Standing Up

I see myself as a quiet and reserved person most times.  When confrontation is in front of me I would much rather settle it quietly (or sometimes run in the other direction).  I don’t believe that everything has to be met with force or that there is only one side and believe that compromise of some sort is most times the best solution.  However, I also believe that there are those moments where a person has to stand up for what they believe and will do whatever necessary to protect those that they care about.

This past Saturday my son, our dog and myself were out for our morning walk when a neighbor’s dog flew out of the ditch and came at us.  This dog came so aggressively, crouched and ready to attack with the hair on the back of its neck standing straight up, ears flat and teeth out.  I pushed my son with our dog behind me and yelled at him to quickly move away while this dog continued to try to get around me and grab my leg.  This thing stayed 6 inches from the end of my kick and pushed me back almost 2 blocks before it reluctantly headed back to its own yard.  Why is a dog like this loose in a neighborhood?  What if my kids had been walking by themselves that morning?

After rushing home and a call to the County Emergency line (only to be greeted by a machine), I left my adrenaline sounding message and went back with my car.  Along the way I ran into a fellow neighbor walking and warned her, only to find out that this has happened before to herself and that there have been several complaints by those who live next door.  When the complaints were made, the couple were told they needed video footage to prove their case.  Really?  Who is going to think to first video an attack and then worrying about getting to safety later?  Why has something not been done?   What purpose do these bylaws serve if they don’t keep the community safe?  Where are the owners and why are they not being held responsible?

I’m afraid that this is not something I’m willing to just ‘let go.’  I could decide to just avoid that road and not officially make a complaint (which I will have to sign my name to and possibly make myself a target), but what about the next unsuspecting person who takes that path on their walk, run or bike?  How can I just turn a blind eye in order to avoid getting involved when someone may potentially get hurt?

So here I STILL wait for the call back from the County!

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca