Dog-Gone

And people want to know why I am so afraid of animals?????

 Here's a post explaining why I am terrified of almost every animal.

3 weeks ago on a Saturday afternoon, I heard an awful racket coming from outside. I looked out to see our chocolate lab in a fight with another dog I had never seen before. I opened the door hollered, screamed, clapped my hands and they finally broke it up and the other dog trotted off. An hour or so later the kids were asking to go outside to play. I worried about a stray dog running around the neighborhood and warned them that if they seen it to come back inside. The kids went out and I started putting some laundry away. They had probably only been outside for about 20 minutes when I heard them start screaming and then I heard growling. I knew immediately that the stray dog had made it's appearance. I ran outside and they were at the end of the house, near the woods. Josiah was beating the dog on the head with a plastic ball bat and they were screaming and crying while our dog Jack was rolling on the ground with the other dog. Both dogs were growling and having an awful fight. Titus was standing there frozen solid with his hands out. I found out later that he said during an animal attack you are supposed to stand completely still like a tree and the animal won't attack you. Not sure where he heard this from, but glad it worked for him. Ha Ha Seemed like him and Josiah switched roles because Josiah was trying to protect his brother and sister while Titus just froze. From what I seen, I just assumed the kids were upset because the dogs were fighting. I hollered for the kids to hurry up inside. Josiah and Titus ran up the hill, but Amelia stopped to pick up everybody's flip flops. The dogs quit fighting when I hollered and the stray dog ran off. Josiah was in a state of shock and and was crying and screaming that he was bit. I asked him, "Where" and he said he didn't know. I checked him over real quick and he was fine. Amelia came back up and Titus screamed that she was bleeding. I got to her and she had blood running from her mouth. It was then that I realized that stray dog had attacked my kids and our dog Jack had tried to protect them. Titus and Josiah was fine. Amelia was so dirty I couldn't tell if she had been bitten or not. She had scratches all over her face and arms, but it looked like briar scratches to me. Even the blood from her lip looked like a briar scratch. She said the dog made her fall down in the bush. She is crying with her arm and won't move it much. I leave her in the tub and call the sherrif's office to report a stray dog that attacked my kids. They asked if it had bitten them and I still wasn't sure at the time. He said he was sending a deputy out to my house right away. I went back to the bathroom and began to wash Amelia. When I raised her arm to wash her I seen the bites. One was under her arm and the other on her back. I was livid!!!! The deputy came and we showed him the bites and scratches and he mentioned that we probably should take her to the hospital to get checked out while he tried to locate the dog. Of course he never found it, but he told us to either shoot it if it came back or call him again and he would catch it. We left for the hospital and drove up and down the road until we seen it running around the neighborhood. We called dispatch in hopes of them coming out to try to catch it again while we were gone. At the hospital the kids were questioned by the doctor and nurse about what happened. Come to find out Josiah said the dog came near them and Josiah reached out to pet it. Amelia got up and walked towards it to pet it too when the dog started growling. It knocked Amelia down and began to bite her and our dog Jack ran down there and attacked it to get it off Amelia. Amelia was knocked into briars and that is where her scratches came from on her face and arms. The dr put Amelia on antibiotics and we headed for home.

Briar scratches on her arms

Collage of her battle scars.  Her face was so scratched up.

The two bites.

After supper Maynard said he was gonna go look for the dog and see if he could catch it because the deputy told us he never did see it the 3 times he came looking for it. Maynard was gone just a few minutes when he called to tell me had caught the dog. He took a chain with him and had the dog tied up to a metal post. I called dispatch again and this time they paged the dog pound to come and pick it up. Amelia and I walked up to the hill where Maynard was and she went ballistic when she seen the dog. She was afraid it was gonna hurt Maynard. The dog seemed niced enough then though. Mayard told it to sit and it did while he tied it up. He said it did growl at him once though, but Maynard was not being real gentle with it anyway.

 So we got to watch them load up the dog and drive off. The dog would be quarentined for 10 days to make sure it wasn't sick or anything. If the owners are smart they won't call to claim the dumb dog. I mean would you if your dog had bitten a 3 yr old little girl in her yard? Amelia is now terrified of dogs. I'm not sure if eventually she will quite being afraid, but as of now if she sees a dog anywhere she starts crying and trying to get away. I don't want her to stay that fearful of dogs, but then again some fear at a certain point may keep her from thinking all dogs are friendly. Before, she would go to any dog and try to pet it.


My heart was filled with grattitude the next morning as we got ready for church. I was so thakful that God had watched over my children and that they wasn't hurt no worse than what they were. I love the Lord and I am so thankful to have Him in my life daily!!!!