Close Call for Banjo

[Carol and Banjo]

Banjo was attacked by the pitbull from across the road last nite. This dog is tied all day, every day on the side of their property.  He must be a mix - pitbull with perhaps doberman as he's quite large.  DH and Banjo were coming back from a walk and heading up our driveway when the dog broke his cable and ran down the road to our property.  He knocked DH right off his feet and went directly after Banjo.  They ended up under the pickup truck. My DH tried in vain to pull the dog out from under but wasn't able to. He got ahold of Banjo's leash and pulled him into the truck (almost hanging
him!!) and then had to push the pitbull out to close the door.
No one was bit thank God!  DH's hand is swollen and his hip is sore.  Banjo
is all weird about going outside now.   He smelled SO bad that I had to
give him bath right away.   It was AWFUL....I'm still sick about it.
DH called 911 - the owner's came over and assured us they would keep
dog in the house...blah..blah.. blah......And if all of this isn't bad enough they apparently are "fostering" this dog until a home is found for him!  The poor animal is left outside all day long!
I can't help thinking about all of the "what if's".  I really don't have any idea how I would have handled the situation.  The irony of it all is we had just finished having a conversation about how "well balanced and adjusted" Banjo was.  I don't want him to have any "hang ups" about other dogs or anything else.  First thing this morning I took him outside to pee.....and for the first time since getting him...he didn't go.  He was so busy looking over his shoulder and sniffing out the "crime scene".  He eventually did go after eating a small breakfast.  I keep taking him outside for little walks (recreating his walk with Dad last nite) and giving him yummy treats.  He does seem more relaxed as the day goes on here.
Just had to vent.....I'm still wired up about this, thanks for listening : )

[Lindsey, Lee, Whopper and Simba]

I can only imagine how scary this must have been. I am glad that noone was seriously hurt.

[Robyn, Greg and Snickers]

This happened to my DH and Snickers not too long ago. Other dog had a leash on but it wasn't hooked to the post.

Ever since then we carry Muzzle which is a pepper spray specificially designed for dogs. Thank god we have no had to use it but I feel better having it.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

This is my worst nightmare. I don't even know what I'd do if this happened when I was out walking my guys. Thank goodness your DH had the presence of mind to move quickly, and the car was there. I'm sure Banjo was scared to death...hopefully, he'll forget quickly. Meanwhile I would be furious with those ignorant neighbors. I'm sure they're not going to leave that dog inside all the time...he has to potty at some point. I'm so sorry....I'd be pretty wired up too!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

This is so scary. I am so happy Banjo is safe (and your husband). It sounds like you are doing everything right by treating him while you walk him, etc...he will get over it soon, I hope. Poor little guy. I bet that scared you all to death.

[Christina and Cooper plus Benny]

Cooper was attacked by a very similar sounding dog at a huge off leash park where we go running - it has MILES of running trails, so I really like it. The dog didn't cut through Coop's skin, but pinned him down and really shook him up. Cooper cried and cried and cried, and I tried to pick him up as he kinda lost control of his legs and couldn't even stand up, and he freaked out and cried harder. The lady let the dog go after she had got it off of Cooper and he came back for more, but had to go through me first to get to Cooper. Luckily he stopped. Long story short, we still run out there, and Cooper seems fine with other dogs. We immediately "got back on the horse" and went to daycare the next day - I told them about the incident so they knew to watch Cooper and his interactions with other dogs - and he did fine. No lingering problems! I think you have to just keep working with him and exposing him to other nice dogs and situations. I am hopeful Banjo will make a quick recovery much like Cooper. My dad's Pointing Griffon was attacked *bad* when she was between 1 and 2 years old and will never be the same, but he didn't expose her to strange dogs for a while afterward - he sheltered her. So...get back on the horse Banjo and meet some nice friendly dogs!
Oh, and don't get me started with my thoughts on Pits....we have so many problems here in Oregon with them....but that's a whole other topic! :)

[Christina and Cooper plus Benny]

I totally know what you are saying Jane, about nice pitbulls. I know there are some nice ones, and have even known a few. The problem totally is the people, and unfortunately that breed attracts some not so good people. We also have a group here in Oregon that thinks they can take Pits out of the fighting ring and rehab them and put them in homes. Maybe they can, but those new homes should not take the dog to the dog park and let it off leash. They are just not "that kind" of pet after an ordeal like that. I know that they can be ok in a solid family situation and may make fine pets after that, but people need to understand the limitations. We have someone attacked by a pitbull here pretty much every week!

I also think that I may have more problems than some with this breed because Cooper likes to play "chase" and loves it when another dog runs after him. The problem is, he looks like "bait" to some dogs. In the case where he was attacked, the other dog crouched down and literally pounced on Coop. I saw it all and couldn't stop it in time....and honestly, I was going to put Coop on leash as soon as I saw the dog, but thought, no...give it a chance, not all are bad.

Bottomline, the problem IS the owner, not the dog, but ultimately it is the DOG that ends up attacking. I am on alert as soon as I see one and often leave the dog park or any public area when they are around. Cooper is too precious to me to take the risk....

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

What an aweful story, Im glad both Banjo and DH are ok.

I agree with the above statements though, that Pitbulls can be wonderful dogs - theres no such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners. To leave the poor thing tied up outside is terrible.

Where there is a case of a person being bitten, pitbulls are always blamed, but most arent actually pitbulls. Many other breeds look similar

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm so sorry this happened to Banjo. It's one of my worst fears also. I'm glad Banjo wasn't seriously injured and hope that this incident doesn't leave any lasting impressions on him.
Carol, I hope you did make a police report. I would strongly urge you to find out what organization the neighbor is fostering for, and contact them to report this. It can't possibly be the policy of any legitimate rescue group to allow a foster of any kind, let alone a pit mix, to be tied up outdoors for even 5 minutes, much less all day. Either these neighbors are in violation of their fostering agreement, the "rescue" is bogus, or the whole story is a fabrication. But whatever the case, you will feel 100% better if you can insure that this doesn't happen again, and that would be the best way to do it.
Hugs to you & Banjo.

[Carol and Banjo]

Thank you everyone for your kind words. We did make a report with the police. I wouldn't know how to find out about the organization they're fostering for - short of going to their house and asking and I won't do that. My first thought was that it was just a story, but my DH is a retired NY cop and has a true knack for reading people and he felt that what they were saying was ligit. I honestly don't think this is a vicious dog - if he were he would have and could have hurt Banjo severely. I don't believe they will keep to their word about keeping the dog inside and as soon as he's left outside again we will contact the authorities and go from there.
I have feared this happening since bringing Banjo home, I knew it was just a matter of time.

[Leslie and Halas]

I hope Banjo is back to his normal self soon. One of my previous dogs and I were attacked by a Rottweiler once, and it was scary. I agree with Christina about getting Banjo around some friendly dogs so that he can get his confidence back. I thought the same thing as Karen when I read this post - I can't imagine that a reputable rescue organization would be ok with the way they are treating this dog. I would definitely report it to the police and the rescue group if you can figure out who it is.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I'm glad that all worked out well and that you are "rehabilitating"Banjo immediately

[Christine & Shelby]

This just breaks my heart... and makes me angry at the same time. Shelby has been approached by a few "off leash" dogs while we are walking our neighborhood, but we have been lucky that they've all been friendly. I bet Banjo and DH were both terrified. I agree... get him back out there - playdate and walks with friendly dogs. Tell Banjo that Shelby and I send a big hug and puppy kisses.

On an unrelated note - I wish Shelby and Banjo could meet - they would be so cute together!