Dog Days
Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2001 6:30 pm
After a great class at the dojo last night I drove home, parked the car, grabbed the gear bag and started to walk to my house minding my own business and whistling.
I pass a 3 foot hedge on the way and as I was walking by two quite large dogs came ripping out of the hedge, barking ferociously and growling behind me. The first dog came right at me and stopped about 1 foot away growling. As soon as I heard the noise I turned quickly (THANK YOU SANCHIN!!!), kia'd very loudly and made ready to kick the living crapola out of the first dog (the most aggressive) and break the neck of the second dog if need be - I don't know if I would have accomplished my goal but I know I wouldn't have gone down without a fight.
The dogs took off and the owners were yelling to the dogs to come back. I stormed into the house fuming at what might have happened. A small child might not have survived such an incident and there are a few kids in our neighbourhood.
My question is this: To my mind, these dogs were unrestrained and a menace. Would I have been within my rights to hurt/kill them? I don't know if the law in the US differs from the law in Canada but I saw on Mass. news this morning where a person shot a dog in the face because he felt the dog to be a threat - this happened unfortunately in a park and he is being charged with discharging a weapon on federal property. The dog owner is being charged with not having his dog under control. How far does a situation have to go before you are within/outside your rights?
Mary
I pass a 3 foot hedge on the way and as I was walking by two quite large dogs came ripping out of the hedge, barking ferociously and growling behind me. The first dog came right at me and stopped about 1 foot away growling. As soon as I heard the noise I turned quickly (THANK YOU SANCHIN!!!), kia'd very loudly and made ready to kick the living crapola out of the first dog (the most aggressive) and break the neck of the second dog if need be - I don't know if I would have accomplished my goal but I know I wouldn't have gone down without a fight.
The dogs took off and the owners were yelling to the dogs to come back. I stormed into the house fuming at what might have happened. A small child might not have survived such an incident and there are a few kids in our neighbourhood.
My question is this: To my mind, these dogs were unrestrained and a menace. Would I have been within my rights to hurt/kill them? I don't know if the law in the US differs from the law in Canada but I saw on Mass. news this morning where a person shot a dog in the face because he felt the dog to be a threat - this happened unfortunately in a park and he is being charged with discharging a weapon on federal property. The dog owner is being charged with not having his dog under control. How far does a situation have to go before you are within/outside your rights?
Mary