Depends on the dog and how I felt about it, both in terms of sympathy, hazard level to others, and confidence in various ways of dealing with it.

In practice in cases somewhat like these, what I’ve done is try to get the dog’s attention onto myself by voice and body language, and moving so as to be able to grab it or hit it or something. I’ve never had the situation last very long. Often the dogs were at it before I could react effectively, and finished and retreating before I could do much.

If I thought someone were in serious danger, even a pet, I’d attack the dog with whatever was available, unless I thought the dog was also extremely dangerous to me.

Well I don’t have a gun but if I did and a dog attacked one of my grandkids I’d go buy one and shoot the fuck out of that dog!
But to stay within the parameters I’d take who ever to the hospital.
Then I’d file a complaint with the city.
Then I’d buy a gun and shoot the fuck out of that dog and maybe shoot the owner in the leg.

If I can catch it, it goes into my fenced back yard and I call Animal Control. And I take pictures of the wound so I can sue the crap out of the owner of the dog.

If it tries to bite me a second time I break its neck.

We had 2 dogs who actually did attack us on our deck. Dakota flat kicked their asses! They ran away screaming.

I would purchase steel toed boots and defend myself the next time.

I’d try to secure the dog, so animal control can pick it up.
I doubt I’d pursue any lawsuit. The dog might sue me for mauling it.

I’d shoot it.

You can’t discharge a firearm in city limits, at least you can’t in Canada.
A pellet,or BB gun is a different thing but a real firearm would get you in a lot of trouble.

Given the circumstances described, and this state being what it is, it’s legal.

Most states I know of, it is mandatory to put a dog down if it bites someone.
I would go to the ER, report it to the police, and file suit for damages.

You actually can discharge a firearm in city limits in your state @kritiper ??

Patty I can understand a dog biting someone on it’s property, but it’s not allowed to bite on my property.

@Patty_Melt…not necessarily. It depends on the severity and if it’s happened before.
My son’s dog (who loves me) bit a lady who was walking through their yard. They held him for 10 days then returned him. :(

You don’t understand the word most does not mean all, do you?

It sounds like the dog is gone and you don’t know the owner so there’s not much to do, is thete? Am I missing something ?

@SQUEEKY2 In the defense of your person on your property, yes. It has been done by one other person, at least, and no charges were filed except to the owner of the dog for allowing a dangerous animal to roam free.

It was just an experience that gave him an idea for the question @janbb.

@Dutchess_lll That happened to me, also, an intruder on my property. I warned her to stay away from the dog who was chained to the porch, but she said “dogs love me”. She walked right past me and held her hand out for the dog to smell and got bit really hard. A report was filed and the dog was guaranteed for two weeks.

If it was just a simple bite, I would make sure it had rabies shots. I once called animal control when some dogs got in our neighbors yard and bit their dog.

She was an idiot.
I’ve always been leery of my son’s dog, Blue. He’s part blue wheeler. Just a very muscular and energetic dog. Who loves me.

Kind of like Cato. ;(

* heeler *

If I had a gun I would shoot it. I haven’t had such an experience.

Are firearm laws so lax in the states that you could legally discharge one within city limits?
Up here even under extreme duress it would take me ten full minutes to get a firearm out unlock the ammo and load it, better to just grab the baseball bat and start swinging.

We have never seen this dog before, and haven’t seen it since, I would have no problem putting a pellet in it’s butt.

The laws are as varied as political opinions. Each person is responsible for knowing the law that affects them.

I mean, first things first, I’d get checked out with a doc.

Find or identify the dog. More likely than not, Mrs. Squeeky was neither the first nor last person to be bitten by the dog. Report the incident , and go through reports of similar incidents. If the dog is a serial biter, you may well be the key to focusing police attention toward the proper vigilance.

Depends, usually I try to give treats so I can get the collar or microchip checkef for reuniting. Most loose dogs are scared and stressed.

If it wasnt calming down, call cops to come get it.

She should take pepper spray outside with her.

Even if the dog was not found and I didn’t know who owned it, I would report it to the police so if it happened in the future, there’d be a report on file.

I’d really try not to allow the dog to get too close to me, all depends on the dogs behavior, size and appearance. But if that were to happen, I’d try to contain it in some way, till animal control shows up.

Mrs Squeeky wasn’t bitten but this dog chased her back into the house.
still haven’t seen the dog since or where it went,but it could have been more serious it could have bitten her,or what if it attacked a kid in the area.

We think it may have come with someone visiting in the area.
Because we have never seen this animal before, and the people in the area that have dogs are pretty good about them being on a leash or kept in fenced back yards.

@SQUEEKY2 Put up some camera’s! They’re cheap and stand up in a court of law. If he comes back and attacks or anything, you can sue their socks off.

I would shoot it more than likely unless it didn’t hurt or it was just a small dog that can’t do much.

Can you Yankees actually get away with discharging a firearm in city limits?
Up here that would get you in so much trouble you wouldn’t believe it.

Depends on the city. In Dallas and other places in Texas, for example, self-defense or other-defense is one of the situations where shooting is legal.

I’ve watched very little Dallas television, but when I did, I soon saw a news reporter calmly describing an event where a stranger walked into a driveway and entered a car, which a neighbor noticed and began shooting at the presumed thief, who fired back, etc…

Have you ever been in
an American town on the 4th of July. Or been in an American enclave anywhere at the conclusion of a Superbowl game? The sound of gunfire in any American town or city is now actually so routine, that unless you can identify it as close enough to seriously threaten you, no one pays attention.

No can’t say that I have.^

Well, I have never seen or hear a gun fired except in reenactments. Lots of fireworks and firecrackers on July 4th but no gunfire.

@SQUEEKY2 Depends. It’s one of those laws they may or may not enforce 100%. If no one complains anyway. Not many worry about single gun shots with bears and coyotes around, some mtn lions.

So out of curiosity, what kind of hassle would you get?

Unless it was a cut and dried case of life and death,careless use of a firearm, discharging a firearm in city limits.
If you discharged a firearm up here in city limits it would bring immediate RCMP response ,if not a whole ERT team( our version of your SWAT).
Except for my pellet gun my firearms are so locked up it would take a big ten minutes to get them unlocked loaded and ready for use.
Faster to grab the aluminum baseball bate from the hall closet.

@SQUEEKY2 Sounds scary! Is that city or Federal law?

It sounds like Canada has some brains.

@SQUEEKY2 My great fear is that our great gun glut must infect the Great North on its way to the rest of the world.

I don’t think you have to worry @stanleybmanly most countries that allow their citizens to own firearm laws have pretty sensible gun laws, some have ridiculous ones, and then there is the states.
I have been a firearm enthusiast my whole life, and am all for safe storage of firearms in the home, my gun safe is bolted to the wall.
My handguns are in the safe with trigger locks on them.
I am not against people having assault style firearms I do think they need to be restricted and people should have permits to own them.
The only thing I think all governments should all out ban are bump stocks and high capacity magazines and that is all.

I fear that you will discover that an actual glut will overwhelm any laws or restriction. As here, our gun problems and drug problems are about supply. And as with any epidemic from fentanyl through cockroaches, it’s the lag time between buildup and alarm that makes the problem intractable.