SCARED TO DEATH
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| Tue, 02-27-2007 - 10:27pm |
Okay most of what I have posted on this board is the hilarious antics of my family. Todays post will tell you I may indeed be a mother bear.
Normally, I am a quick witted, mild mannered (well mannered at least) wife and mother of 2 children and 3 dogs. As an HR Director I work from home half the week and sometimes have to wear pantyhose, the dreaded high heels and go to the office. I can obtain a sense of calm that DH claims can scare off wildlife in a 20 mile direction, in fact, I can fire you from your job in 2 languages and have you thank me later.
I preface this tale so you will not believe me to be an inbred redneck whose is a danger to myself and others. We live in the country, I mean woods where the deer play on 27 pristine acres of green farm land. We are often visited by all manner of wildlife; fox, rabbit, stray dogs, once even visited by stray cattle and horses belonging to neighbors. I do not alarm at the sight of wildlife, mostly our outside dogs topping 100lbs each of blubbering Lab keep the animals at a safe distance. Today was an exception.
I was inside working on the computer, DD arrived home from school and began interrogating me on the arrival of todays mail. She is waiting on acceptance letter from a Spring Break Camp. "No precious DD of mine, I did not check the mail today...I have been working, do you see me working?" The drawback of working at home is that home is at work with you. She of course said huffily (is that a word?), well I will go check it. Our mail box is 100 yards down our wooded driveway, I guessed she was not looking forward to the walk.
I returned to work for several minutes only to hear the Labs barking as if Satan has been unleashed on our property. From my office at home I can see directly down our driveway, that is when terror strikes my heart. Standing 10 feet from DD is a snarling full grown Pit Bull, DD who loves all animals (she once wanted to be a vet until she realized she had to deal with all pets not just puppies) was squatting down talking to the dog. The dog is not wagging his tail from my view and our dogs are trying to chew off the fence to get between DD & this dog who has invaded their territory.
Believe me when I say I wish DH was here at this time. I ran to the closet, grabbed DH's 22 rifle and ammunition. Running down the driveway screaming like a bangee at the dog trying to divert attention to myself from DD, DD screams "Mom don't hurt him he is scared". This animal may have been scared but I was terrified. I tell DD do not move quickly, but slowly stand, turn sideways and walk backwards to our fence, then I want her to jump over the fence into our front yard with our dogs. She of course being 16, now of all times, wants to debate the wisdom of my decisions.
Screaming at her in voice that came from the 7th level of hell, I tell her to "DO WHAT I SAID-NOW"!! She by the way has the absolute nerve to roll her eyes and sigh, but gratefully puts about 10 more yards between herself and the dog. I know it only took a minute but it seemed an eternity. Having made it safely to the fence she begins to jump over and drops the mail while trying to push our own eager dogs back to let her over the fence rail. Instinctively, she reaches down to get the mail and the Pit Bull jumps toward her.
She screams "Mom", I am sorry to say the dog died. DD like myself had immediately phased in to a mental meltdown, all equipped with tears. When all the drama had subsided and animal control had disposed of the animal, she says "thanks Mom you saved me" and then added for good measure (as only a teen can) "bet you get the mail tommorow".
PS. I took no pleasure in killing this animal, but motherly instincts will not permit my children to be harmed in the face of danger I can prevent.

Whoa!!!! What quick thinking to grab your gun and do this!!! As an urban bred Canadian no guns are in the house that aren't water filled squirty toys or wall hung decorations. In the same situation I hardly know WHAT I would do.
Poor thing though...I know it was necessary but hardly a decision one wishes to make. I was chased and bitten by a dog when I was a teen and I was given the choice by the authorities to request the dog be put down. I chose not to -- not the dog's fault that it was roaming unleashed. The owner knew full well the laws around this.
You do what you have to do. I've also had to shoot a couple of dogs (they were killing my other animals), it's never pretty.
zz
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http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/october/meet_the_new_health_.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQTBYQlQ7yM
OMG! Glad you and your DD are OK!! It's sad to shoot a dog, but your safety and your DD's safety are important.
My DS7 came home yesterday and said a kid in his school (first grade) and afterschool got bitten by a dog over vacation. This little boy has a bite mark on his cheek (YIKES, as a mom all I can think of is 'near his eye'). DS says "now you know why I'm scared of dogs!" One funny....he said this happened "upstate", which for a NYC kid means anywhere outside of the city (they're so urban oriented, that a few trees means they're in a rural area).
I'm so glad you and DD are ok. I'm not so sure what I would have done in your situation, we have enough guns of various types and sizes to arm a small platoon, but I don't know how to shoot any of them. Most of the women around here would be able to eliminate the threat of the dog in a single shot though. We're pretty rural around here too.
Rose
How scary!