On July 28 we received an alarming message from one of our clients at KSR Pet Care office.
"Fin and I were attacked by two of the mastiffs on the street during our walk this afternoon. Fin is being cared for at the Hope Center in Vienna and will come home tonight. I don’t know if he’ll want to walk tomorrow but he’d love to see you. I just left the emergency room with a new tetanus shot and cleaned up cuts and puncture wounds. I’m just going to be bruised and sore."
We have known Finlay for several years and he is a sturdy medium-sized happy dog but the thought of him being attacked by two giant dogs gave us horrors. The following morning we received an update from the client: "Finlay stayed at the Hope Center for the night and I picked him up this morning. He has so many wounds and three drains. He is really out of it today and won’t walk. He’s laying on one of his beds right now and I’m laying next to him. I got him to drink out of the turkey baster like a rabbit. He also had peanut butter and took all his pills. My sister brought over some Pedialyte to give him too."
It took a week for Finlay to get to a certain normal again. His front leg had been mangled. On Aug 3 he needed surgery to have a lot of dead tissue removed. The photos were heartbreaking and our dog walker who visited daily was in tears each time she left. Finlay continued to smile as always, but you could see the tiredness in his eyes. It took 2 months for Finlay to be mostly healed.
If you're unfortunate enough to have this happen to your own dog, there are a few critical things you need to try and keep in mind:
- Do NOT pick up your dog in an effort to
protect him. The attacking dog may
leap at you instead (in a bid to get at your dog) and you may be seriously
injured just for being in the way. If you are hurt, you won't be able to
help your dog.
- Soothe and comfort your dog as best you
can afterwards - but be careful. Dogs
that are fearful or in pain may bite - even if they're normally very
gentle.
- Get the names and phone numbers of any
witnesses - or if your dog is
severely injured and in need of immediate vet care, consider giving them
your address or phone number, and ask that they drop off their names and
numbers there.
- Note any details you can about the dogs, where they live, and their owner. If you heard the owners call them by name, write down the name or leave yourself a voice mail from your cell phone so that you don't forget. Likewise, note the breed, size, color of the dogs and anything you can about the owner (including license plate number and make of vehicle, if available). Snap a photo with your cell phone if it is safe to do so.
- Sometimes the pet owner may be concerned about your dog and will be helpful and cooperative; other times they may try to simply disappear with their dog or will be uncooperative. Do not put yourself in danger; your dog needs you.
- Note the day, the time, and the location. Snap a photo of the location if you can; your
cell phone should record a date/time stamp.
- Get your dog to the vet, even if he
doesn't show any external signs of injury. Better to be safe than sorry.
- File a complaint with the local animal
control officers as soon as you can. Even
if the owners apologize, pay the vet bill, and seem like nice people ...
file a complaint. If the dog has a history of aggressiveness, animal
control can make a decision on what additional steps they may need to
take. For example, they may require the owner to securely fence their yard
or make sure their dog is muzzled when out in public. If yours is the
first complaint then it's on file should anything ever happen again.
- Be aware that some dogs may need
'rehabilitation' after an attack. They
may be afraid of other dogs and might even show signs of fear-aggression.
If you notice this happening with your dog, consult with a dog
behaviorist. He or she can teach you ways to help your dog to become more
comfortable around other dogs again. Dogs also pick up cues from their
people's body language ... if you stay relaxed, your dog will be more
relaxed, too.
Dogs that are known to be aggressive should
never be given the chance to exercise their aggressive tendencies. As an owner you need to understand your own pet (with teeth and all) and manage the safety of your dog as well as the community. It is the owner's
responsibility to keep these pets securely leashed and under control at all
times. In Finlay's ordeal the 2 mastiffs who bit both Finlay also bit Finlay's owner. The dogs escaped their house because the garage gate had been left open by accident. They saw Finlay and both dogs fed of each other's excitement to attack, making the incident even fiercer. If it's your dog that's the aggressive one, work with a behaviorist to
learn ways to safely manage your dog around others.
Hopefully you will never be in a position where
you have to figure out what to do when your dog is attacked by another dog.
Above all, stay calm. Keep yourself safe and get your dog the help he or she
needs. Don't feel guilty about reporting the incident, no matter how apologetic
the owners are or how nice they seem. You're doing your part in helping to keep
everyone safe.
-- Karen S Rosenberg
Owner at KSR Pet Care LLC
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