Mochi was attacked

[ChowFUN]

Yesterday, as we do many Sundays, we took Mochi to the dog park. As we were in the parking lot, walking towards the dog park, a man was walking with his three pit bulls, on his way to his car. Two of them were off leash, I can't remember if the third was or was not. As Mochi passed one of the dogs, the dog turned, jumped, clamped down on Mochi, behind his shoulder. We tried to get the pitbull to get go, but he just wouldn't. I was afraid the other two pitbulls would jump in and attack Mochi as well, so I was trying to keep them away at the same time. The owner and my SO held on to the pitbull and Mochi. The owner of the other dog put his hand into his downs mouth to try to pry his jaws apart but the dog just bit down, my SO took his hand out of the down just as he felt his muscles tighten. Finally after what seemed like forever, the dog let go of Mochi. The owners hand was bleeding and Mochi was missing a chunk of fur. We did a quick check of Mochi, but he didn't seem too hurt. He still really wanted to go into the dog park, so took him in there while the SO tried to get information from the owner. Mochi seemed fine in the park, running off to play as usual.

The owner didn't want to give us any of his information, saying that "when you come to the dogpark, you come at your own risk." When we got home, we were able to check Mochi more closely. His fur was yanked out in the spot where the dog clamped down on him, and there was some blood. We can't tell if it was from the fur being yanked out or if there was an actual puncture. You can see the teeth mark from the other dog, but it doesn't look like it is cut anywhere. As I was cleaning the spot, there was no additional blood coming from anywhere so we don't think the dog bit through the skin (this would be fairly obvious if he did thought, right?).

Anyway, it was a very traumatic experience. I was so scared. I don't know why that dog just jumped on Mochi like that. Someone at the park told me I should call animal control but what can they do? The owner gave me a name and number, but I think it might be fake, although I did write down his license plate number. Mochi will be fine, he is not seriously injured, so I don't even know if animal control will take it seriously. Has anyone been through a situation like this? It's so scary, I can't stop thinking about it. I'm just happy that Mochi is okay, it could have been much worse.

[Zhuyos mom]

....Someone at the park told me I should call animal control but what can they do? The owner gave me a name and number, but I think it might be fake, although I did write down his license plate number. Mochi will be fine, he is not seriously injured, so I don't even know if animal control will take it seriously...

You should still report the incident to Animal Control. Even if you think they won't do anything about it, you can make a difference for this dog's life, accountability of the owner and any future attacks on a child or another dog/chow. When someone reports an attack to my ACC, if the info provided from the owner is bogus, you still wrote down the license plate number. ACC will trace the owner's info through the license plate number, and will issue a citation via the info from the license plate number. If the owner's didn't license their pit bulls, then the ACC will issue another citation w/fees incurred for an unlicensed dog. Maybe the same procedure is done at your animal control. Doing something is better than doing nothing for the pit bull's owner's accountabilty.

Good to hear Mochi was okay.

[Auddymay]

The fact is, you were not in the park proper at the time of the attack. If you look, I bet there is even a sign posted that dogs should be leashed in the area of the attack, if you had not entered the gated area. As Lou said, even if nothing is done, AC will have a recorded report that this dog has a bite history. If it sounds scary for the dog, imagine if the owner allowed it to clamp down on a toy breed. It would be over. Thank God your handsome boy was not seriously hurt.

[Coco Chow]

I hate it when agressive dogs are kept off leash by their owners .
I'm sorry for Mochi...

[TJordan]

I would report it as well. for the reasons listed above. There needs to be a record of this man and his dangerous dogs. An unprovoked attack is always dangerous, I don't care where you are at. What happens when he turns on a kid just walking by. This owner is an a$$ !

[lightforce18]

WoW I can't believe this. I woulda kicked that little pit right in his nuts till he let go (that is if he even has em anymore) and I would have called 911 ac and make that owner pay for the bill for any damage done. Its owners like him that give dog owners a bad name. He should be punished for not having him on the leash. I am SO glad Mochi was ok.

[ChowFUN]

WoW I can't believe this. I woulda kicked that little pit right in his nuts till he let go (that is if he even has em anymore) and I would have called 911 ac and make that owner pay for the bill for any damage done. Its owners like him that give dog owners a bad name. He should be punished for not having him on the leash. I am SO glad Mochi was ok.

That dog definately still had his nuts. The thing is, we were tapping the pit bull on the head to try to get him to let go, but didn't want to do anything to hurt the pit either.

Anyway, I called Animal Control to report the incident, and was told that they can't issue a citation because they were not there to witness it. However, I can come in and file a report and then they can submit it to the DA to see if there is enough there to prosecute him on criminal charges. I don't know if I want to go THAT far. I just wanted them to issue him a warning and a citation, but persuing a criminal case can have very harsh consequences. I guess it's an all or nothing kind of deal. They also said they can try calling him (if the number he gave me actually works) and remind him to keep his dogs on leash. But they can't run the license plate without a "lawful cause," which, in this case, would be for me to file a formal complaint against the owner.

[Sirchow]

So sorry to hear about your horrible experience. That is a really hard situation to be put in because it puts all the responsibility on you and thats not very fair. Thank goodness Mochi seems none the worse for it but it gives you a real fright when that sort of thing happens. Hugs and purple kisses X X X X X X from Bramble and me.

[CoraP.]

I get so furious when I hear of people being in public with their dogs off leash!!!! What is the matter with them??! Not only could you have the attack problem, but no matter how well-trained a dog may be, there is always the chance that they might see something that is just too tempting to ignore, and off they go, to be hit by a car, or never seen again. I'm SO glad Mochi is alright!! He is so adorable, and was just minding his own business.

[kingalls]

I'm so glad Mochi is okay! If the owner could not control the dog even by putting his own hand in his mouth, then the owner does not have the proper control over his dog.
Because of Mochi's Chow fur, the dog wasn't able to hurt him...but what if he did hurt him, would you then report it? Mochi was lucky but like Auddymay said, what if it was a toy breed - then it would have ended in tragedy for both the dog that was attacked (being killed) and the dog that attacked (being euthanized)...The guy needs to take responsibility for his dogs.

[Victory]

You should go down there and file the formal complaint. They don't expect you to, that's why their attitude is like that. We dog owners try to be nice to each other and give the other guy the benefit of the doubt and not report them. But this guy needs to be server formal notice that his dog needs to 1) be leashed at all times until he is 2) better trained! Mochi wasn't hurt too badly, (thank goodness!) because of all that fur, and he didn't struggle too much. But another dog with a shorter/thinner coat or one that was smaller and/or one that paniced could have been seriously injured or killed. Worse what if this guy's dog had attacked one of a pair of dogs and the other dogs could have become involved, three humans would not be able to seperate several dogs fighting.

The other thing you should be aware of is that some dogs don't like the way chows smell, they don't smell quite like other canines and this causes some other dogs to attack with no provocation. There have been a lot of entries on this here, and many people don't take their chows to dog parks because of this. It's not every dog, just some of them that don't like the way chows smell.

[Juniper]

Thank goodness Mochi is OK. The man was in violation of the leash law. I agree with filing the complaint...I'd be concerned that the pit bull didn't have a license or rabies shot or have some other inherent disease that could transfer through blood and harm your Mochi...please file the complaint it is for the best. Then if something does occur you have some recourse.

[vicster605]

I will never understand why ANYONE would bring a med to large breed dog ANYWHERE in public not on leach, which is why it makes me furious when you have yours on lead and someone elses dog attacks yours and theirs isn't!!! Especially a Pit Bull or multiple Pits when the poor breed already has a bad rep. if he gave a crap about his Pits he would want to stay in control of them and would have had them on a lead. GEEEZZZ I know I've said this before....There Should Be A Test!!!
Watch Mochi, as Kearra & Kyra have been in a # of fights and the punchure injuries are very very hard to see with all that fur. If Mochi acts like it is sensative when you touch the area where he was bitten or you notice an odor you may want to take him to the Vet. Sometimes there isn't much blood and there can still be injuried and those kinds of wounds tend to get infected pretty easy. He's probably ok but just in case....keep an eye on him.
I know you must have freaked completely out, it really is scarey. Glad everyone is ok and the others didn't join in it. Have to count your blessings sometimes.

[Dogdad]

I would try to call the owner, If he was honest, I would tell him that he should have the dogs leashed at all times, and if it were a toy dog, it would have been seriously injured. If the owner gave you a fake number then file a complaint with and include the plate number. Sometimes dogs attack for unknown reasons to us. I know some of us have had dog fights at home, our dogs aren't evil but something set them off. It may be the case with the pitbull. We are responsible to be cautious if our dogs have attacked in the past, if he gave you a false number, he isn't responsible and more dangerous than the dog.

David

[ChowFUN]

I would try to call the owner, If he was honest, I would tell him that he should have the dogs leashed at all times, and if it were a toy dog, it would have been seriously injured. If the owner gave you a fake number then file a complaint with and include the plate number. Sometimes dogs attack for unknown reasons to us. I know some of us have had dog fights at home, our dogs aren't evil but something set them off. It may be the case with the pitbull. We are responsible to be cautious if our dogs have attacked in the past, if he gave you a false number, he isn't responsible and more dangerous than the dog.

David

Perhaps this is what I should do. I have been struggling, trying to decide what the right thing to do is. I'm so torn.

[Boogie and Linda]

I am glad Mochi is okay. You said the guys hand was bleeding. Maybe the blood on Mochi was from the guy? It sucks that this happened and the guy was a complete idiot for having multiple large dogs off leash no matter how well he thought they were trained. I have a hard enough time with three on a leash. I can't imagine having them off. I don't know what I would do in your situation. I feel bad for you and Mochi and also for the pit bull. The whole thing could have been so much worse and his owners stupidity could cost the pit bull his life. I only hope the owner has learned something.

[IliamnasQuest]

Sorry to hear about this - glad Mochi was okay! How did he act when you took him into the park? Did he act okay around the other dogs? Some dogs get mentally traumatized when attacked, but if he went in and wanted to play then he probably just shook it all off. He may be wary of pitbull types from now on, though (and you can't blame him for that).

Aggressive dogs of any breed should NOT be taken to dog parks. If those dogs had been loose in the park and one had attacked a dog in there, it would be entirely likely (and maybe probable) that the other two pits would have joined in and happily killed the dog. That guy was entirely in the wrong and animal control should contact him and at least talk to him. Maybe if you call up animal control and say "well, I thought I'd talk to you guys one more time before I call the newspapers to report that animal control won't deal with an aggressive dog case". They don't usually like negative publicity.

As far as dogs off-leash goes, I'm a big believer in having dogs off-leash even in public. So I train my dogs to be off-leash. Trick, my now 13 year old shepherd, has been trustworthy off-leash for most of her life. My first chow, Kylee, was trustworthy off-leash but my other two have not quite managed that (although we go outside off-leash every day now and they're doing really well). Of course, this is on private property and none of my dogs are aggressive in any way. If you have an aggressive dog it should be maintained safely to keep everyone around it safe - that's common sense, isn't it?

Melanie and the gang in Alaska

[ChowFUN]

Sorry to hear about this - glad Mochi was okay! How did he act when you took him into the park? Did he act okay around the other dogs? Some dogs get mentally traumatized when attacked, but if he went in and wanted to play then he probably just shook it all off. He may be wary of pitbull types from now on, though (and you can't blame him for that).

Aggressive dogs of any breed should NOT be taken to dog parks. If those dogs had been loose in the park and one had attacked a dog in there, it would be entirely likely (and maybe probable) that the other two pits would have joined in and happily killed the dog. That guy was entirely in the wrong and animal control should contact him and at least talk to him. Maybe if you call up animal control and say "well, I thought I'd talk to you guys one more time before I call the newspapers to report that animal control won't deal with an aggressive dog case". They don't usually like negative publicity.

As far as dogs off-leash goes, I'm a big believer in having dogs off-leash even in public. So I train my dogs to be off-leash. Trick, my now 13 year old shepherd, has been trustworthy off-leash for most of her life. My first chow, Kylee, was trustworthy off-leash but my other two have not quite managed that (although we go outside off-leash every day now and they're doing really well). Of course, this is on private property and none of my dogs are aggressive in any way. If you have an aggressive dog it should be maintained safely to keep everyone around it safe - that's common sense, isn't it?

Melanie and the gang in Alaska

Mochi acted like himself in the dog park, sniffed a little, ran around a little, didn't play with anyone much, but that also depends on whether or not he found someone he wants to play with and vice versa. (He's picky about that - haha)

I tried calling the owner of the other dog, but of course the number was a bogus number. I am going to talk to animal control again. I just want someone to go talk to this person to tell him he has to be responsible for his dogs and having them on leash. I mean, there is a very busy children's playground right next to the dog park where this happened - the playground is about 10 yards away. You hear about how if people are told they will be held accountable for their actions, and taught to be responsible dog owners then something potentially bad - like an attack on another dog or a human or child - could have been prevented. All I want is someone to go talk to this man and tell him that he needs to be careful, and that he can't just give out bogus information and think he can get away with it. He needs to be a responsible dog owner. Nothing serious resulted from this incident but like others have said, what if it's a toy breed or child? It's funny how animal control says they can't run plates without a formal complaint and "lawful cause." Wouldn't they rather run his plates now and go have a chat with him NOW, before something worse happens?

[Juniper]

Your initial impression of the man was correct-irresponsible. Did you every talk with Animal Control again or file the complaint?

From what I know about Animal Control, the receptionists who answer the phones don't always give accurate info, usually it's best to ask for their supervisor or to speak with an Animal Control Officer. A complaint such as yours would never be considered by or even presented to the DA.

Usually a formal complaint is requested to see that the person filing the complaint is in earnest and the police can run a check on you as well. The police need the paperwork to run the license plates to get info, Animal Control does not have the authority to run plates. That's what they meant when they stated they "can't run the license plate without a "lawful cause." They need a police report or a written complaint for the police to take action on an accusation such as this.

Once they have an address/phone #'s from police Animal Control sees if Pits live at that address, see if they have dog licenses, etc. They call whatever numbers given to them by you or the police, then animal control officers go out to the address to see if dogs are present, or the vehicle. If they hear dogs in the home they will leave a Warning of a Complaint Filed. Person has about two weeks or so to respond to the Warning. If they don't respond it doesn't look good for them.

These rules are for everyone's protection. Worse scenario...the man himself or ANYONE could file a written complaint against you, accuse you or your chow of harming his Pit Bull after he hit it himself. He could drum up witnesses willing to lie and if you were alone, without witnesses, you lose. The person who files the complaint first is usually the person who is believed.

It happened to me...luckily I had filed verbal complaints about the barking dogs and possible abuse of their animals 2 weekends in a row, over the phone, and the last time I called I asked for a copy of the letter from Animal Control on what action they had taken and complained again about not being able to get any sleep and possible abuse of dogs. The neighbors called the police on me that same day, 5 people stated I had hit their Great Dane who actually was bleeding from the top of his nose. Police who came to my door and questioned me, were a bit hostile and told me never to go over to their property again. I was absolutely furious! Then I purchased the Dog Pro Silencer (which worked really well) and started videotaping their abuse to their animals from my side of the fence. Basically, I became the neighbor from hell! Which was easy to do since these people hardly sleeped and their dogs barked and cried all night long 6 feet from my bedroom window from Sept to Nov of last year!

Two weeks later, I got home and Animal Control, who never left a voice mail but stated they were calling me quite a few times with no response left a Warning of possible imprisonment and fine for Felony Abuse of the Great Dane, right out on my front door for all to view and the bottom of the form asked me to contact an Animal Control officer within 2 weeks. (I contacted an attorney first for advice on what to ask, how to speak and to cool my temper!)

Animal Control officers cannot take sides-just the police. But I told my story over the phone and I found out from the Animal Control officer that he thought something was suspicious with my next door neighbors when he came out to see the Great Dane & to speak with them about my alleged abuse, PLUS he did note that I had complaints on file prior to their complaint. He asked me to continue watching and videotaping and to contact him if things flared up. My neighbors (renters) moved 5 weeks after the incident. I feel sorry for their Great Dane and Chihuahua though...both were ignored and abused animals.

So I will always suggest filing a complaint. I will continue to choose to do so to protect not only myself, but hopefully have those who come in contact with me think twice before doing this to someone else.

[Me & Tess]

Was thinking about what else you could do: Report the pit-bull owners & what happened to the Parks & Recreation as an incident report. Maybe they can keep a look-out. Those pit-bull owners are irresponsible. Maybe the P & R could/would ban them from the dog park. It would be through a "third party" and nothing on you and Mochi would come up. Poor Mochi, bad thing to go through. Give Mochi an extra hug for me.

[bellabear27]

They had on incident at the dog park we go to awhile ago while we were out of town, and they instantly started trying to shut the thing down. They didn't thank God but people nned to understand that no matter how trust worthy your dog is you should still follow the rules and leash them outside the park, one bad apple spoils the bunch. As to whether or not you can do anything we had an experience inside the park once where a friends dog was bitten by a great dane and they got money towards surgery and so on even though they were inside the park. Inside or not the dogs shoudl still be controlled, there is also a 2 dogs per person rule here but i don't know what the regulations are there. Our laws always tend to differ