By Stan Purdum
According to Road Bike Rider stats, my recent article about dog attacks on cyclists was the most clicked article in that week’s RBR newsletter. That’s a reminder that unrestrained dogs are an ongoing problem for riders.
Given the high number of responses, I was a bit surprised at how few mentioned doing anything to hold the owners of the troublesome dogs responsible and thus — hopefully — stop such dog behavior in the future, at least from that residence. One respondent did tout the importance of suing such owners (and noted that homeowner’s insurance policies cover such suits) and a couple respondents spoke about holding the offending owners accountable, but many readers who had been injured or had their bikes damaged in dog attacks, at least from the details provided in their responses, sounded like they dealt with the injury and/or damage without reporting the owners to any authorities or seeking compensation.
On the one hand, I understand that: It takes energy and effort to document the incident and figure out who to call — and perhaps then having the complaint met with indifference by that authority — and so forth. Even beyond that, some riders may be deterred by the assumption that even if the authorities follow up, the penalty on the dog owners may end up being little more than a slap on the wrist.
As a case in point, a terrible incident in an Ohio county near mine resulted in a female rider having to have her leg amputated after being attacked by three unrestrained pit bulls. She was eventually rescued by three passersby, who managed to drive off the dogs and rush her to the hospital. The authorities did pursue the matter and euthanized all three dogs. The owners, who were not home at the time of the attack, were charged with misdemeanor counts of failure to confine and failure to register their dogs. The man in that case pleaded guilty to the charges and paid fines of just over $600, which primarily showed the inadequacy of the state’s laws regarding dog attacks and owner accountability. The victim has filed a civil lawsuit against the owners, seeking an apology and a sense of responsibility rather than financial gain. Her suit is still ongoing.
But on the other hand, a timely response by the proper authority to the owners of a troublesome mutt can make a lasting difference. One cyclist I know who has a rear-mounted camera on his bike, videoed a dog charging him and showed it to the county dog warden. The warden looked up the address from which the dog had come and found no dog license on record. He then visited the property, fined the dog owner for allowing the animal to roam unrestrained and also made him purchase a dog license. It all cost the owner about $300. The cyclist has ridden by that location several times since, and the dog was nowhere to be seen. It’s likely that not only that cyclist but other riders benefitted from his effort and the dog warden’s diligence.
If you are hurt or have bike damage from a dog attack, and you choose to sue the owner, there are law firms that specialize in representing injured cyclists. On its website, BikeLegal, which is one such firm, says that to pursue legal action, your attorney will need to prove “the owner had a legal responsibility to control their animal and prevent it from causing harm” and “failed to uphold this responsibility, such as by not using a leash, letting their dog roam free, or ignoring signs of aggression,” and that the “owner’s breach of duty caused your crash and injuries.”
BikeLegal also states the importance of (1) documenting everything, including the details of the incident, location and the dog’s appearance. (Use your phone to get a shot of the dog, the house and its address, if possible) and (2) contacting authorities: Report the attack to the police, especially if the dog was unrestrained or poses an ongoing danger.
One thing all of us cyclists can do, whether or not we are ever personally a victim of a canine attack, is to raise awareness about the dog-versus-cyclist issue. I was riding on a country road one day when a large dog came charging at me. A man, sitting on the front porch, shouted to me, “Don’t worry; he doesn’t bite.” I was too busy watching the dog to make sure he didn’t knock me over to answer the man, but later, it occurred to me that I had missed a teaching opportunity: The man sounded friendly, and I could have stopped and explained that biting is not the only threat that unrestrained dogs present to cyclists.
Personal conversation with dog owners can be useful, but it’s not the only means of raising awareness: We can use posts on Facebook and other social media and letters to the editor of various publications as well.
Of course, there’s one other reason to educate dog owners about their animal’s attraction to bikes, and I recently experienced a case in point. I was pumping uphill when a little dog, barking fiercely, flew at me from the yard of a house where he was not restrained. I was near enough to the summit to keep moving and outrun him. But as I topped the hill, a pickup truck passed me rapidly, going the other direction. A second later, I heard the truck slam on its brakes and the sound of a thump. The barking of the dog stopped suddenly. I didn’t turn around to investigate, but I suspect that the dog’s owner may have learned the hard way about the cost of leaving a dog unrestrained.
Stan Purdum has ridden several long-distance bike trips, including an across-America ride recounted in his book Roll Around Heaven All Day, and a trek on U.S. 62, from Niagara Falls, New York, to El Paso, Texas, the subject of his book Playing in Traffic. Stan, a freelance writer and editor, lives in Ohio. See more at www.StanPurdum.com.
Knock on wood I have not suffered injury from a dog attack. This article sends me reminiscing those many occurrences and close calls. I marvel at a canine’s hearing ability. It appears a canine can here you long before they see you, even if they ever see you at all. I ponder what sounds a bike emits that they become so agitated and aggressive about. As an audiophile I envy their acute sense of hearing.
Your point about the risk to the dog itself is well taken and a sad reminder of an incident of mine years ago along the Mississippi River near Lansing Iowa. It was heartbreaking to have to go to the home of the dog and tell the owner that their dog was mortally wounded after chasing us across the highway. More than once I have saved a dog by yelling at it as it was about to cross the road towards me.
I’ve been chased many times by dogs, and the one and only actual attack resulted in surgery to pin a fractured elbow. I sent a letter to the owner’s address explaining that their dog was a threat to the public but never got a response. Never saw that dog again. I have notified county Animal Control several times, and that seems to work to prevent future issues but it obviously will depend on how your local authorities respond. It seems that the hassle of a lawsuit is rarely worth it though the case of the leg amputation is maybe an example where the damages are so severe and the legal punishment so light.
In a case here in Quebec’s Eastern Townships (you can google Potton dog attack, but there are photos you may not want to see), a dog, attack left a runner severely and permanently injured, and the dog owner went to jail for six months (!!!) and the town was found liable for a $460,000 fine bc that dog had already attacked several people (on foot and bicycle) and the town has done nothing even though the attacks had been reported, and the town had a dog-bite bylaw..
**Always** report a dog attack, and if the town had a dog-leash bylaw, report loose dogs that chase you.
It only takes a couple of minutes to file a report, and it could save a life.
Thanks for all the comments. and for sharing your experiences.
I carry bear spray on all my rides. I usually use expired ones that I no longer feel safe using in bear country. UDAP brand is favorite. Expired ones work fine for dogs and have saved me many times. It’s a great training tool for dogs that owners are too stupid to confine. The smart dogs only need sprayed once. The dumb dogs that you spray more than once will eventually end up dead in the barrow pit hit by a vehicle.
Many years ago I had an encounter with a dog that was laying in wait in the ditch beside the road. It didn’t notice me but charged out after the rider in front of me. I ran over it and I managed to kick my foot out in time to lay the bike down. The dog ran yelping to the nearest house. I continued to ride but soon noticed that my toes were hitting the front wheel when I turned. The frame had buckled! A lawyer friend in the bike club sent a letter to the owner of the dog, paid me $100, which was the value of the bike at the time. This was about 40 years ago.
I have a similar story about what can happen to a dog that is chasing people. About five years ago I was jogging at night down a sidewalk (it was January and got dark early) when I noticed a large dog in a yard across the street that I had never seen before. I thought maybe it was tied to something or they had a wireless dog fence, but neither was the case. The dog came running after me, growling, but unfortunately for it a car came down the street just as it started running across the street toward me. The car drove over the dog, I heard several thumps and yelping, and saw the dog afterward get up off the street and limp back to the house. I was surprised it was still alive. The woman driving the car stopped and I told her where the dog had come from, so she walked up to the house to see if the dog was OK and I continued my jogging. I haven’t had any more problems with that dog since that night when I jog past that house.
My wife and I have been chased by dogs in several different states. while bicycling. Fortunately, we have never been caught. We have, however, had to outrun packs of dogs in several different states while riding an unsupported bicycle tour.
While bicycle touring outside of Indio, California, a pack of 5 German Shepherd took after us while we were passing a farm. Luckily, the road was flat and we could outrun them.
In the outskirts of Austin, Texas a pack of 3 dogs came after us just as we were cresting a hill. A lady in a car behind us nicely placed her car between the dogs and us and we were able to outrun them on the downhill.
In Kentucky, while bicycle touring the Adventure Cycling TransAm route, a pack of 3 dogs came after us. Before they did so, we saw a man standing on his front porch who yelled, “‘go git them” right before the dogs started after us. We learned that in Kentucky if you stop and tell the dog “git” they will stop and turn around. Apparently, “git” is used with dogs in Kentucky rather than “get”. The lead dog in that pack was a German Shepherd and after I stopped and said “git” the German Shepherd stopped and looked back towards his house as if to tell his owner he was confused as to what he should do: should he stop, or should he keep going after me?
You can’t blame the dogs for following their instincts because they are animals. But the dog owners have to be held liable for the dog’s actions when it results in physical harm to others. Seeing dogs coming up behind you is another benefit of using a rear view mirror.
Last March, while participating in Texas HellWeek, riding an often used road up to the famed Willow City Loop, I caught video (Fly 12) of two vicious farm dogs chasing and lunging at me. No common commands would they respond to. I barely escaped, but at the impromptu water stop in Willow City, I heard one of our group actually got bit. A reluctant sheriff’s department followed up to report that the dogs were not vaccinated and went to quarantine. The victim had to endure the series of rabies shots. The word was that the owner would “just shoot them” when they were returned to him. I am not from Texas, thus, I don’t get the mentality. it sounds like an owner problem, not a dog problem. Cruelty charges, banned from future ownership??? I plan on doing the event next year and will quiz the sheriff’s department about their policies regarding this type of attack.
Definitely an owner problem. I’ve had German Shepherds all my life. It’s our responsibility as owners to contain our dogs, and better yet, to train them to come. If you’re too lazy to do that, invest in an electric (Invisible) fence. It’s not cruel; dogs learn very quickly to stay within their boundaries, which after a few mild corrections, keeps them (and everyone else) safe.
Riding in rural south east georgia on a group ride and an unrestrained ran across the two lane road and came rushing at us it was hit by a truck in the opposing lane. very sad to witness as i have and love dogs. Its like this almost everywhere here and owners feel like they don’t need to leash their dogs. Most of us can readily out sprint dogs. If we have newbies or slower riders and see dogs ahead we protect them. I mostly feel bad for the dogs, they are just doing what comes naturally to them.
I have been riding for 52 years, still getting 5000 miles/year.. After being bitten by a GSD about 25 years ago (the owner totally ignored my yelling at their dog; I called the cops and they were fined $50), I began carrying “Halt.” Every time since then a dog has chased me (not often), a quick squirt of Halt stops them in their tracks. I used to practice retrieving the can from my saddlebag so I’d be prepared when needed. One day, I used a very small spray against a small dog that was gaining on me as I rode up a hill. No problem. Until half a mile later, a fast moving 4-wheel ATV came up from behind and slammed into me sideways, knocking me into a ditch. My feet were still locked into my pedals as the guy (a redneck lowlife) approached me, threatening to spray me in the face. Long story short, I staved off his attack and called the cops. He was cited, despite his attempting to lie his way out of it, and we went to trial. Against what the ADA said were all odds, the jury sided with me and he was convicted (not for the first time) of assault and fined $500. Would I use “Halt” again. Absolutely!