Three houses down our row of townhomes is #5 York Road. About two years ago an out-of-towner bought it for his son and his son's cousins to live in while they attend TU and play football. The guys are relatively quiet (especially compared to the jerkasses who've moved into the other rental properties this year), though they do have a propensity to clutter up the alley with five illegally parked cars from time to time. Aside from the five guys in the house are four pit-bulls. Whenever I run past their house the pitbulls are in the garage and they freak out, banging on the garage door and raising all kinds of hell. Two of them in particular seem full of rage--a black and white bull moose of a dog, and a rather petite fawn female. Another of the four is a really nice dog; I've tussled with him several times since he was a small puppy. Another is a female who's ok, but a bit skittish--never a good thing in a pitbull. Sometimes they let these dogs out off the leash, which is a bit risky to say the least. This morning before class I walked to my car to check on something, and as I came back I saw the two pitbulls who get really furious when I walk by unattended in the alley. Immediately they howled in rage, their hackles went up, and they charged at me barking. I heard someone on the porch at 5 York say "Oh, fuck" and start screaming at the dogs, which almost certainly is the worst thing to do in such a situation. At any rate I quelled the instinctual response--FLEE AT ALL COSTS--and crouched down and made the universally irrestible to dogs kissy-face noises I use in such situations. It worked, and instead of getting mauled I got jumped on and lathered with happy spit.
The problem here is what if someone RUNS when these dogs go into a fit and charge? What if it's a child who's scared, or the mailman, or another dog in the neighborhood? I really don't think it's a good idea for these animals, which are seriously fucking strong, to be out without a lead. Whenever I say so to the guys in #5 they treat me like I'm The Man giving them a hard time. I hope the guys in #5 graduate sometime in the near future and take their menagerie with them.
2 comments:
I was always glad when I walked up the alley this summer that they were inside the house and not outside.
And after dealing with my neighbor being mauled by her own dog, I don't take this stuff lightly anymore.
Baltimore County does have a leash law. Maybe these guys need to be reminded of it.
I was mauled by my own dog when I was 18, and it sucked big time! Something like 19 stitches in my hands and wrists. What a fucking war that was.
I'm becoming an old curmudgeon, but kids today ain't got no fucking respect for anybody else.
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