both of us are fine, thank heaven. But I suddenly have this terrible understanding of how awfully powerless I am in such a circumstance.
My Golden Retriever, Maggie, and I were having our afternoon walk. There was about a dozen kids across the street with what turned out to be a pit bull. I had a feeling I shouldn’t continue walking in their direction, but I dismissed it as paranoia.
Well, next thing I knew the dog was flying across the street and was on Maggie. I was FREAKED… I was screaming so hysterically that I hurt my throat and I was kicking the dog as hard as I could, trying to stomp its vicious little head into the ground, and having exactly no effect. (the first time in my life I can recall feeling that I wish I’d had a gun, I would have happily used it). I was also, stupidly, trying to drag Maggie back by her leash, which I afterwards realized just hindered her ability to defend herself.
The kids pulled their dog off, but it got away and attacked again, then they finally got it off for good.
We are both fine, except that my throat was badly trashed (I can’t recall every screaming that intensely before) and my stomach feels like someone kicked me very, very hard. It’s finally easing up, three hours later. Anyone have any idea what the hell I did?? Was it just the tension of fear? I swear, it felt like I got slugged.
So…all this to say: what the FUCK would I have done if the kids hadn’t been there? I don’t know. I did have pepper spray but I didn’t have time to reach for it. I also heard recently that that can just piss the dog off and make them more vicious. I was freaking out, I was not thinking straight, I was scared to death. Partly for me, but mostly for Maggie. I love my dog as though she were my child, and if that dog had hurt her…
My sister, who is something of a dog expert, says that if the pit bull had gotten a jawlock on Maggie the only way I could have unlocked the jaw would be to somehow render the dog unconscious or dead. Which means, I guess, that if I want to feel safe in the furture I will have to carry a baseball bat or at least a brick or a 2x4.
Scared the shit outta me… damn.