Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/05/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I stand an applaud you for following this through like you have done...not only to see to the safety of yourself and your dogs but for the well being of your entire community. I hope all who have been following your story take to heart the responsibility that we all bear in making a difference when things in our neighborhoods/communities/towns are not up to snuff. Your story has been a great example. More scratches for Riddy and Dawn. Lea - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mitch Zeissler" <zeissler@directvinternet.com> To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Sent: Saturday, May 25, 2002 6:27 AM Subject: [Leica] Canine issue update - good news [very long] : All... : : What a difference a week can make! : : - Riddy is *much* better, although he had to submit to surgery a second time : because of some stitches pulling out. If everything continues for him at : the present pace, he'll recover completely and without issue in about : another week or so. : : - I'm pretty much all healed up at this time and about a third of the way : through the rabies series. : : - Through extensive phone calls and back channel checking, I was able to : create a 6 page document tracing events with the problem dogs dating back 3 : years to when they first arrived in our neighborhood and submitted it, along : with injury photos, to the animal control officer. They had attacked 4 : other dogs prior to my incident, and had begun to stalk children very : recently. Only one other victim had the determination to see the justice : process through to an animal event court hearing. Much of this was a : revelation to the animal control officer and he said it sealed the case : against the owners from a County standpoint. : : - The status as of yesterday afternoon, when I positively identified the : dogs for the animal control officer: : : 1) The dog that mauled Riddy and bit me was placed under rabies quarantine : until this coming Monday [10 days since the attack]. This is expected to go : smoothly, as both dogs are current with their shots through July of this : year. : : 2) The owner was fined $100 per dog for allowing them to be at large. : : 3) The owner was notified that I had submitted an official affidavit to the : court naming him and his animals as being responsible for the attack. If : found guilty, he is required to pay up to $1,000 of the medical fees that I : have incurred. : : 4) The owner had taken the advice of the animal control officer and had : begun to make arrangements for a Rottweiler rescue group to permanently : remove the dogs and place them in another location far from here. Removal : is to occur sometime after the officer lifts the quarantine on Monday; once : they are removed, legal confirmation of the transfer must be presented to : the animal control officer. : : And finally, last night was my first evening of blissful, uninterrupted : sleep since the attack. : : ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ : ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ : : I'll answer all the questions as I have seen them [I'm on the digest this : time around]: : : +++++++++++++++++ : Thank you, Lea; Riddy is indeed getting all sorts of special treatment, is : milking it for all it's worth and is eating up every scrap. ;-) : : +++++++++++++++++ : Yes, Karina; it appears that Riddy will make a full recovery. While he is : not out of the woods yet, we are heartened by the fact that the swelling : around his wounds is dying down, there is little to indicate any infection : at the moment, he began to wag his tail again, etc. : : +++++++++++++++++ : Don R, while I know how use firearms and was a good shot when I was younger, : I don't carry a gun for many reasons. Among them, but not in any particular : order: : : - I prefer to carry Leicas instead [to get back on topic a little bit]. : ;-) : : - I live in Montgomery County, Maryland, which is *very* liberal and filled : with lawyers. It would cost me my home, employment, pets and Leicas [back : on topic again] if I were to be caught carrying a weapon here while walking : the dogs through the neighborhood. Were I defending my home, I *might* get : off, but I would have to have expensive legal counsel to do so. : : - In this region, I would be the bad guy with a gun killing an innocent : animal, rather than the other way around. : : +++++++++++++++++ : BD, I had to shake my head and chuckle... ;-D : : +++++++++++++++++ : Eric, I appreciate the sentiments; thank you. : : +++++++++++++++++ : Derek, your comments strike a chord with me, but it happened too fast. I : had just enough time to take Dawn's leash off of my hand and let her go : before the lead Rotti was tearing into Riddy's rear like a hyena taking down : a zebra. Then it was teeth and me kicking, teeth and me kicking... When I : struck with my hand, I got bit [stay away from sharp pointy things]; back to : kicking. Other than soft soled shoes and strong legs, I had no useful : weapons at hand, not even a rock. : : +++++++++++++++++ : As a follow-up, I have decided to begin carrying a deterrent, as this is not : the first time we have had problems with aggressive dogs, though it is the : first time there have been injuries. Guns are out of the question in our : neighborhood, but knives, pepper spray, baseball bats and walking staffs are : fair game. I ran all of those choices past the animal control officer : yesterday and asked for his recommendations from a practical standpoint and : a responding police officer perspective [he is a fully authorized County : police officer, assigned to animal control]. His response is as follows: : : - Carrying a 3-1/2 inch knife is legal in Montgomery County, but sends the : wrong message. He doesn't recommend it, as it creates all sorts of problems : from a legal standpoint after an event, and can be of limited benefit during : an animal attack [the blade is too short in length to be of much use]. : : - Carrying pepper spray is legal as well, and is being recommended by the : County for self defense purposes. He cautioned not to get tear spray [Mace] : as dogs do not have tear ducts and it is useless against them. He : recommended using the foam based spray for ease of use and targeting : benefit, with the UV marker for assisting in further identification. He : strongly encouraged me to purchase this for myself and my wife, not just to : use as a deterrent while walking the dogs, but any time we felt we needed : the peace of mind. : : - Carrying a baseball bat is legal, but sends the wrong message. He did not : recommend using it. : : - Carrying a stout walking stick or staff is legal and encouraged, : especially wooden ones. During an attack, dogs tend to snap at whatever is : closest to their jaws; wood is preferred because it has tactile "give" when : the dog bits down on it and this can keep the animal well occupied. Metal, : on the other hand, has no "give"; once the animal has bitten it and found it : to be hard, it will avoid the metal and look for another target with the : "give" it is seeking. : : So I plan to go with the pepper spray and wooden walking staff. : : +++++++++++++++++ : Fortunately for me there was a witness; one of the town dentists. The whole : thing occurred right in front of her vehicle and she leaned on the horn the : entire time [the horn didn't phase either of the attacking dogs]; no one : else came to assist, but she did. She also called 911 and the animal : control board on the spot. When I reconsider what and how everything was : happening in the melee, I know I would have represented a very real threat : to her, Riddy and the homes in the immediate vicinity if I had had a firearm : with me. : : Thanks for all the feedback! : : /Mitch Zeissler : : : -- : To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html : - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html