Dog attack, trying to reconcile and threats

It's been two days since being accosted on a public sidewalk by a pair of barking, aggressive, threatening dogs owned by two of my neighbors. It's been two sleepless nights filled with anxiety too. I did report it to the police of course and the officer said they'd call the arrent dog owners but I am not at all sure that they did because the offending dogs were running loose again yesterday just as before with the full knowledge of their owners. If I want to avoid them I have to avoid walking in that direction on my own street. Less than 300 feet from my own front door. The encounter we had was with two dogs. However, there are actually up to five dogs that run loose, unrestrained from time to time like a pack. I don't like ill feelings between neighbors. I was sure we could reach some kind of understanding so I spoke with one of the dog owners this morning as he took his daily walk with his dog. (It was restrained and well behaved on a 3 foot leash.) He exhibited no interest in what I had to say nor did he display any remorse for the danger his dog presented by running loose and accosting us. His response was that he pays his taxes and he can do what he pleases in that area. When I start paying his taxes I can have something to say about him and what he chooses to do with his dog. His conclusion was that it wouldn't have happened if we would have walked somewhere else. He accepted absolutely no responsibility for what transpired. We should have avoided being there. He couldn't help that his dog got loose and ran away while he was talking to another neighbor. He said if I didn't like his dog running loose I should call the cops. I said I already did. He then threatened that he will start calling the cops on every little thing I do wrong. I asked if he knew that my wife had just returned home from major surgery and was in a full neck brace to prevent sudden movement or complications. N0, he said. Quickly changed the subject and went on to describe how his wife suffered serious injury from his dog pulling her off her feet and dragging her as if that justified in some way why his dog was running loose. I didn't get the connection and said so. He said again that he was going to start calling the cops on me for everything I do wrong and that he didn't want to talk to me any more and then walked away appearing very much to not agree with my attempt to reconcile our differences and come to an agreement concerning walking on our sidewalks without fear of being confronted by an unrestrained dog.

So, my attempt to smooth things over between neighbors and reach a truce of some kind was for naught. The only understandable response was threats and making sure I understood that his dog or any other dog could run loose and it was up to me to avoid those public areas that they ran in or I will face the consequences. It almost sounded like bullying to me. At least I felt it very much resembled the bullying I faced in school when I was a kid. I don't accept bullying to any degree no matter who it is from. I've been bullied by the best of them and I learned a long time ago that people who threaten you will continue to do so as long as you allow them to. Another thing about threats is that as long as they are secret they will continue.

I want to make it clear that I like dogs as much as the next person. I feel that allowing them to run free is good for them. After all they need the exercise. I don't feel that the public right of way is the place to do it. Especially when it is against the law and endangers anyone or makes them feel threatened. There always seems to be someone even the best of dogs doesn't like. I've been bitten twice, seriously, requiring medical attention and stitches. My daughter has been bitten and required medical attention. All three times was by a "wonderful family pet" that wouldn't harm a flea. Now, by trying to work this all out between respectful neighbors has been met by threats. It just doesn't seem right to me that I'm made out to be the bad guy here. Yes, apparently I'm to blame for being attacked by two unrestrained dogs on a public sidewalk. But I've only spoken with one owner. Maybe more will become known after I speak to the other one. I won't allow it to happen again to anyone in my neighborhood if I can help it. It's just not right to me!

Free range dogs

It was the last straw. For over 5 years I've wasted a lot of words trying to explain to a couple of dog lovers my position on letting their beloved animals run loose through the streets unleashed, in violation of city law. "All" Dogs are to be on a 6 foot leash or retained on the owners premesis in a way that pedestrians may walk the public sidewalk without interference or harrassment. Apparently, the dogs I am speaking of are "special" and aren't subject to local ordinances so I have to avoid the area or suffer the consequences of being accosted by several aggressive, barking dogs. My own neighborhood! I've requested these neighbors keep their animals restrained. I've demanded they keep their animals restrained. Someone sent copies of the animal ordinances to homeowners a few months ago so I know I'm not the only one that has an issue here. I've been told these particular dogs are more scared of me than I am of them. "They only bark." they said. Yeah, uh hu. That's why the mailman said he wasn't going to deliver mail at that end of the street when the dogs were out because he'd been bit, not once but twice.
These dogs aren't responsible for this. They, of course are only animals and only do what they are allowed to do by their owners. I realize that.

Yesterday I was taking a walk, on the public sidewalk, on a beautiful evening, with someone that is less than a week out of major surgery. She is in a half body brace to keep her neck still so as not to disturb the proper healing. About halfway through the walk, less than 300 feet from our own front door. Walking slowly and carefully along the public sidewalk, to avoid sudden movement when we were approached by one of these wayward dogs, barking and jumping at us as if to bite, another dog quickly followed and displayed the same aggressive behavior. It appeared very much like the "pack" mentallity. The owners were quite a distance away and the one with the most aggressive, most unpredictable dog made no attempt to retrieve his animal except to yell. The other owner did her best, I guess to retrieve her dog but it simply ran away as if playing a game. I for my part, yelled, jumped forward in between my wife and the dogs and did my best to scare them away. It worked for the most part and other than the trauma of feeling attacked, luckily no apparent physical harm to my wife due to sudden defensive movements that we were trying to avoid. Only time will tell now. I, normally a soft spoken pussy cat, swore, really swore, loudly at either one or both of the irresponsible owners. I have my limits and that was certainly one of them. What really surprised me was that, these dog owners, our very own neighbors who I am ever ready to assist if trouble arrises, made absolutely no effort to see if any harm was done or to apologize although they sat on their front porch afterwards to discuss something as they watched us talk to other concerned neighbors and leave. You never really know the integrity of someone until something like this comes up do you? I am terribly dissaapointed in them.

What do I do next? I've spoken to them many times about their dogs running loose. I guess further discussion would be fruitless. However, I will not continue to be bullied in my own neighborhood by the thoughtless actions of a few. Would you?...................Joe