I'm sad... In ten days a beautiful German Shepherd has to die.

[KA9MOT]

Because the owner is worthless.

Stevie went for a bike ride today and was bitten very badly on the leg by an unleashed German Shepherd. The dogs owner beat the dog. That was his only response. He stood in his yard and watched the dog attack my son, and did not ask him if he was ok, did he need help, can I call your parents? Nothing. Just beat the dog.

When Stevie got home, and explained what had happened, we took him to the ER. They called the cops. The cops already knew about this dog because he has bitten 2 other kids. So, the dog is at the shelter and after 10 days of observation (rabies) they are going to put him down.

My kid gets 3 stitches, and the dog owner gets a citation and the dog has to die. People are more important than animals, and my son is much more important than this losers dog, but this just isn't right. The dog would not have bitten my son (or those other kids) if the owner would have been more responsible. The guy needs his ass kicked.

[NA4BH]

If they keep him for 10 days, they won't have to put him to sleep. If there is a concern about rabies, he should be put to sleep right now and have his head cut off and sent to the State lab to check for rabies. Otherwise 10 days is the required quarantine period, if he showed no signs of the disease during that 10 days he was not shedding the virus at the time of the bite.

ETA:

Rabies shots for humans are nothing like the "OLD" days, you get them in the arm now. I've had them as a prophylaxis treatment.

[KA9MOT]

The Animal Control Officer told me that he'd be quarantined for 10 days (I just assumed rabies) and then he would be destroyed because the law requires 3 time biters to be put down.

[NA4BH]

3 time biters rule must be something local. Good rule though.

[KA9MOT]

I agree, it is a good rule if the animal can't be controlled by responsible actions. I have a problem with this though because all the dude had to do was leash his dog when he took him out to poop and he could have prevented at least this bite. Hell, muzzle him when you take him out even.

[KG4CGC]

This and people who raise dogs to fight because they think it's cool.
Had a guy in this neighborhood and the last neighborhood I lived in raise dogs to be vicious. Guy in old neighborhood got his dog's shit slung on his back door after ha watched his dog shit in my yard while I was cutting the grass. We both saw it. I gave him until sunset to to clean his mess. Worthless POS left it there and the next morning I took my shovel and scooped it up and slung it 30 yards from my yard into his. I aimed for the steps but it slammed his backdoor so hard it splattered and left a stain as he left it there. He raised his dogs to fight as you could see him train his dogs to attack. One day his dog attacked another dog and animal control didn't care how it happened regardless of the fact that I witnessed what happened and the friendly dog was old and even protected the kids from the other dog. I was very adamant about what happened but AC was fucked in the head in my opinion.

Recently, a couple of years ago, a neighbor up the road about 600 yards had 2 dogs that ran around the neighborhood. He literally kept the first dog on a string that he kept breaking off of. When this dog came into my yard I would chase him but unlike most dogs, he wouldn't run and actually tried to challenge me. I literally had to get big like a bear to put enough fear in this dog to run him off. Even after this that same dog would still try to challenge me in the neighborhood. That dog eventually disappeared. I imagine someone had enough or some kids got bitten.

Same owner, different dog, same situation. Owner wouldn't keep the dog restrained and even when i took my walks with my dog, a Siberian who was 80 pounds at the time, this dog would try to attack both of us. i had to keep her away from my dog AND keep her away from me. I used a stick like a wall. The dog would try to lunge towards me and I pointed the stick straight at her nose. I would have rammed it down her throat if she forced me to but as soon as she got close to the stick, all I had to do was keep it pointed at her nose. It was like a wall that she couldn't get around. This dog too became the subject of complaints from the neighbors and was taken away. The owners eventually moved but don't expect any respect from me if you can't keep your asshole dog, that you turned into an asshole in your own yard.

I don't blame the dog. I blame the asshole owner. Most dogs that are not mistreated will not act this way.

[NA4BH]

They should put the owner in jail for the 10 days too. There is no reason to have an animal that can do damage like that and not be trained. These type people give good animals (shepards, pit bulls, dobermans, rottweilers) a bad rep. Raised right these animals can be a great companion and friendly.

[KA9MOT]

Recently we had a 7 year old boy killed by a Pit Bull. The whole area is coming out with new vicious dog laws.

http://wqad.com/2013/03/04/7-year-old-killed-in-galesburg-dog-attack/

[KA9MOT]

They should put the owner in jail for the 10 days too. There is no reason to have an animal that can do damage like that and not be trained. These type people give good animals (shepards, pit bulls, dobermans, rottweilers) a bad rep. Raised right these animals can be a great companion and friendly.

Owner in jail is a wonderful idea!

[NA4BH]

In my youthful years, there was a man (father of my best friend) that was jailed because of his dog barking. Never saw the dog again. This was in the '60's.

Spewing Bullshit:

I'm sure your boy provoked the docile animal into the attack.

[KG4CGC]

And speedy recovery to your son. I hope this doesn't taint his opinion of dogs forever.
You know, animals respond to children differently. Maybe if he started training dogs now, he would develop an innate 6th sense that he can carry into adulthood.

[KA9MOT]

He does well with animals. We had a 109 pound female German Shepherd until 2009 when we had to put her down. She was with us 13 years. He grew up with her....

Here's a couple of pictures:

Picture number 1 was in the Northwoods of Minnesota with Stevie in the fall of 2003. Number 2 is in 2006.

97269727

[NQ6U]

And speedy recovery to your son. I hope this doesn't taint his opinion of dogs forever.
You know, animals respond to children differently. Maybe if he started training dogs now, he would develop an innate 6th sense that he can carry into adulthood.

I know from personal experience that childhood dog attack trauma can be a real problem, and it's big enough of one that a friend of mine who's a retired psychologist is doing some research work on the subject. I told him about mine; I still feel kind of uncomfortable around any strange dog although it's not an insurmountable fear. I'm able to get over it once I get to know the critter well enough. Depending on the dog, that can take anywhere from a few seconds to never.

[w2amr]

He does well with animals. We had a 109 pound female German Shepherd until 2009 when we had to put her down. She was with us 13 years. He grew up with her....

Here's a couple of pictures:

Picture number 1 was in the Northwoods of Minnesota with Stevie in the fall of 2003. Number 2 is in 2006.

97269727
Over the years we have had 4 Shepherds. 3 Males that we raised from puppies, and a female rescue. Wonderful dogs.

[NY4Q]

I've had two German Shepherds as companions. Major & Duke. Great dogs.

This jackass owner also needs to be banned from "owning" another dog. He'll probably replace it with a pit bull.

I carry bear spray anytime I ride on the roads here.

[N8YX]

I don't blame the dog. I blame the asshole owner. Most dogs that are not mistreated will not act this way.

Dog ought to be rehabilitated and the owner put down.

Study in contrasts: Yesterday a bike-club acquaintance and I went riding on the towpath, into the inner city. We saw the usual cast of suspects, replete with large-breed dogs.

Not one of the dogs bothered to do more than look at us and wag their tails, and the owners kept the animals well under control. You could see that most of them have spent a decent amount of time with their dogs, and all of them seemed well adjusted.

We reversed course and headed into suburbia. Let's just say there's a reason I carry bear spray (or better) on those trails and it has squat to do with large, wild predators that are making a comeback into the area.

A 100+ lb aggressive dog is a deadly weapon and an irresponsible owner ought to be charged with the use of such if he or she cannot control their animals.

[N8YX]

Over the years we have had 4 Shepherds. 3 Males that we raised from puppies, and a female rescue. Wonderful dogs.

My favorite large breed. One "adopted" me when I was 5, and two dogs in the house was one too many so I couldn't keep it. Been thinking seriously about a King Shepherd or larger hunter/worker breed - if we ever get the space and time for one. It's not fair to the animal to leave it isolated when you're away at work.

[PA5COR]

Hoping your son heals quickly.
Let's be brutal honest, there are a lot of good people out there caring for their pets, but also lots of a**holes not deserving to hold pets...
They should have a lifetime ban on holding any animals...

[KB3LAZ]

My favorite large breed. One "adopted" me when I was 5, and two dogs in the house was one too many so I couldn't keep it. Been thinking seriously about a King Shepherd or larger hunter/worker breed - if we ever get the space and time for one. It's not fair to the animal to leave it isolated when you're away at work.

No, it´s not fair and that is why we dont have a pet at the moment. As my wife and I both work the same shift.

[WX7P]

Steve, make sure you file a claim against the asshole owner. If he owns the house, he probably has homeowners insurance that will at least cover your out of pocket medical expenses.

Sarah's sister had a dog years ago that bit a neighbor kid. The parents pushed the issue and when the kid turned 18 he nice little settlement check paid for by Sarah's sister's insurance company.

[KA9MOT]

Steve, make sure you file a claim against the asshole owner. If he owns the house, he probably has homeowners insurance that will at least cover your out of pocket medical expenses.

Sarah's sister had a dog years ago that bit a neighbor kid. The parents pushed the issue and when the kid turned 18 he nice little settlement check paid for by Sarah's sister's insurance company.

That is what the cop told us yesterday when she came back to take pictures and tell us about the dogs history and what transpired over at the dog's owners house. He was very unhappy they took his dog.

Stevie said there was 2 of them. One ran out and bit him, and the other came over to make sure he was OK. His exact words. The other dog had more concern than the owner did.

[AE1PT]

Second on what Janet said, Steve. After paying out, some insurance companies will prohibit an owner from keeping dogs or cancel a policy. At minimum, keeping dogs will become infinitely more expensive as underwriters at other companies discovers the history. Hopefully your boy has not become stigmatized by this and becomes leery of large dogs. This can be a recipe for attacks in the future, as aggressive dogs note fear in those they confront.

I managed to live without firearms for over a score of years--until I moved to McCreary County, Kentucky, in 2004. Less than a couple days into the process of moving in, I was confronted by a small pack of four strays--two of which determined to attack and ran me in the house. Twice in one day. That evening I bought a Ruger 10/22 carbine. When the episode repeated itself a day later the problem was solved.

There was a rampant problem with packs of strays and feral populations. Animal control was one drunk who often just shot them on site or back at his house--and no shelter of any sort in the county. People were getting attacked on a regular basis, and other pets such as cats went outside at the risk of their lives. That rifle had work again over dogs trying to attack our rabbits, and the last time a situation involving my grandson who was two at the time.

The problem is not the dogs. It is people who cannot care for themselves properly--no less a animal. I detest having to impose law on the ordinary citizen, but animal control ordinances are the most effective way of dealing with issues. All the while spay/neuter campaigns struggle to educate owners--and puppy mills and careless owners spew out hundreds of thousands more dogs--many destined to become problems.

Public floggings once deterred an awful lot of unwanted behavior...

[K7SGJ]

I hope your son has a speedy recovery with no last effect, physical or physiological. I've had dogs all my life, and all of them were trained early on to be non aggressive, but when in public, they were always on leash, with the exception of a dog beach or dog park where it is allowed. We never had a problem, but I'll tell you this, if one of our dogs ever showed any signs of aggression when out of our fenced property, animal control would not be tasked with putting the animal down as I would do it myself right then and there.

I agree that irresponsible owners should be the ones sanctioned, and not the animals. With time and training, there are very, very few dogs that cannot be trained to be social. But many owners just have to have a dog, but won't spend any time working with them. (But then, many have to have kids, and won't spend any time raising them, either.) Even junk yard dogs can be great pets when not on the job.

[n2ize]

This thread reminds me of an incident that happened back when I was in high school. This guy in the area haad three German Shepphers which he trained to be violent and attack. He even named one of the dogs "kill" or "killer". On several occasions one or more of his dogs got loose and threatened and/or attacked people. One day alll three got loose and they attacked a young couple from the high school who was walking home. The girl was bitten several times on her arms and legs and required immediate hospitalization. The guy she was walking with tried to protect her by fending off the dogs with a stick he picked up but was jumped by one of the dogs and knocked to the ground and was bitten several times and also required immediate hospitalization. The cops showed up and confiscated the dogs and they were eventually destroyed. Three otherwise healthy dogs had to die because of a demented owner who had to abuse them and teach them to act as attackers. Legal action and civil action was also taken against the asshole of an owner. Too bad they didn't destroy the owner rather than the dogs.

[N2NH]

I don't blame the dog. I blame the asshole owner. Most dogs that are not mistreated will not act this way.

^^^BINGO.


They should put the owner in jail for the 10 days too. There is no reason to have an animal that can do damage like that and not be trained. These type people give good animals (shepards, pit bulls, dobermans, rottweilers) a bad rep. Raised right these animals can be a great companion and friendly.

10 Days for the first offense. 3 Months for the second. 1 Year and 1 Day (or more) for the third. No future dog ownership mandated.

[n6hcm]

Sadly, the three bites rule has become more popular ... what I don't get is why it takes three bites for this to be noteworthy. Anything after a first bite should have the pet's caretaker put on notice.

[W3WN]

Another example of Zero Tolerance laws or rules.

Three bites & the animal is destroyed. Period. No exceptions. Yeah, right.

First off, what (if anything) is being done with the dog's owner? Was he cited? Is anyone (local Humane Society) dealing with him?

Second... I'd suggest having a talk with the local Human Society or equivalent, and see if anything can be done. It is possible that a hearing can be scheduled before the dog is ordered destroyed, and a judge MIGHT be willing to consider alternatives... if the dog can be retrained or rehabilitated.

There was a recent case (last year) where a dog was responsible for the death of a newborn. But there were extenuating circumstances (the dog was new in the home, was in pain from a broken leg that had been badly treated -- and not by a vet, the newborn was placed on the floor, crying, and ignored... all in all, an accident waiting to happen, and it did). There's a lot more to the story, and I'm not going into all of it right now for the sake of brevity... Rgardless, the results of the hearing is that the dog has been relocated and is being given a second chance -- elsewhere.

So it's possible. And least in some jurisdictions.

[n6hcm]

we had one of those here not too long ago ... and, amazingly enough, the right thing happened: the dog was scheduled to be destroyed after N bites, and animal control (and the city) came to an agreement with the dog's owner where he'd sign the dog over to the city and the city would keep and retrain the dog, and when that was done a new home would be found for the dog. the (now former) dog owner got to pay for the dog's vet bills, retraining, and boarding during this time. the former dog owner is out about $11k.

question is: why can't this happen all the time?

[WX7P]

we had one of those here not too long ago ... and, amazingly enough, the right thing happened: the dog was scheduled to be destroyed after N bites, and animal control (and the city) came to an agreement with the dog's owner where he'd sign the dog over to the city and the city would keep and retrain the dog, and when that was done a new home would be found for the dog. the (now former) dog owner got to pay for the dog's vet bills, retraining, and boarding during this time. the former dog owner is out about $11k.

question is: why can't this happen all the time?

I don't think that would have worked on the Presa Canarios that killed Diane Whipple in 2001 in SF. Those dogs were being babysat by two dirtbag lawyers for a Pelican Bay inmate. The dogs were specifically trained to be attack dogs. The lawyers were originally sentenced for involuntary manslaughter. The wife lawyer got upgraded to second degree murder because she didn't do anything to stop the attack. She's now serving 15 to life.

[N2CHX]

I hope your son is OK, Steve. This is one reason I will not have dogs. We had dogs, cats, birds and other critters when I was growing up. I love dogs, but a couple of scary incidents have left me wary of them. When my son was about 2, we had a red-nose pit bull that a co-worker gave me. She was a nice dog, but one day my son apparently annoyed her and she jumped on him, put both paws on his chest and growled and barked viciously right in his face. I am just thankful that's all she did. I can still picture the whole thing in my head and it scares the shit out of me.

About that same time, within probably a year, I was riding my bike a lot and there was this damn fool dog on the only road I could take from home to the office. Every day that thing would chase me and try to bite me. One day it caught up with me, grabbed my ankle in its teeth and pulled me down. I had to punch the damn thing's lights out to get it to let go. I broke its jaw. I still have scars from that. On my hands... My leg was protected by boots and jeans.

Ever since then I am pretty wary of dogs. Not to say I don't like them, but I am very wary of them. My daughter didn't help much when she insisted on having one when she lived with us last year. We relented, and she brought this fool dog home from the SPCA that she knew damn well didn't get along with cats but she convinced them that she could train her. Worst month of my life. That stupid thing chased my cats every chance she got. If she was left outside she would bark and howl until the neighbors called the cops, not to mention it drove me nuts. If she was inside she either had to be held onto 24/7 or crated, or she would tear something up or try to eat a cat. She tore a hole through my coat room door, she chewed the shit out of my animal carrier, she terrorized my cats and was just generally the biggest goddamn nuisance that I have ever dealt with. Definitely did not help my aversion to dogs.

Now, Corey has a couple of cute dogs. His little old poodley-lookin' thing is pretty docile. The other one is cute too. My parents have dogs and they are cute, but again, they fuckin' disrupt everything with their incessant barking and carrying on all the time. Cute but annoying. It's hard to have a conversation at my parents house.

[N8YX]

I don't think that would have worked on the Presa Canarios that killed Diane Whipple in 2001 in SF. Those dogs were being babysat by two dirtbag lawyers for a Pelican Bay inmate. The dogs were specifically trained to be attack dogs.
Presas, Rhodesians, Rottweilers, Shepherds and the entire terrier family (from Jack Russells through pit bulls and bigger) are working dogs. All terriers were bred to hunt - they're happiest when doing so.

Give me a Ridgeback/pit cross puppy, a pack of bay hounds and similar hunting dogs, some open land and enough time per week to utilize the cross to its full potential and I'll end you up with an enthusiastic companion that is well adjusted socially, happy and possessed of an even temperament.

Likewise, a Presa and a border collie team to protect my flocks and fields from wolves, 'yotes and feral dogs. Enough encouragement and interaction with the master and you have protector but not an aggressor.

Confine and isolate any of the above (including the border collie) and no attack dog training is necessary: They'll become neurotic and antisocial by themselves, totally distrusting of almost everything in their environment.

If people don't understand these basic facts about large, powerful or highly energetic members of the working breeds they should not keep them - period.

[N2NH]

I grew up with dogs and from the time I was 4 until 2002, I nearly always had one.

Never had an incident with any of them, they were like family. The last three were intelligent enough to understand 90% of what I said. The only time one nearly bit someone was when the landlord didn't wait until I put her in the bedroom. He was a portly man who followed me through the door without thinking. He got chased out of my apartment ten times as fast before I could tackle her. She managed to get a piece of the seat of his pants first though.

The whole floor was laughing.

[KA9MOT]

I hope your son is OK, Steve. This is one reason I will not have dogs. We had dogs, cats, birds and other critters when I was growing up. I love dogs, but a couple of scary incidents have left me wary of them. When my son was about 2, we had a red-nose pit bull that a co-worker gave me. She was a nice dog, but one day my son apparently annoyed her and she jumped on him, put both paws on his chest and growled and barked viciously right in his face. I am just thankful that's all she did. I can still picture the whole thing in my head and it scares the shit out of me.

About that same time, within probably a year, I was riding my bike a lot and there was this damn fool dog on the only road I could take from home to the office. Every day that thing would chase me and try to bite me. One day it caught up with me, grabbed my ankle in its teeth and pulled me down. I had to punch the damn thing's lights out to get it to let go. I broke its jaw. I still have scars from that. On my hands... My leg was protected by boots and jeans.

Ever since then I am pretty wary of dogs. Not to say I don't like them, but I am very wary of them. My daughter didn't help much when she insisted on having one when she lived with us last year. We relented, and she brought this fool dog home from the SPCA that she knew damn well didn't get along with cats but she convinced them that she could train her. Worst month of my life. That stupid thing chased my cats every chance she got. If she was left outside she would bark and howl until the neighbors called the cops, not to mention it drove me nuts. If she was inside she either had to be held onto 24/7 or crated, or she would tear something up or try to eat a cat. She tore a hole through my coat room door, she chewed the shit out of my animal carrier, she terrorized my cats and was just generally the biggest goddamn nuisance that I have ever dealt with. Definitely did not help my aversion to dogs.

Now, Corey has a couple of cute dogs. His little old poodley-lookin' thing is pretty docile. The other one is cute too. My parents have dogs and they are cute, but again, they fuckin' disrupt everything with their incessant barking and carrying on all the time. Cute but annoying. It's hard to have a conversation at my parents house.

He is healing well. No infection and one of his stitches has come out. None of my family are afraid of dogs. Stevie wont be either. There is no reason to be afraid of dogs, the owners are a different story. If you have a dog that is aggressive the responsibility to control your animal ramps up. If an animal owner is unable to control his/her animal then a new owner who is capable should be found.

[wa6mhz]

Good thing there isn't a 3 Bite Cat law! I get bitten well over 3 times A DAY by Phoebe! And she bites my wife as well. Doesn't hurt too much, and the puncture wounds heal in a few days.

[WØTKX]

As a previous owner (RIP) of an Akita rescue, and with experience with rescue wolves and hybrids... you have to have the right circumstances for certain canids. There is some relevance to the breed issues, as working dogs need a job, and are very pack oriented. Many pet owners don't get that, and problems occur. Some dogs are like some people... prone to violent behavior. And it's not just nature... It's often nurture.

Boots is the current dog of the house. A very sweet but squirrely lab-pit mix. She needs certain special attention. But she's a good pooch.

[KA9MOT]

Recently we had a 7 year old boy killed by a Pit Bull. The whole area is coming out with new vicious dog laws.

http://wqad.com/2013/03/04/7-year-old-killed-in-galesburg-dog-attack/

News on this. No charges will be brought in this death. They say the dog doesn't have a history, but it does. This dog lived next door to my dad in Monmouth, IL and was moved to Galesburg when his owner was arrested for Murder. It was always getting loose and was very aggressive. He'd chase dad in the house, dad would call the cops and the damned thing would run back to it's kennel when they got there. They wrote several citations for the dog being out.

And as an addition to the story. Ryan was the Great Grandson of a couple of local hams (and friends of mine) KA9EEN and KA9EEM. Both wonderful people.......What a waste.

http://wqad.com/2013/06/11/no-charges-in-deadly-dog-attack/

[suddenseer]

I grew up with dogs and from the time I was 4 until 2002, I nearly always had one.

Never had an incident with any of them, they were like family. The last three were intelligent enough to understand 90% of what I said. The only time one nearly bit someone was when the landlord didn't wait until I put her in the bedroom. He was a portly man who followed me through the door without thinking. He got chased out of my apartment ten times as fast before I could tackle her. She managed to get a piece of the seat of his pants first though.

The whole floor was laughing.I would have liked to have seen that.:rofl:

[suddenseer]

News on this. No charges will be brought in this death. They say the dog doesn't have a history, but it does. This dog lived next door to my dad in Monmouth, IL and was moved to Galesburg when his owner was arrested for Murder. It was always getting loose and was very aggressive. He'd chase dad in the house, dad would call the cops and the damned thing would run back to it's kennel when they got there. They wrote several citations for the dog being out.

And as an addition to the story. Ryan was the Great Grandson of a couple of local hams (and friends of mine) KA9EEN and KA9EEM. Both wonderful people.......What a waste.

http://wqad.com/2013/06/11/no-charges-in-deadly-dog-attack/Back when I was a runner, I knew every dog in the neighborhood. There was a very inconsiderate woman who allowed her dog to roam free. Of course, the mixed breed animal thought it was chasing me. One morning, I felt a sharp pain on my left calf muscle, the f@sker bit me. I limped home, and called the sheriff's dept. They took the report, ordered the owners to keep the animal in confinement for 10 days. The dog was running loose the next day. I had to get antibiotics because the bite wound became infected. I started carrying a squirt gun filled with ammonia, and water solution. I got my revenge on the animal 3 weeks later, right in the eyes. The owner came out and yelled at me. We exchanged pleasantries which included me telling her that I did not think she loved her dog very much to allow it to run loose. I should have sued the stoopid bitch :irked:. (not the cur). After a couple of ammonia eye washes, the dog learned to leave me alone. :evil:

[WØTKX]

I used the ammonia squirt gun trick when I was a paperboy. It worked. Boots runs free in this neighborhood. As do about a dozen other dogs.

I don't agree fully, but the YL let it happen before I met her, and Boots is very popular with the all the neighbors including the other pooches. My cat Milhous roams free too. Freedom is important to all of us critters, even the two legged naked brainy ones.

[N8YX]

I used the ammonia squirt gun trick when I was a paperboy. It worked. Boots runs free in this neighborhood. As do about a dozen other dogs.

I don't agree fully, but the YL let it happen before I met her, and Boots is very popular with the all the neighbors including the other pooches. My cat Milhous roams free too. Freedom is important to all of us critters, even the two legged naked brainy ones.
The problem with free-roaming canines is that they revert to their true nature. That is, to form ordered groups and hunt. Wildlife and livestock are two of their favorite targets but given the opportunity a large enough collection will try to take a lone human. Permitting or encouraging them to form autonomous packs is a bad idea.

In the early and mid 80s, areas to my south had a big problem with wild dogs. I didn't make the connection at the time but looking back, they tended to pack all along the byways which would later become the Towpath Trail. The reason for this is the large number of deer and other game animals which congregate near fresh water...and there is plenty of it nearby in the form of several creeks, rivers and the Ohio Canal.

The brother of a woman I was dating at the time had some land about 3 miles south of me. A local-to-him pack tried to snatch one of his preschool-age children from their yard...at which time the ROE became shoot-on-sight. Many area farmers and other residents had to adopt similar tactics. It got so bad in the Clinton/Canal Fulton area that walkers, joggers and hikers who used rural, woodland trails had to travel in groups for protection.

Nature has a way of fixing things, however. When coyotes returned to Ohio, the first thing they did was to clean out and eat the competition. I see 'yotes, the occasional bobcat and know where a puma or two has been marking the trail...but wild dogs are nowhere to be found.

Our community, park and trail rules are pretty simple: All dogs regardless of breed must be kept confined on the owner's property or on a leash when in public and under control at all times. For those clueless Towpath dog walkers or homeless, aggressive dogs there's always a jumbo economy size can of bear spray (among other things) at the ready.

It's a shame that an animal has to pay the price for a human's stupidity but a few of them simply cannot be fixed.