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by etc
Tue Dec 02, 2008 6:49 am
Forum: General Texas CHL Discussion
Topic: Dog Attack
Replies: 16
Views: 1993

Dog Attack

Looking for some thoughts and advice for next time.

On Sunday I was headed with the family to the grocery store, wife in passenger seat, two kids (1yr old and 2yr old) in carseats in back. On the way out of our neighborhood we saw two men walking their dogs and what looked like an unleashed dog snapping at the other dogs and possible the man. Once we realized what was going on the agressor dog was walking away. We turned around to see if they were okay and when we pulled up near them the agressor dog was bag with two other unleashed dogs, barking up a storm in the middle of the street. Not sure what kind they were, they were a bit smaller than pit bulls but fatter bodys than pits I have seen before, similar face but smaller neck. I gave my wife the cell and told her to call the police. I got drew my gun tucked it under my jacket in my hand so as not to alarm anyone, exited the car (quiet residential street, lots of houses) and asked the man if he was ok. He explained they were walking their dogs and these came and attacked the dogs and asked if they were mine. They were not and I told him so. One of the unleashed dogs then attacked the man's leg, while another dog was barking furiously at the other man's dogs and the third was barking at me. I started to move closer to the dog who was attacking the man's leg and kept eye contact with the one barking at me. The man was kicking the dog with his other leg trying to get it off and holding his dogs back as best he could. He managed to get the dog off his leg before I closed the distance completely and then a lady came out of her house from across the street, yelling at the dogs, who stopped what they were doing and ran to her and then back in the house she came from. She came to talk with the man and apologize, etc... She said the dogs were not hers that the owner would be home soon and she would have him get with the other men. I gave the man who was attacked my contact info and asked if he was ok. He thought so, but when he rolled up his pant leg he had puncture wounds from the dog bite. Wife got off the phone with police when lady called dogs off.

Sorry for the long intro, now to the question:
What was the right thing to do? When would it have been appropriate to shoot?

In retrospect I think we should have still asked the police to come out even though the dog stopped. I was tempted to shoot all three dogs as they were unleashed without collars and acting agressively but was worried because I was in a residential neighborhood. I tried to get closer to the dog biting the man because I did not want to shoot from more than 20 feet away at a moving animal near other animals and people. I kept thinking, get closer, don't run, watch the dog near you, if that guy hits the ground open fire from where you are.

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