I just hit a doggy :'( (Long, sorry)

So it's 2 a.m. and I'm always up late, as an insomniac. Jade told me she needed to potty. No need to muzzle her at this time of night, I thought. So I leashed her up, grabbed my fire poker, and we headed outside.

I switched on the porch light and we proceeded outside as normal. She sniffed around and squatted to pee. I walked her near the bushes in case she had to poo, and she sniffed around and whatnot for a while.

Then, in the blink of an eye, a dog came from our backyard. Jade's old pen is back there and I assume the dog was sniffing around the pen. Porch light on, I immediately saw it was a pit bull, as usual. A blue/dark one, slightly smaller than Jade, must have been a female.

First thing that I think is "NOT AGAIN!!" as there are ALWAYS loose pit bulls around here, and they USUALLY mean BIG trouble. I have seen many a dog mauled by loose/stray pit bulls, even my old Brownie. I was in the middle of the yard, and a standoff ensued. Jade snarled and growled and lunged, as of course she's going to.

The other dog didn't back down, but didn't behave aggressively. It was slowly coming towards us as we're backing up. I couldn't hear if it was growling or anything as Jade was making a fuss. I also couldn't really tell well if the hackles were raised etc. as the dog was black/blue and it was lit but not REALLY well lit.

I don't panic. I'm backing up, trying to pull a snarling, powerful Jade along and get back in the house as fast as possible without falling down or turning my back. I'm keeping my eye on the dog in front of her but trying my best to avoid eye contact.

All of a sudden, the dog began to approach us in a much quicker manner. I panicked of sorts. I took my fire poker, located in my right hand, trust it forward (javelin style) and stabbed the dog somewhere near the front shoulder/chest area about as hard as I could with my right hand. Didn't really aim, and my aim is terrible anyway.. just thrust it towards the dog as hard as possible. Note that I'm left handed and my strong hand is used for Jade's leash.

It CRIED and CRIED and flinched and lowered to the ground and everything. To be totally honest, you would have thought someone was killing the poor thing. Realizing that the danger was gone, I turned and rushed inside with Jade. I took barky, snarly Jade in the house. I threw down the leash, still attached to Jade, threw down my fire poker and rushed back outside to see if it was okay (NOT smart, but oh well).

When I approached it, ... it turned tail and ran away from me. It limped a bit I think but still ran away rather fast. Oh.. I feel SO bad. My fire poker didn't have any blood on it and I didn't see any blood in the grass etc. when I looked, so I don't think it penetrated, I just think it REALLY hurt.

OMG! I feel terrible. What if I really hurt it? Like broke a bone or something. WHY did I do that? I have never hit a dog like that in my life.. even when my old Brownie was in fights, I couldn't bring myself to strike a dog with intention to seriously injure it/kill it.

Blah... I feel horrible. In the back of my mind, I keep thinking I might have hurt it. I hope not. I hope it makes it back home or where ever and is okay. I didn't mean to hit it that hard, it was wrong to hit it that hard, I just didn't want it to attack Jade.

I'm so, so sorry if this offended anybody or made anybody upset. I just like to write things like this here to help me deal with them.

WOW!

seems it's not a nice place where you are living?
that you have to go for a walk with an fire poker out of the house at night?

but I guess I had just done the same, for to protect my dog
if it's usually that there are straying Pit Bulls or any other dogs around!

I hope that dog will have learnt and will stay away from you and your Jade in future

it will survive it

There is a pit bull problem here. Has been for years. Also, we have noticed weird people prowling about. Our trash cans and flower pots were thrown all over our yard recently.

I recently got the fire poker because Jade is normally muzzled when outside and cannot usually defend herself should a random dog attack her. I kind of regret it, I'm sure that poor dog didn't mean any true harm...

I do understand you Myra, but what had you could do?
you were worrying about Jade
and you already made worse experiences with those straying dogs?
so what had you could do? waiting if that Pit will really attack Jade or you or not?
certainly you cannot ask that dog, if it comes in good intention

maybe it was a overhasty reaction of you, but I think you was just afraid? which should be your right, when you are telling me, how it's getting on at you with those straying Pits and even that usually, they are showing an aggressive behavoir

of course, again, it's not the Pit to blaim for, it's not its fault, but yours either

Don't feel bad, it's your job to protect you and Jade and you did, it was dark so your senses are working harder too. You can't afford to be too trusting of stray dogs especially where you are and did what came to mind at the time, if not it could have been Jade or you hurt. It managed to run away, it will feel bruised for a while but will be fine, these poor dogs survive a lot worse than that x x

Hi mjfromga

I feel for you, I really do and what I'm about to say isn't supposed to be confrontational - but I guess it will appear so. Can I say, you did what you did because you were in a panic - but you injured this other dog, you say it limped off, no doubt it's a stray and will not have someone to seek veterinary treatment. Having said that he/she will no doubt go somewhere rest up until recovered and carry on with its sad life. I think what I find hard difficult is you say in your post that there are strays in your area, they are invariably pitbulls and you said to yourself "NOT AGAIN" - so why don't you have something in the garden that you can easily reach that isn't likely to cause injury to a stray dog. A bottle of water that you can squirt at this dog or something you can bang like a trash lid.

Anyway I hope Jade is ok - it's dark and it's her territory she reacted like most dogs would.

Hi You didnt know the dog,what else were you supposed to do,you were guided by Jade, so come on its over with,but if you hear someone talking about a dog that has been injured,dont jump in with both feet,As you say there are a lot of them wondering about.crystalgirl

Hi Crystalgirl - she didn't know the dog was there but she did know there was a problem with stray pitbulls in the area, if I knew there was a dangerous dogs roaming the area I'd make sure i had something that could scare the dog off without injuring it.

And why wouldn't she jump in with both feet if she heard someone talking about an injured dog, especially as she caused the injury shouldn't she be seeking it out to get treatment? I'd be looking high and low for that dog to make sure I hadn't broken one of it's bones.

How awful for you Myra, in your position I probably would have done the same.

If my dogs were under control and being attacked I would do whatever it took to keep them safe.

Baxter, you're right. My mother usually leaves a canister of strong bug spray to spray in their eyes if they come around or something. But it's left on the porch, it's not something I take outside with me all the time. We also had a loud horn, but it's long gone. I have heard that horns do not work on dogs. However; ours was lost, stolen, or accidentally thrown away as it was kept on the porch as well.

Also, lots of these dogs are highly aggressive, fighting grade pit bulls. Two Colby line APBT got a hold of my Brownie, one had his neck, and had me and my brother not been there and acted FAST, he would have easily been killed.

I've seen them beaten with crowbars, 2x4 planks, tasered, scalded with hot water and other stuff and still keep attacking. I've even seen them SHOT (though this is rare), and still keep attacking. This may sound like an excuse, and you might not believe what I'm saying but sometimes there's nothing you can do to stop one.

The blue pit bulls aren't usually THAT aggressive, thankfully. I went to see if the dog was okay because it was hurt laying in the yard and I didn't think that it would bite me or anything at that point in time.

While I'd never train my dogs to bite people who try to hurt me, I know that they will. It did bring peace of mind knowing I'd not have to fight off an assailant by myself if one decided that the dog wasn't enough of a deterrent. But with Jade muzzled outside most of the time, I have to be ready to defend both her and myself because it renders her defenseless.

This is why I'm getting into a habit of always taking the poker out with me. It's a heavy weapon, yet easy to swing or thrust. I truly didn't mean to hit/stab the dog so hard.. it was a pure accident the amount of force I used.

I was going to get dog mace when I got Jade's muzzle, but they didn't have it that day and I haven't gotten around to going back to see if they have any back in stock. I know I do need it because there are strays around here and it's supposed to be highly effective on dogs. Better get it ASAP. I couldn't bear hurting anymore dogs...