Theresa,

I lived in the Bronx most of my life. I grew up on Prospect Ave and 187th St, then moved to Pelham Bay when I got my own place. I also had horses at Cy's on Pelham Parkway, and had LOTS of dealings w/ stray and aggressive dogs( not to mention their owners)over the years.

You were given good advice/information from Mike and Alice. Did you also call the news stations who have the help segments, such as Tappy Phillips with "7 on Your Side", and the guy from ( I think )channel 2, is it Arnold Diaz?? They like to get up in arms when a wrong has occurred and regular people such as us can't get any answers!! ( 9 out of 10 times they are able to get results to any issue you can't get resolved!! )

I don't remember if you said whether you have approached the owner of the dogs and asked if they will take any responsibility for the attack? Depending on the situation, I can understand if you may not feel safe in doing so...BUT...check it out, perhaps they might just be appologetic and horrified by what occurred and do anythin they can to make it up to you! I'm just saying that if you haven't contacted them yet, you really can't know what their reaction to this is....Do you know for sure that they are aware that their dogs were involved inan attack? If so, did you provide anyone with information on how they can contact you if they should want to?

Sorry if you already answered these questions...I couldn't remember!

At any rate..I hope you are able to find a way to get past this and heal both physically and emotionally.

" I live in the Bronx (NY) where most people are unfortunately ignorant and have large aggressive dogs that are never walked and full of frustration."

OK, I just re read the original post...so I assume then that at least the cops did get in touch with the owners.

I just wanted to point out that the above quote is not factual, and is obviously a statement made out of frustration due to your horrendous experience.

Obviously there are many ignorant and careless owners of dogs in the Bronx that do not care for their dogs properly,but this is everywhere in the USA, not just the Bronx.( the Bronx just happens to have more people packed into a smaller area) I would say that MOST of the dog owners in the Bronx are like you and I, careful, loving, considerate and respectful of our animals and others. It only takes a small percentage of negligent owners to distort the overall picture into a falsely negative image.

And BTW, I would venture a guess that the Chihuahua is probably the most populous breed in the Bronx, LOL!! <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

OK, I'll get off my soapbox now......

Yes, I am frustrated. It should be mentioned again the comment was meant for those who are irresponsible.
I only live here and can't comment on other areas. With that said, most dogs here are owned for protection since it is a higher populated area with higher crime rates than several areas in the US. From my experience of this area (living here all my life), I do know several great owners that I associate with but I know more (yes, my experience) that are careless and promote aggression in their dogs or are ignorant to the power a breed can possess. I haven't taken a poll recently (joke) but from my experience of walking several miles a day and visiting the local park often, most dogs here are of the larger and more protective type: pitbulls, mastiffs, german shepherds, etc. I should note, I am not against any breed (I am an animal lover and activist) but I am aware since I have researched this topic extensively, special considerations should be taken when owning or training "protection" dogs, i.e., keeping them leashed for one. In addition, research states that when more than one of these dogs are owned (w/out proper training) their prey instinct drive as a pack is higher. This is not "my" statement based on emotion but is considered empirical evidence retrieved from canine behavior experts.
As to also recap another fact mentioned in an above post, most dogs in NYC are not registered and licensed leaving little evidence of breed type (and that of breed population)and more evidence of irresponsible ownership.

OK Theresa....listen...I'm not gonna argue w/ you about morons who have pitbulls w/ weighted chains around their necks for stupid reasons, and others. Yes they exist, as do mastiffs and rotties, etc.BUT...the image you are portraying of the Bronx and the MAJORITY of dog owners at large there IS inaccurate.

For example...most people keep dogs in the Bronx for companionship...same as anywhere else. That being said, yes, many large breeds are kept in the Bronx, and many do so for the illusion of protection. ( we all know if you have a few large dogs in your apartment then it is more likely that the apt. down the hall will be robbed and not yours....) So now, you go to a five story walk up and tell me how many people in those apts. are keeping large dogs that have to be walked 3 times a day, and how many are keeping chihuahua's that are carried around like toys and not necessarily walked outside ?? My husband's old building alone must have had 20 small dogs to our 2 large ones! (And he was from a not so nice area near Fordham....)

Most people who have been around this board for any length of time are fully aware of pack behavior, no one disputes that this is pretty much what you so sadly got caught up in w/ your poor dog. I personally hate to hear of these things, as it is unfortunately these types of incidents that cause people to get on the bandwagon about breed specific legislation.

As for that Pitbull that was shot last week by the cop, I felt bad for the dog actually. A follow up report had indicated that the officer had barged into the dogs home(apt) while in pursuit of a suspect fleeing arrest. To me, that dog was killed protecting its own space, not menacing at large!The dog bit the officer and then it was shot, and back-up officers arriving on the scene continued to shoot causing one of the officers to be hit by riccocheting bullets!

Anyway, I would suggest that you try the Arnold Diaz or Tappy Phillips route if you are not able to get any resolution to your dilemna.

PLease remember that there are people from around the world who read this and it would not be fair to represent the entire canine population of the borough of the Bronx in a negative manner.( nor their owners) <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I guess splitting hairs over this is inevitable.
The key word I said was "most" and not the entire canine population of this area. This comment was not depicted to a breed or a borough but the type of owner who doesn't provide essential key elements to a happy pet. . Is it more prevalent where I live...possibly, again I can't comment on other areas. Do you honestly know the stats? I'm sorry you or anyone else is offended as the comment was made for those who do not provide exercise and such. I do believe ethical ownership is an obligation and a large responsibility. I think you missed my point, as to what I meant. Let me clarify and be specific, on my block alone there are 11 dogs owned by 11 different families that are simply never walked for exercise (to promote basic health and happiness). Why I'll never know. They are not positively stimulated, as their entire day is spent barking at passerbys. I could go into the surrounding areas, as the group of walked dogs is less than those who are not walked. (Again, this is not every single pet's dilemma here.)
This is what I meant and I believe this is a problem. You can disagree, but is your alliance with where I live or that these animals are not receiving balance. My concern is more for the animals.
I am not depicting where I live to be a horrible place as you are taking my statements out of context but it does bother me to see a large group of dogs (where I live) provided with only the bare necessities of just food and shelter. There is a lot more to caring for a pet, at least by my standards.
Let's agree to disagree.
This is exhausting.

Geez Theresa, you ARE making me tired...but I will say I do not disagree with any of the things you said..EXCEPT I did take offense to your blanket statement , and I quote you here..." I live in the Bronx (NY) where most people are unfortunately ignorant and have large aggressive dogs that are never walked and full of frustration."
That was and is my point.
Now, good luck with your issues.

Everytime I read one of these posts it makes me realize how fortunate I am to live on a farm, 3mi out from a small town with a population of 2000. I take my dogs 4-wheeling everyday without a leash!!! Believe it or not when I try to take them to town I have to deal with dogs that are roaming the streets and witness the cruelty of pit mixes chained in the sun. I guess it's the same everywhere!

I am very sorry about what happened to you and your dog. I know this was a traumatizing experience. Hang in there.

Regards,
Debbie

Hi Theresa, I believe you about your area. What section of the Bronx are you in? It's similar where I live too. Loose aggressive dogs. It goes in waves. For a while we were accosted everyday just about, then it stopped for a while, and now I'm seeing it start again. Nobody can truly empathize with the terror of being stalked or attacked by loose dogs unless they've experienced it. I have mastiffs so I'm not that worried about them getting seriously injured, but it's still scary. When in Rome, do like the Romans <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> I don't mean letting my dogs loose as in do like the Romans, but having comparable if not better dogs as the low lifes. I also have a gsd mix who I don't walk alone for his own safety. When he's walked, we walk with my husband and I bring along one of my bigger dogs to protect him.

There's a lady in the city that had a similar but worse incident. Here's the link to her story:
dog attack

I would contact her if I were you because she's familiar with the system. Maybe she could offer you some help, or maybe you could work together to get some changes in the laws or enforcement of them. If you're interested I could PM you her contact info.

I would hesitate to use pepper spray on the types of dogs you have in your area. It could make them angrier. Carrying a knife is probably wise. I did that for a while myself. I'm not sure if I could have ever used it but at least I had it in case. The fog or air horn is a good idea. I have one but haven't had to use it yet so I couldn't tell you of it's effectiveness. It does seem to be the less likely thing to enrage a dog. I think it would disorient it.

Jeannette, I felt kind of sorry for that pitbull that got shot too, but I don't think the officers had any choice. The dog took a chunk out of the officers leg! I think the owners should have gotten their dog off the policeman, and then maybe the dog would be alive today. Who lets their dog attack police officers and does nothing to stop it?! Degenerates, that's who. Then the owner had the audacity to ask why her dog had to be shot? Their door should have been locked. I had an incident several years ago where an autistic boy came barging in my house during dinner. Luckily my dogs don't show aggression to children or it would have been a tragedy. I had a Presa, mastiff x and gsd x. Since that incident my door is always locked and bolted.

I don't think Arnold Diaz and Tappy Philipps do that segment of the show anymore. I haven't seen either of them on the show in a while. Even Shame on You was discontinued because the network got sued <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Man, sorry to hear about your dog attack.The way dog owners are having to be even more responsible now a days I am surprised you couldn't get anything done with those officials. I would definitly call up the local news channels and papers trying to get attention.

I used to live in FL in an area with a lot of woods and stray dogs. I used to always carry pepper spray on me, and a walking stick. I am 215lbs and my bitch is 70 pounds but there is no way I am having a pack of dogs come up to me and do something like that. I have had a pack of three dogs come up to me, two pits, and a boxer mix and the one pit challenged and I stood my ground with my dog under control (she is dominant) with a walking stick and pepper spray ready to go and told that dog to "GO HOME" and after several minutes it backed off, because I wasn't going to.

That’s my only advice to you is use pepper spray or even a shooting stun gun and if you have to use it, unload on that dog until the can is empty and if your dog gets in the way also, you can deal with that later. You have to do what you have to do to protect yourself. 5 dogs on one dog and one person is a bit much for anyone to handle without getting physical back in some way shape or form.

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I would hesitate to use pepper spray on the types of dogs you have in your area. It could make them angrier. Carrying a knife is probably wise. The fog or air horn is a good idea. I have one but haven't had to use it yet so I couldn't tell you of it's effectiveness. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

The air horn may be something that could work but I would also carry the pepper spray and direct it rite into the eyes. The knife, in my opinion is a bad idea because that means you have to get on the dogs level to use it, on the ground or close, the spray you can stay at a distance. The knife maybe good for backup in the absolute worst case, I would prefer the shooting stun gun.