By Scott E. Williams
The Daily News
February 18,2007

They are called man’s best friend, but officials here offered tips for those who find themselves confronting dogs who see them as enemies.

Dog attacks in the Houston-Galveston area have been in the news almost constantly for months. On Jan. 22, two pit bulls attacked two women on 39th Street in Galveston. Nine days later, a Conroe man made headlines by strangling an attacking pit bull with its own collar. A day after the Conroe attack, a Rottweiler attacked an elderly woman and mauled her pet Chihuahua. The same dog had killed another of her pets, she said.

No matter how they are measured, the number of attacks by dogs is too high for area officials’ liking.

The county has seen rising numbers of reported attacks on livestock by dogs, but the most frequent attacks are against children and people walking their own dogs.

No one else is exempt, however.

Dog Bites Man

During the U.S. Post Office’s 2005 fiscal year — Oct. 1, 2004, to Sept. 30, 2005 — mail carriers in the Houston region, from Bryan to Galveston County, suffered 108 dog bites. That number made the region the national leader in dog attacks on mail carriers.

David Lewin, spokesman for the Post Office’s Houston region, said he believed the weather played a role.

“It’s only natural that more people will let their dogs outside when the weather’s warm, and due to us having more warm-weather days than most parts of the country, more dogs are going to be out,” he said.

Lewin was not speaking strictly theoretically. Earlier in his postal career, he was a mail carrier who dealt with more than one aggressive canine.

“I once found myself in a situation where one dog was in a yard with five others,” he said. “The lead dog jumped on the gate as I was putting mail in the box. It pushed the gate forward and locked onto my arm. It just hung there until I was able to pull my arm away.”

Lewin said few people realize how serious the problem of vicious dogs is.

“Unfortunately, a lot of people go back to the old ‘Blondie and Dagwood’ comic strip for reference, but for a letter carrier, it’s a very serious affair,” he said. “But the bites suffered by carriers, those are just the tip of the iceberg, because the biggest group of victims is children.”

Basic Instinct

Galveston County animal control director Kim Schoolcraft said children often became victims of dog attacks because they instinctively did everything against which experts warn when facing an aggressive dog.

Schoolcraft said people could reduce their chances of being attacked when confronted by an aggressive dog.

“Never look them in the eye, because they perceive that as a challenge,” Schoolcraft said. “Turn your head and look sideways at them, and be looking for something to put between you and the dog — a car, furniture — anything that could buy you a few seconds.”

Galveston police Sgt. Joel Caldwell, the agency’s lead animal-cruelty officer said dogs pick up on fear.

“All (running and screaming) does is activate the dog’s prey drive,” he said. “If you do encounter a dog like that, you want to slowly back away to gain some distance. If there’s a rock or stick you can reach down and get hold of safely, you should do that.”

Command Voice

Schoolcraft also advised people confronted by aggressive dogs to stand their ground and assert themselves by yelling, “Stop” and “No” at the dogs.

“That should startle the dog and at least give you a couple of seconds to get some distance, put something between you and the dog or get to safety, if that’s possible,” she said.

Sometimes, however, attacks occur regardless of what action a person takes.

Rocks, sticks, clothing and other items can be useful against attacking dogs, Caldwell said.

“You want to try to feed the dog something that’s not a portion of your body,” he said. “Get something in that dog’s mouth to protect your body.”

Caldwell said some of the same tools that police recommend as defenses against robbers could work against attacking canines.

Pepper spray works “just like on people,” Caldwell said.

“It affects some, and others, it doesn’t affect at all.”

Caldwell pointed out one item he frequently recommends to ward off human attackers.

“This item is called the Asp Key Defender, and it is pretty effective,” Caldwell said. “It’s a small baton that attaches to your keychain, and you can use it as a baton, or you can use it as pepper spray, which it contains.”

Caldwell also said walking sticks that many people use when walking their own dogs work as items to block an attack.

However, he said air horns would not be effective.

“Those things make noise, but they wouldn’t stop a dog that’s about to attack you from doing so,” he said. “They could help by calling some attention to yourself, maybe get someone to help you, but they’re not going to run off a dog.”

Some potentially dangerous animals are easy to spot, by law. The Galveston County Health District has requirements for “vicious animal owners,” applied to any animal that has attacked a person or killed a domestic animal without provocation.

Owners of such animals must register the animal annually with the county, restrain it either with a leash or in an enclosure at all times and post signs warning that a vicious animal is on the person’s property.

If a Dog Attacks You

• Put an object between you and the dog.
• Firmly shout, “No” and “Stay.”
• Try not to be taken off your feet.
• If you are knocked down, curl into a ball to protect your throat, chest, face and vital organs.
• Remain motionless.
• Hitting a large dog in the head usually just makes it mad. If you must strike the dog to stave off the attack, go for the eyes or stomach, its most vulnerable areas.
• Wash any bite wounds with soap and warm water immediately after the attack.
• Consult a physician.
• Report the bite to your local animal care and control agency.

Do Not

• Make eye contact with the dog.
• Scream and run.

For More Information Contact:
Kurt Koopmann
Public Information Officer
Galveston County Health District
409-938-2211 or 409-392-0007
kkoopman@gchd.org