My husband was attacked by a dog tonight.
He's fine, mostly. He was walking home after an evening out, just strolling down the sidewalk when the dog at the end of the block went after him. He has a large and nasty bite on his thigh and his pants are destroyed. Not destroyed as in there's a little hole. Destroyed as in shredded.
He is freakishly calm about the whole thing. I am ready to go out there with a hammer.
This dog has always been territorial -- he's barked at us a million times. I'm not sure what happened -- did they just give him more room to run tonight? -- but he was able to get to the sidewalk and unleash his ire on that dangerous intruder, Elwood P. Gladly.
My kids walk by that house to get to and from school.
I can't stop thinking that the bite on Elwood's leg is at throat height for Stella. It's not, of course, as if she goes wandering the neighborhood alone, but she loves to get just a little bit ahead of me. I'm not going to let my brain go there right now.
The police offered to send someone out to take a report but Elwood said he'd prefer to call animal control in the morning. He says the owner was there and seemed unruffled by the whole incident. He offered to replace Elwood's pants. That's it.
So let us hope that animal control responds instantly and aggressively. I'll set aside my musings about vigilante justice while I wait to see what they say. Or at least I'll try.
Dude. He needs medical treatment and antibiotics. That is so very, very serious, especially since the owner is unconcerned. I feel sick to my stomach. I'm so glad he's okay.
Posted by: Linda | December 20, 2011 at 10:33 PM
That's what I told him. I'll tell him you said so too.
Posted by: Jamie | December 20, 2011 at 10:35 PM
Scary. I agree both about getting medical attention and making sure animal control gets on it. I hope that the failure to file a police report doesn't complicate matters and tie animal control's hands. My sister recently found that because she failed to file charges when a customer assaulted her, her employer refused to back her up and apologized to the customer she'd had escorted off the premises.
Posted by: Melanie B | December 20, 2011 at 10:41 PM
Egads!
When our landlady's dog bit my husband badly enough for him to go to urgent care, they insisted on a rabies shot (that wasn't cheap and she refused to pay for). I agree with the above posters who say he should been getting medical attention.
Posted by: Amy F | December 20, 2011 at 10:47 PM
Oh, that is not okay. I'm hoping the owner was covering up his own shaken sense of guilt with seeming unconcern. And I concur with those who say your husband should see a doctor. And I don't even like doctors.
Posted by: Kira | December 20, 2011 at 11:00 PM
And I'd add to the above to take many photos with a date on them and include Elwood's face.
Posted by: Ruth | December 20, 2011 at 11:43 PM
If he goes to the doctor, which I definitely suggest, they will probably contact animal control and interview the dog owner. If the owner can produce shot records, rabies won't be necessary.
I was bitten by a dog while on a run last year, and it was just one small puncture wound, but I ended up needing antibiotics. Animal Control and the sheriff's office contacted the owner. Mostly it made me terrified of dogs for a while, even little tiny dogs that I knew wouldn't hurt me.
Posted by: Katie | December 21, 2011 at 12:13 AM
Eeee! That is horrible! I hope Animal Control act, promptly.
Posted by: Pigwotflies | December 21, 2011 at 03:59 AM
Tell him I'm advising from the point of an ER nurse for 3 years. EVERY dog bite got a call to the police and antibiotics!
Posted by: Linda | December 21, 2011 at 06:38 AM
That is crazy! How frightening. I hope animal control is able to do something appropriate to the situation!
Posted by: Sarah | December 21, 2011 at 07:12 AM
Terrifying. Hoping all is well.
Posted by: Tall Kate | December 21, 2011 at 07:48 AM
That's just terrifying for the randomness of it. I hope that he went in for medical treatment already. A friend of mine got a very serious infection from a cat bite puncturing a vein and needed major antibiotics. We think of pets as benign but it's not the case when there's a bite. I'm so sorry that his disturbed your Advent. I hope Animal Control gets involved because I feel like the dog is a menace to the neighborhood.
Posted by: Celeste | December 21, 2011 at 01:22 PM
Yes, another voice in the chorus insisting on medical treatment. Dog's mouths are bacterial breeding grounds. This demands serious attention.
Please keep us updated. Animal control should be taking this very seriously, and if the local authorities do not, you need to take it up the chain of command. A dog that bites an adult will bite a child. Your family is on alert -- other parents might not be so careful, or so lucky.
Posted by: Jody | December 21, 2011 at 08:19 PM