The story also says that the dog got out and it allegedly suffered PTSD as well as being a combat dog; a dog specifically trained to attack a perceived threat if necessary.
In other words it is a dog which required additional safeguards to keep it securely on the owner’s property.
The bicyclist, unable to deter the dog or summon its master, opens fire on an animal that is presumably moving back and forth. Not being an expert marksman, he misses his target and hits the dog in the rear.
Responsible dog ownership means making sure your dog will not leave your property. A trained service dog should also be with the owner at all times.
I have an idiot in my neighborhood that does not put his dog on a leash at times. It’s a big dog..I was walking my dog and this dog came charging at me. Jumping me to get to my dog. Almost knocked me down. I had to use a car parked in the road to try to protect my dog. The owner was quite a ways away. I was screaming at him to get his damn dog. Luckily , I didn’t get bitten nor did my dog that was now in my arms.. Had I had a gun..I might have shot it. You don’t know when you are facing getting maimed.
Aggressive 9 yr old dog is questionable. he must have looked ferocious barking with no teeth.
Sounds to me like the bicyclist was hunting with from his bike with a shotgun using himself as an attractant. Then to swat the dog in the hind end. This dude needs some reflection time in the crow bar motel as a former gun owner. It breaks my heart to read senseless stories like this.
It sounds like wrong place, wrong time for both the dog and the bicyclist. FWIW, in a case like that, (after once tumbling over the handlebars due to a dog) I used to get off the bike and get past the dog.
I wholeheartedly agree with your last sentence.
None of the dogs had any business even approaching the bicyclist. I personally will not hesitate to shoot a dog if it approaches me in a threatening manner.
The owner of this dog is the responsible one, not the bicyclist. He has a duty to keep the dog controlled at all times, especially when he is away from home.
For once I really agree with you.
I will add that sometimes I think there are people who are just skittish. They don’t mean harm, but overeact to things that really aren’t that the
Reatening. That is common with dogs. Lots of people afraid of them, and if one is coming to them or barking, etc, they freak out.
Perhaps this man got a bit too scared, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if he truly thought the dog was overaggressive. 50-50.
In other words it is a dog which required additional safeguards to keep it securely on the owner’s property.
It's a bomb sniffing dog used in a combat theater. It's trained to find bombs. It's not only trained in martial arts. It has no ninja skills. Your bias is rendering a bigoted opinion.