Sad Day, first dog :(

[Guest curtismiller]

Craig,The dog attacked you.The results were justified.Maybe the next victum might be a kid on a bicycle and a 60lb dog can do real harm.When a dog attacks me I take it seriously and will send him to hell if I can.Pet lovers have taken this love affair with animals to where they are equal with humans.Well they aint!They are to be treated humanly but they have no conscious and in the scheme of things they are intended for our pleasure if you call it that. Glad you were unhurt.Ride safe Curtis

[Freebird]

Folks, we all have the right to our own opinions but name calling and personal attacks on another member because you may not agree with what they say or an action that they did or didn't take will not be allowed here. If you can't state your opinion without the personal attacks then please don't state it at all.

Edited August 18, 2009 by Freebird

[BuckShot]

Boy--I know how Craig feels. Monday morning on a ride at the international rally, I hit a dog going about 40. I had just came out of a small curve in the road and the dog came out of a ravine from my right.

I swerved to the left to the center line and the dog went right back to the ravine and I hit the ptt and said dog on right, about that time the dog came back left and I went left again and hit him anyway, the front tire went into the air but missed him with the back tire. The dog went howling into the ravine while my front end went into a bad wobble as well as the whole bike. Buzzman behind kept calling asking if we were ok, but I was trying to keep the bike upright. Lucky we didn't go down. After I got the bike straighted out and slowed down I told Buzzman we were fine and that I would stop to check the bike ASAP. About 3 miles down the road we found a place to pull over. Bike was fine. We did not go back but we all felt badly for the dog and lucky not to go down.

 

In Ohio, if you hit a dog and do damage to your vehicle, the dog owner insurance has to pay for all the damages. Its just like hitting a horse or steer. I know this because I had an arguement with a dog owner after I hit his dog and I appoligized. He told me to go to h*** and said he wouldn't pay, said it was my fault with skid marks showing the swerve. Called the cops and explained and he paid 1500.00 for damages to our

 

Sunbird GT. My insurance man said that in the swerve, if I would have hit a tree or gotten injured and went to the hospital, that the owner of the dog would have been held responsible for all expenses, period.

 

I don't know for sure, but I would be very surprised if all states didn't do the same. Dogs, cats, horses, steers,etc., are the owners responsablity and the owner is held resonsible for any damages they cause if they get loose.

 

Craig---glad your ok and don't feel bad.

[craigatcsi]

Sunman... Ain't you special.. Thanks for the response.

I obviously don't agree with you, but hey like you said it's your 'opinion'. It's obvious that we have different views on things. If you were harsh just to 'rile me', sorry but it didn't. Though it was a nice try.

My wife instantly yelling and then crying was my first thought. And still is. She is still upset about it and has mentioned it to me several times today. I have gone over it several times in my head today - rethinking everything. I wouldn't have gone back and left her by the side of the road out in the country. It was a DOG, my wife isn't and her feelings come first - even over mine.

The post earlier by ??? about the dog attacking me - If I was on foot and the dog ran at us, I would have pulled my pistol and killed it rather than get mauled. So using THAT comparison I don't feel quite as bad.

It wasn't like I was being inattentive and all of a sudden he was in front of me. I slowed way down and moved farther to the right of the road - giving him way. I honestly thought he was going to just run along side and bark, like they have always done in the past. When he jumped at the bike with his mouth open, it was too late to do anything. Hell I didn't even have time to get my foot off the footpeg.

I was mostly in shock / disbelief what happened for a mile or two until we stopped to check the bike out at the closest intersection.

I appreciate all of the comments - good and bad.

I just needed to vent to someone.

craigr

[Vance]

Would it be different if it were a cat? Or a racoon? Or a deer? Or a bird? Or if it happened and you were in your car? You get the idea. Animals run out in front of us, I'll never understand why. You would think they knew better, but I had a deer run into the side of my truck once while going down the road about 45 mph. Glad I wasn't on the bike. We all have our stories. The bottom line is, be glad you were not hurt. All animals have instinct for survival. Obviously, some are sharper than others.

[SilvrT]

I said I would have gone back but, years ... no, ages ago I was driving my car and coming towards me was an 18 wheeler. Off to the left, in a field were two larger dogs running and playing and they were heading toward the road. Now, this was a rural residential area so those dogs were somebody's loved pets. The first dog got to the edge of the road and stopped, looked back at the other dog and then bolted.... right into the path of the semi which, by then, was almost even with me (maybe 50 feet away). I saw it all happen right before my eyes...I was stunned....I remember yelling to that dog before it bolted to STAY...it was if I could see what was going to happen before it happened. Me and the semi passed each other and I watched...well, I won't go into details what I saw in my side view mirror but that sight will never be forgotten. I was sick to my stomach about that dog for a long time. Did I go back? NOT ON YOUR LIFE. Should I have gone back? WHY? Did the semi driver stop? NOPE...why would he? The dog was obliterated.

 

There are times when you should probably go back and times when it would be fruitless and other things take precedence.

 

"you" be the judge.

 

I believe craigr did the right thing under the circumstances and frankly, I don't care what anyone thinks about that.

[Zfrebird4]

A dog in OH came at my bike with deer whistles ... and I banged him on the side of the back luggage. I DID go back to the farm to check him out. Lucky for another dog that I did, ... they didn't know which one was hit, and the other one they checked on had eaten the rat poisening they had put out where he could get at it. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?> Anyway, the next day I stopped to check on him, and my checking on the dog I hit saved the one who ate the poisen. So all turned out well.

 

The best defense is the electric deer whistles, and I intend to get one installed on my ASAP when I have the extra $100.

 

JackZ

[Aimhigh]

Harsh? I toned it down more than you know. The OP makes tons of assumptions, like many others in this thread. That it was negligence on the part of the owner of the animal that caused the incident. Everyone was very quick to put the blame on him/her. None of you have a clue how the dog got out, mostly because the OP left the scene, and an injured animal. Why do you assume the dog was being aggressive? Chasing is in many dogs nature. It was an accident. When you run away from the scene of an accident, you know how that looks. The comment about the upset wife, was an excuse, plain and simple. If the wife is upset, drop her off down the street and go back. Don't BS. Did he even stop down the street and look back? If the dog was motionless I don't think he would be much of a threat. Did he call for help for the animal? I doubt it, that was not in the post. I guess we should be glad he didn't run over a child chasing a ball, because I am sure he would have run for the hills. Plain and simple, I stand by my first post, and I think it was cowardice. If it was an accident, so be it, they happen. Leaving was wrong. I hope you find it in yourself to go and find the owners, or call the humane society, or SPCA to see if there was a report. What if the pet owner had witnessed the incident, and called the police to report it? Because it was one of our members who did it, people seem to be siding immediately with him. And you know that if one of our members made a post about someone hitting and running their pet, you would all be screaming bloody murder, and chants of vengeance. I can cite examples of quite a few. But to refrain from bringing up hard memories I won't.

 

Simply agreeing with someone's piss poor actions, does them no good. It is more beneficial to be honest, even if it is "harsh". That is my opinion, and as long as this forum allows it, I will give my opinions when I feel the need. I do not simply agree with the majority, or the popular line of thinking.

 

Sonny

 

 

Attitude on steroids!!!!

[Sailor]

Dogs are a lot tougher than you think. You probably did not harm it too much. Dogs use their neck muscles to rip and tear and so they are very strong. Probably all you did was make it think twice about chasing another bike. Some time ago I ran over our neighbors dog with my pickup. The dog used to hide in the bushes and jump out at my truck, this time he caught it. He bounced off the side of the truck and went under the back wheel. I stopped and the dog took off. I went and talked to the neighbor and he took the dog to the vet. The vet said all the dog had was bruises. Stopped him from chasing the truck.

[midnightventure]

I grew up in house full of big dogs. If one of them tore up something it was us kids fault because we got the dog excited. I am not a dog fan but because I grew up with them I understand them. If I am out jogging and one comes after me I can tell if they are friendly and just want petted or if they will bite me in the ass if I turn my back. Anyway I was hurrying home one night after work.We were going through some kid problems and I was worried my wife was going to have a nervous breakdown. I saw a medium sized dog walking towards the edge of the road. I could tell it was one of the friendly ones. Doing about 65. I started honking and slowing down. It kept on walking. I went completely over into the other lane. Just before I got there it took off running and came right into my path. I was still going pretty fast and dead centered it. Traffic was real heavy and with a bike this big I was pretty sure it was dead. I felt bad but I kept on going. Rural area outside a city. No houses right there. It still bothers me.

[SLOW HAND]

I own a large dog who will sometimes escape a go for a run before he will return. If he were to get hit I know it is my fault .Local law officials use to incourage stopping and finding the owner but has changed over the years due to incidents after the fact. Not everyone can see reason at a time of grief. I would want to be told if someone hit my dog but could not blame them if not . I've been told for the safety of the rider that changeing speeds ,solwing down and then speeding back up , to make it harder to time is the best defense. In the end I am glad you are OK .As a dog lover I think it is important to let there be a clear line that it was a dog , sad yes, but had you made a wild attempt to avoid the result could have been tragic.