[SLinBend]

Posting this for a friend who was bitten by a dog while riding C.O.D. trail yesterday. She's trying to track down the owner. If you have any info, fire me a PM and I'll forward it on to her. More details below. Thanks.

"I was bitten yesterday while riding my mountain bike on the C.O.D. trail by an unleashed pit bull. I am truly afraid this could happen to my small children--or yours--and want to find the owner of this dog.

The owner apologized, but never volunteered any information or offered to pay for my medical expenses. Although I was wearing tights, the bite broke the skin, and I had to get a tetanus shot.


The dog is a pit bull (or mix) with reddish-brown, short fur. The dog's name is ZOE, and was with two other off-leash dogs at the time (one that looked like the attacker and another that looked like a shepard of some sort). The dog was wearing two collars, one of which was a pinch collar.


This was an unprovoked and sudden attack. This dog is unpredictable---please help me find it before it happens to someone else and the consequences are worse. I think I was pretty lucky. Thank you for any information you can offer to help me contact the owner of this dog."

 

[Nat]

Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

 

[easyriderpdx503]

Boooooo....Indeed.

 

[psychebike]

Idiot owners!! Leash your dog, and muzzle her if she's a problem. Ugh.

 

[dirt farmer]

Hsssssssssssssssss!

 

[poppa#1]

Bite the owner and take any beer that they may have.Take the owner trail riding and keep said owner on a leash for the duration of the ride.Sorry about your experience.

 

[Sparticus]

The Prosecution rests its case.

--sParty

 

[Dogbrain]

Did the owner know the skin was broken? I assume since it just required a tetanus shot that it was a single bite rather than a lock-up-and-shake? Did you ask for contact info? Did you call the police? It's very important to file a police report as soon as possible. In Oregon, there's really nothing to do unless there is a prior bite on record. I'm not an attorney, but it's my understanding that there is no criminal liability for the first reported bite unless it's a full-on mauling that proves without a reasonable doubt that the dog must have shown previous aggression. Civil is obviously a different game. Either way she should have called the police in the parking lot.

 

[nh4cl]

Shitty dog owners piss me off. There's no excuse for having a dog off leash that you can't control verbally or remotely, much less multiple dogs off leash.

 

[Nat]

Did the owner know the skin was broken? I assume since it just required a tetanus shot that it was a single bite rather than a lock-up-and-shake? Did you ask for contact info? Did you call the police? It's very important to file a police report as soon as possible. In Oregon, there's really nothing to do unless there is a prior bite on record. I'm not an attorney, but it's my understanding that there is no criminal liability for the first reported bite unless it's a full-on mauling that proves without a reasonable doubt that the dog must have shown previous aggression. Civil is obviously a different game. Either way she should have called the police in the parking lot.

I wonder if she was too rattled (having just been bitten by a pit bull) to get all of that info immediately?

 

[dirt farmer]

It's time for mandatory gun carrying in our national forests! Let's pass a law!

Wait... scratch that. That sounds too tea baggish.

Seriously, though, wasn't there just a recent thread on dogs on the trails? I would feel just a teeny tiny bit better if this happened on the DRT, because there's always dogs running around there, but why oh why is this happening on our mainly bike specific trails?

 

[gabrielle]

I wonder if she was too rattled (having just been bitten by a pit bull) to get all of that info immediately?

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Vancbiker]

I wonder if she was too rattled (having just been bitten by a pit bull) to get all of that info immediately?

Most likely. When I got bitten several years ago, I was so amped up with adrenaline and emotion that the last thing I was thinking was to get info. All I wanted to do was to away from the dog, and more so, it's owner before an already bad scene turned worse.

 

[Jaybo]

Too bad

Pit Bull dogs are terrier and breed to chase stuff. The movement of your legs is a moving target. My dog will bark a few times but never bites. I do bet there are more hurt people by reckless bikers and other issues through.

 

[pigdog]

In Oregon, there's really nothing to do unless there is a prior bite on record. I'm not an attorney, but it's my understanding that there is no criminal liability for the first reported bite unless it's a full-on mauling that proves without a reasonable doubt that the dog must have shown previous aggression.

Not necessarily true. Liability is determined via duty owed and duty breached. Dog owner has a duty to keep said dog in control and from harming people or other animals. Clearly that duty was breached here, the definition of legal liability has been met. Find out who the owner is - there's a medical claim easily established against this persons home owners or renters insurance policy if they've got those. They'll cover bills and more than likely throw some money at you to make you go away, even if its for what they may consider nuisance value. bummer though, hope you heal soon.

 

[shiggy]

Pit Bull dogs are terrier and breed to chase stuff. The movement of your legs is a moving target. My dog will bark a few times but never bites. I do bet there are more hurt people by reckless bikers and other issues through.

That is not an acceptable reason and I NEVER believe dog owners that claim their dog will NEVER bite.

 

[Jaybo]

Never said it was....

That is not an acceptable reason and I NEVER believe dog owners that claim their dog will NEVER bite.

I hear you but stuff happens. I bet far more riders get hurt by other bikers than dogs or even more like a tree.

 

[Jaybo]

Hmm

Not necessarily true. Liability is determined via duty owed and duty breached. Dog owner has a duty to keep said dog in control and from harming people or other animals. Clearly that duty was breached here, the definition of legal liability has been met. Find out who the owner is - there's a medical claim easily established against this persons home owners or renters insurance policy if they've got those. They'll cover bills and more than likely throw some money at you to make you go away, even if its for what they may consider nuisance value. bummer though, hope you heal soon.

This is the reason we all need insurance for guys like this! He should pay for the medical attention and be fined for having an out of control dog off leash. How much would be enough?

 

[Sparticus]

I hear you but stuff happens. I bet far more riders get hurt by other bikers than dogs or even more like a tree.

Too bad mtbr's filter won't let me type the word dumbass, Dumbass.

--sParty

 

[Vancbiker]

My dog will bark a few times but never bites. I do bet there are more hurt people by reckless bikers and other issues through.

The woman that owned the dog that bit me was shouting (from 50+ feet away) at me "don't worry, he doesn't bite" as the dog was running toward me barking. Would have been nice if directed her shouting at the dog instead of me.

This recent incident in Bend is a sad example of an irresponsible pet owner.