@bhagofangels I would monitor but I don’t think the dog has to now be separated permanently. My pit bull developed dog aggression at the same age after she was attacked. She just had a single non fatal bite incident but she still can’t be around dogs almost 5 years later. She’s never gone after our two cats. Dog aggression is unfortunately very common in bully breeds but that doesn’t translate to other forms
@abacus3000 I understand but all it takes is one incident for even more animals to die. This is a dog that was "perfectly fine!" until it just... wasn't. You can't risk the cat's lives like that, they're just as important except they don't even stand a chance to defend themselves
@drjellyjoe My dog (now deceased) was attacked by two loose pit bulls. She thankfully survived. I wouldn’t let the leash go and started beating on the dogs’ heads. Thankfully they didn’t attack me. Then a guy heard me screaming for help and beat them off with a metal snow shovel. The attack last 5-10 minutes. My dog was a small lab mix. Then the cops showed up and drew their side arms on the dogs while animal control caught them. Animal control took the dogs and submitted their report to the District Attorney who filed charges against the owners. They had to pay the vet bills and attend obedience classes. The owners just moved instead and took the dogs elsewhere. Where we live if one other neighbor had called them in before this incident for a bite or aggression (which had happened, but neighbors were afraid of these people so they hadn’t reported them), then the dogs would have been euthanized.
Be prepared to pay the vet bills, for the dog’s material worth (ie replacement cost), and attend monitored/approved obedience classes.
I’ve never been on your side. I’m sure it’s tough. We have a dog now who is reactive. So we’re going through a whole process with him. My advice from the other side of the fence is to be fair with these people. They lost their dog. They are going to be mad and sad and possibly say ugly things and you just need to take responsibility and deal with it.
@massageone Wow, that is so horrific for you and your pup. I'm so sorry you went through that. I've thankfully never been attacked but I imagine even a brief one would be terrifying, let alone 5+ minutes with 2 assailants. I hope you got some help dealing with all that, that's a very traumatic event especially with weapons being drawn as well.
@work4jesus I think in moments like that you keep going knowing your dog was the one physically hurt and needs help the most. You do what’s in front of you, and then the next thing, and so on. We as humans are also the ones responsible since we are the more intelligent being and keeper of our animal.
We moved about a year after the attack to a better neighborhood. My dog passed away. And I honestly found myself relaxing on walks again. Then about 6 months ago a German Sheppard ran and aggresively jumped on me while I was pushing our young toddler twins on a walk. I called out for the owner to get their dog but they couldn’t control the dog. I reported it. I told others on my walk to report them since they said they had experience something similar and just hadn’t bothered. I FINALLY started carrying bear spray on walks. Sometimes, it’s you and your dog (or kids or cat etc.) or the other dog. You need to prepared. I feel bad these Rover people didn’t have bear spray to stop OP’s dog.
And honestly the guns did not bother me. I felt safe that those dogs couldn’t restart the attack. And I saw no need for officers to be attacked by dogs who were out hunting prey that evening.
