Took Grayson for a walk on our rest day this past week. We had made it just about 3/4 of a mile from our little house on the hill when a neighbor's beagle started barking at us. No bid deal because if he is outside he will bark at us. I noticed he wasn't tied up, but he is also pretty harmless. The dog owner yelled hello for her doorway and we kept walking. We got about ten more feet when her other dog came from out of nowhere and started to attack Scout. Now Scout is leashed and the leash was attached to the jogging stroller. My dog when leashed feels very threatened when another dog comes running at her and she feels she has no escape. She started running around my legs and the stroller trying to unsuccessfully get away. The owner came running out trying to get control of her dog. Meanwhile someone comes driving by in an older Lincoln town car and he is beeping at me because he can't get around the scene unfolding in the middle of our dirt road. Hello, he could clearly see that we were under attack! I was yelling, the dogs were snarling and growling, and the other dog owner was running. He should have been able to see that I was in no position to move to the side of the road so he could be on his way. I was trying to make sure the stroller didn't get tipped over in the mayhem of two dogs fighting at my feet. Finally the neighbor was able to get her unrestrained dog under control. She was profusely apologizing saying this will not happen again and how her grandson must have left the dog out.
I waited for John to get home on Wednesday evening before we went for our run. My allergies had been kicking my butt all day and I was feeling quite sluggish. But off we went for a three mile run around the Parade. It's an out and back for us that is almost all downhill on the way out and uphill on the way back home. So feeling not up to par we were walking back up one of the hills when I hear the same beagle from the day before barking and baying at us, but it was coming from the other side of the road. And it was followed by the corgi who had attacked Scout the day before and he was hellbent on doing it again. John grabbed Scout's leash from me and I took Grayson's stroller. John was able to run the dog off rather quickly, but he was able to witness firsthand what had happened to us the day before.
And if that wasn't enough. The story has a backstory because back this winter during my initial recovery Grayson, Scout and I would get out on nicer days to get some fresh air and some much needed exercise. We had been attacked by these two dogs in addition by dogs at two other houses. I was royally pissed and decided to report these unrestrained beasts to our animal control officer. I mean here I am walking on slippery roads carrying a newborn and walking my dog. The ACO talked to each dog owner (one happens to be a selectman) and assured me they would keep their animals restrained. It happens to be a state law that your dog can't run free.
Fast forward a month and the selectman's dogs are running loose and are back on the attack. And to say I am done is a bit of an understatement. I figure she gets one more chance and I don't really know why I am being nice about it before I call the police again. I mean she is putting me, my dog and the baby at risk of being injured by her obnoxious animals.
It's frustrating to say the least...simple solution is just don't be lazy and put your animals on their runs. Follow the laws! It's not a question of being above the law, just being too dumb to follow it. And the joys of living in a small town continue.
No comments:
Post a Comment