20 Years Without a Dog Bite

The ongoing debate between trail users and dog owners is fierce in the Valley.  I've always thought it was a silly argument based on a false dichotomy-- dogs vs. people.  As a dog person who pets every dog he finds, I don't understand people who lack the intuition to handle dog encounters.  And as a runner and biker who uses the trails every day, I can't understand people who have their dogs unleashed and can't control them.  Isn't there some reasonable middle path?   If you can control your dog, take them anywhere; if not, don't.

I had a great streak going:  Nearly 20 years of running and biking on trails without a dog bite.  And, that's considering my complete lack of caution when I approach dogs.  The leashed dog that pulled his owner down the trail yesterday on the Robert Frost Trail and bit me twice broke my streak. (For the record, I had the sense to not pet this one-- I avoided it but stayed on my bike.)  The guy apologized with a stunningly blithe load of crap: "It's because you're on a bike, and you're a stranger."  Hmm, perhaps your dog doesn't get to walk in the woods then?  Feeling a sense of compassion and tolerance, I didn't stop the guy when he continued down the trail.  I didn't see any blood.  I'm working on being a kinder person and this seemed like a good thing to do.  I felt very Zen.

Zen it wasn't.  The left leg bite did bleed (though the ankle didn't); and because we can't prove the dog doesn't have rabies, I've spent hours in ER's in the last 24 hours, starting rounds of shots . (Below-- 4x immunoglobulin and 1x rabies vaccine.) More to come.  I'm assuming my insurance will cover all but copays, but if you know a 35-45 year old male with a white and dark-splotchy border collie, let him know we need to speak, because I'd prefer he pay these bills-- or at least let me avoid the remaining immunizations.  Better he talk to me than the Pelham dog officer or PD.