Dog: 1; Spencer: 0 (WARNING! GRAPHIC!)

[SpencerVT]

I was hiking in southern Vermont last week and was on a rural public road almost back to my truck.
Suddenly like 8 friggin' dogs come out of this house and slowly come down to the road, surrounding me like the Night of the Living Dead Zombies.
7 of them were quiet and just curious and sniffing around.

But then one little bastard slowly walked up behind me and without any forewarning just chomped a piece out of my leg!
I immediately went to Urgent Care. Cujo had chomped away my flesh to where you could see the underlying muscle deep down flex back and forth whenever I moved my ankle. The Doctor had me move my ankle and you could see the muscle going up and down like a Texas oil rig, and whenever I did that it would pump blood out of the wound!

I do not have a particularly high tolerance for pain, but for whatever reason it has not hurt, nor have I been in any pain whatsoever. I can walk totally fine and the zombie blood feeding site doesn't hurt at all. It must've just got me in a spot with less nerve endings or something, I don't know. The dog owner was extremely nice and apologetic, it appears it was a rescue dog she had just acquired.

First time I've ever been bitten hiking. I felt lighter and my pants fit better the next day due to loss of flesh. That dog won't be hungry again for a week!! Cujo: 1; Spencer: 0.

 

[Rhody Seth]

Sweet Jesus, I'm sorry man! I should freakin' hope the owner was apologetic - that's a serious wound! This is why I'm always prepared to kick any dog that approaches me right in the face.

 

[dug]

Sweet Jesus, I'm sorry man! I should freakin' hope the owner was apologetic - that's a serious wound! This is why I'm always prepared to kick any dog that approaches me right in the face.

 

[Hillwalker]

Police report I would hope.

 

[TEO]

Police report I would hope.

I hope so, too! In a different location the consequences of a bite like that could be much more severe, perhaps even life-threatening. It would be even more horrible if a child were or is attacked.

I'm glad to hear, Spencer, that it seems to be just a flesh wound. I hope that your recovery is swift and uncomplicated. If you need a lawyer, I can ask family friends who are in your area for some recommendations. ;-)

 

[maineguy]

I look forward to the post that reads: Spencer:50; Dog Owners: 0

 

[B the Hiker]

I hate to say it, but I do agree that it is the correct thing to do to report the dog to the police.
Firstly, if there are medical complications, you want to have a record that this stemmed from the dog bite. It will allow your health insurer to have an easier time getting reimbursed from the dog owner's property insurer.

Secondly, you were a big adult who took a massive injury to the shin. But imagine the next person innocently hiking past is a little adult, who might take that same injury to her face...

 

[SpencerVT]

The town Animal Control officer was definitely notified, a report done, and the animal is in quarantine while an investigation is happening.

#wherearekevlarpantswhenineedthem

 

[skiguy]

Hope you feel better soon. But are multiple photos if any necessary. I'll take your word for it instead. Letting people know where this occurred might be helpful in avoiding another incident. Again, hope you heal fast.

 

[John H Swanson]

A series of rabies shots is going to be a royal pain unless the dog has been vacinated and the owner provides proof. But how do you know which dog was vacinated when they own 8. They could bait and switch a license and you could be dead of rabies in the future.

 

[hikerbrian]

JFC! Please consider doing the hard work of taking the necessary steps to have that dog put down. I appreciate that you're taking this in stride, but that is a very serious injury. Dogs that become aggressive without warning are a serious risk. And one that can inflict that kind of damage on you would permanently disfigure a child before you could blink. Or worse. I'm sure you're trying to be a good person and do the right thing, but please realize doing the right thing isn't always 'letting it go' or 'not taking it too seriously.' It is hard to imagine just how bad it can be until you see it first hand. Trust me on that. You have an important role here.

Beyond that, I hope that heals up quickly for you. I don't imagine you're posting in an effort to get advice, but complications to dog bites are very common. Make sure you stay on top of this.

Edit to add: I'm no fan of litigation, but take your time with a settlement. When I went through this a few years back, you had 3 years to settle in the state of NH (or file a formal lawsuit). And you may not know what the course of healing will look like until that amount of time passes.

 

[SpencerVT]

Skiguy - Photos convey the gravity of the situation, one that any hiker could potentially face. Sorry for the grossness though.

The owner did indeed provide all the proof, but I see your point John.
I really hope I become a Zombie instead of rabid.

Take care, Spence

 

[peakbagger]

You are lucky, frequently in a dog pack situation one dog starts it and the others join in. Not sure if the insurance companies are still blacklisting specific breeds in VT but they were at one point. Some folks elected to lie to the insurance firms and trying to collect could be problem. With that sort of damage, there could be longer term effects. Definitely get some written backup that the landowner (not the tenant) has insurance.

 

[ChrisB]

Skiguy - Photos convey the gravity of the situation, one that any hiker could potentially face. Sorry for the grossness though.

The owner did indeed provide all the proof, but I see your point John.
I really hope I become a Zombie instead of rabid.

Take care, Spence

Holy shit! There are bites and then there are real BITES, which you have.

There are a lot of rescue dogs in circulation with very sketchy histories that make them PTSD and otherwise a bit wacky. Rescue is a noble gesture but it is also risky.

I’m surprised you didn’t get the old, “Gee he never did that before!” routine.

Probably no leash law to invoke but I hope the owner covers all your out of pocket costs.

I agree that dog is an unpredictable beastie and should be put down.

 

[Hillwalker]

There are "Rescue Dogs" and "Rescued Dogs" Sorry to split hairs, but there is a world of difference. I was the adopter of a retired "Rescue Dog", and groan when people use the wrong word. But I'm a hair splitting nut case.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Hope you feel better soon. But are multiple photos if any necessary. I'll take your word for it instead. Letting people know where this occurred might be helpful in avoiding another incident. Again, hope you heal fast.

The title of the post should have been enough for you to look, or not...

 

[JoshandBaron]

We've had similar things happen. Some dogs can be managed or rehabbed and some can't. In an incident last year it was a new rescue in a foster situation and the rescue had the dog euthanized immediately.

 

[skiguy]

The title of the post should have been enough for you to look, or not...

I believe before you showed up the title did not reflect a warning and may have been changed by the moderators. So now I'll take your advisement accordingly. I'm not loosing sleep over a glass of spilled milk. Although the original post could have been more specific on the location therefore having some other content that holds information pertinent to a hiker. Please be sure to post a picture of your next injury when you have a chance and the location of the incident so I know what to actually avoid.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I added the graphic warning based upon a private message request.

Tim

 

[Tom Rankin]

I believe before you showed up the title did not reflect a warning and may have been changed by the moderators. So now I'll take your advisement accordingly. I'm not loosing sleep over a glass of spilled milk. Although the original post could have been more specific on the location therefore having some other content that holds information pertinent to a hiker. Please be sure to post a picture of your next injury when you have a chance and the location of the incident so I know what to actually avoid.

My apologies, I was late to the party....