Just had an incident.

[VanLogan]

I did not present a firearm but check this out.

The Mrs. and I were walking our 10 year old labrador on a leash. I am always in condition yellow when walking after dark, hell I am in Con Yellow all the time. I spot a large dog across the street, an akita or large sheppard type dog. He does not see us, he is sniffing and peeing and such, the dog is male because he is leg lifting. I pick up the pace and attempt to put some distance between us and the other dog. Just then he sees us and starts a full on charge toward me. There was no barking or teeth showing. He ran straight to my dog and immediately attacked him with furious growling and barking and biting. No owner or leash on the other dog.

I did not have a handgun but I did have a streamlight ultra stinger flashlight and hit the bad guy dog in the head about six times with every ounce of strength I have in my being, I mean f**king hard. The dog let go of my dog and ran away. My wife was balling because it was such a violent experience.

If I would have shot the dog is that a good shoot? I am going to say yes.
Here is why.
I felt threatened of bodily harm or death to me and my wife.
I attempted to flee but was chased down.
Deadly force was my last option.

*** side note *** Dogs are property not family members. You can not shoot an assailant (Human) for attacking your dog.

I feel like this went down in exactly the same way with the flashlight as it would have if I fired a gun. I think the flashlight is a deadly weapon too. If I was in the same situation and I only had had a gun I would done the exact same thing only I would have dispatched the attacking dog with a different tool. If I fired a gun there would have been a bunch of paperwork, LE involvement and I would probably would have been arrested and sued by the other dog owner.

Let me know your thoughts...

[BonoVox]

Not going to talk to the legality of shooting or not in that situation. But I am VERY happy to hear all of you made it out of the situation without injury!

Good job doing what you had to do!!!

[More Cowbell]

Glad it all worked out. Here's my .02...

When I walk my dog I have Pepper Spray, my knife, and my gun. I would do EVERYTHING I could to avoid shooting. Spray, knife, kick, etc... I think you did the right thing with the light.

[hbliam]

I have thought about this very scenario as I have had a few dogs "jump" my jack russell when on walks. It never got as bad as yours simply for the fact that my dog can pretty much kick the crap out of any dog that has tried, no matter the size. JRT's are bad ass little dogs, I had no idea. There is actually a dog that has attacked mine twice. I told the owner the next time I am letting her off her leash when I see his dog coming.

My pre-incident decision is that I wouldn't use a firearm unless it was to protect a person. I would beat the heck out of the other dog like you did but no way I would shoot it.

That being said. Yes, you tried to articulate the "fear" of harm to your wife or yourself but at the same time you said the other dog just attacked your dog. Secondly, you struck the dog several times and it ran away. So deadly force was not your last option. Lastly, you didn't truly try to flee. You and your wife could probably have went to a safe location while your dog was being attacked. Not that I would abandon my dog either but I would have told my wife to run away during the whole deal. We have had "the" discussion. When I tell her to leave, it's no questions asked.

To sum it up...I would have handled it exactly as you did... nothing more, nothing less.

Have you called animal control to come get the dog? At the very least they need to come out and put the owner on notice. If not for yourself at least for the children in your neighborhood.

[K-dog.v3]

I did not have a handgun but I did have a streamlight ultra stinger flashlight and hit the bad guy dog in the head about six times with every ounce of strength I have in my being, I mean f**king hard. The dog let go of my dog and ran away. My wife was balling because it was such a violent experience.

** side note *** Dogs are property not family members. You can not shoot an assailant (Human) for attacking your dog.

If you were really in fear of your life why did you engage the dog. He was attacking your "property" not you. If dogs are fighting I would let them fight and try to get some distance.

[Apeman88]

My wife had a pomeranian and he thought he was a pitbull. One time, he escaped from our backyard and came home limping and all bloody. I later found out he fought with 2 huskies and bite one in the throat and wouldn't let go while he was being tossed around while the 2nd husky bite and held on to his leg. A neghbor saw and broke up the ight. Little dog sometimes don't know thier own size.

bout 10 years ago.. there was a story that a retired cop, while jogging, shot and killed dog running toward hm. I think he got into a big civil law suit from the dog owner b not sure if any criminal charges wer filed.

[SierraNevadaCCW]

I think you did the right thing by hitting it with your flashlight. I wouldn't shoot a dog unless it was attacking a person.

You have to be very very careful about shooting a dog in public even if it is attacking...there are bystanders, thin walls in those houses around you...cars driving by, concrete for the bullet to bounce, skip and hit someone...there must be a person's life really in immenent danger and you must consider your backstop and others in the vicinity. You also need to consider the incident turning into a media event, and the police investigating you.

Carrying a gun is a enormous responsibility...you'll know when you will be forced to fire it...you won't have a choice.

[VanLogan]

Originally Posted by K-dog.v3

If you were really in fear of your life why did you engage the dog. He was attacking your "property" not you. If dogs are fighting I would let them fight and try to get some distance.

In this case it was property damaging property. The use of the word "He" implies that the attacker was more than property.

To your point I was tangled in the leash and smack in the middle of the dog fight. My wife ran but I was in the melee. I was actually unsure if the dog was attacking me or my dog. I think my dog was defending me but the whole event took about 15 seconds so it is hard to say. I do know I was very fearful for my own safety.

[VanLogan]

Thanks for the support everybody. I think I will never walk my dog without my flashlight so I wont have to worry about using the gun.

In case anyone is wondering...

The flashlight is still working just fine. I highly recommend this flashlight.

UltraStinger® Flashlights by Streamlight® from Streamlight-Flashlights.com

~VL

[Spicy McHaggis]

Originally Posted by VanLogan

Thanks for the support everybody. I think I will never walk my dog without my flashlight so I wont have to worry about using the gun.

In case anyone is wondering...

The flashlight is still working just fine. I highly recommend this flashlight.

UltraStinger® Flashlights by Streamlight® from Streamlight-Flashlights.com

~VL

You'd be better off with both the flashlight and the gun! If that dog had turned on you or your wife, the flashlight might not have worked to get him off of you. Glad to hear that you and the Mrs. are okay. How's your dog?

And always remember this phrase by Jimbo from South Park - "It's comin' right for us! Bang!"

[rycerz]

Here's something to ponder: a dog charges you and atacks viciously your dog. Will he stop at that? or are you next? When I was 12 I got attacked by a friendly dog, so if I see a charging dog, I will be acting in self defence. Rabies shots hurt! (I didn't get any as the dog was taken in for observation, but I was given a whole lecture of what how and why).
So would I shoot the dog? don't know. There are other ways to deal with a charging dog, but using flashlight to the head means that the dog got too clsoe and reaction was too late.

[VanLogan]

Originally Posted by Spicy McHaggis

How's your dog?

LOL I guess I forgot to mention that the dog is ok. He is alittle banged up and he already has bad hips but he was doing his best to fight off the bigger dog.

I think my wife got the worst end of it. She was visibley shaken and disturbed by the whole thing. Me and the dog were already over it by the time we finished walking home.

[CCWInstructor]

Originally Posted by Apeman88

bout 10 years ago.. there was a story that a retired cop, while jogging, shot and killed dog running toward hm. I think he got into a big civil law suit from the dog owner b not sure if any criminal charges wer filed.

Yes it went to court and changed the ruling PC 198 does include animals now. It is in the new 2007 Gun law book.

[Sigman]

Good job saving your dog VL.

[Apeman88]

Originally Posted by CCWInstructor

Yes it went to court and changed the ruling PC 198 does include animals now. It is in the new 2007 Gun law book.

So to confirm... shooting an attacking domestic animal (dogs... cats?) as well as wild animals (bears, Coyote and etc) for SD is kosher with our legal system?