perspective) and 
he finds out what really happened, then again he can go to the DA and deal 
with the event appropriately. He also warned that if one does go after the 
dog, that one will probably have to deal with owner also - they typically 
don't understand that their dog just hurt someone, but they're typically 
hugely protective of their dogs. But all said and done: one should never 
have to deal with a dog attack, minor or significant on any trail...  and 
once the owner has spent some time in jail and have had a significant civil 
settlement against them, then maybe they'll get a clue...  but on the 
otherhand, some owners to incapable of getting a clue.
TheDuck