39 replies to this topic

[Jdsilver]

I was threatened by the lady with pepper spray on the trail behind my house last month. She really upset me and told me to keep my dog away from her. That any decent person with common courtesy would know that. I just looked at her with my mouth open not knowing what to do. I told her my dog was no where near her and to keep her spray the heck away from him.

She pulled it out of her pocket when we were still a good 15 yards away from her and my dog was on his leash walking by my side. He is a puppy, so he's curiuos, and he looked up at her when she was approaching. She bent down on her legs and braced herself with her spray aimed right at us.

I read previous postings about this and am sincerely concerned. Why should law abiding citizens who are good people with families and pets have to endure the "crazy" lady on the trail with her pepper spray? It is not right that we have to protect ourselves, our children, and our pets from this type of irrational behavior.

Is there nothing we can do?

[Terry]

I was threatened by the lady with pepper spray on the trail behind my house last month. She really upset me and told me to keep my dog away from her. That any decent person with common courtesy would know that. I just looked at her with my mouth open not knowing what to do. I told her my dog was no where near her and to keep her spray the heck away from him.

She pulled it out of her pocket when we were still a good 15 yards away from her and my dog was on his leash walking by my side. He is a puppy, so he's curiuos, and he looked up at her when she was approaching. She bent down on her legs and braced herself with her spray aimed right at us.

I read previous postings about this and am sincerely concerned. Why should law abiding citizens who are good people with families and pets have to endure the "crazy" lady on the trail with her pepper spray? It is not right that we have to protect ourselves, our children, and our pets from this type of irrational behavior.

Is there nothing we can do?

Not much one can do about this since she didn't even threaten to do anything. She's probably not really crazy, but really fearful of dogs and wanted you to know that in the event your dog was not under control. She wouldn't know anything about you or your dog, just as you know nothing about her.

[Chad Vander Veen]

I was threatened by the lady with pepper spray on the trail behind my house last month. She really upset me and told me to keep my dog away from her. That any decent person with common courtesy would know that. I just looked at her with my mouth open not knowing what to do. I told her my dog was no where near her and to keep her spray the heck away from him.

She pulled it out of her pocket when we were still a good 15 yards away from her and my dog was on his leash walking by my side. He is a puppy, so he's curiuos, and he looked up at her when she was approaching. She bent down on her legs and braced herself with her spray aimed right at us.

I read previous postings about this and am sincerely concerned. Why should law abiding citizens who are good people with families and pets have to endure the "crazy" lady on the trail with her pepper spray? It is not right that we have to protect ourselves, our children, and our pets from this type of irrational behavior.

Is there nothing we can do?

Carry a golf club?

[Jdsilver]

I may try to beleive that she is a rational person if I had not read the prior postings about her yelling with profanity and anger at a group of moms walking to get coffee with their golden retriever.

She obviously is fearful of dogs, yet a more rational person would perhaps walk to the far side of the trail or call out to please keep your dog close to you as we pass. If my children would have been with me, her and I would of had a much bigger issue.

I now dread and think about her everytime I walk with them, wondering what I will say or do when we meet again. I will absolutely tell her from a distance to not pull out her spray with my children present and to please stop or walk over to the far side of the trail. My dog is not going to bother you, so let us pass. Hopefully that will work.

quote name='Terry' date='Dec 8 2006, 03:14 PM' post='137565']
Not much one can do about this since she didn't even threaten to do anything. She's probably not really crazy, but really fearful of dogs and wanted you to know that in the event your dog was not under control. She wouldn't know anything about you or your dog, just as you know nothing about her.
[/quote]

[camay2327]

Or a shotgun with rock salt in the cartridge...


Just kidding folks....

[Jdsilver]

Very funny!

[bordercolliefan]

That is bizarre and aggressive behavior. I wonder whether it is accurate that the woman's pepper spray threat is not an assault. After all, if you were walking on a trail and someone pulled out a knife and waved it at you, wouldn't a reasonable person consider that a threat of harm? Words aren't really necessary. Why is waving pepper spray at someone any different?

[mylo]

Uhm, she hates dogs? So keep your dog away from her. Keep walking and leave her alone.

[Terry]

That is bizarre and aggressive behavior. I wonder whether it is accurate that the woman's pepper spray threat is not an assault. After all, if you were walking on a trail and someone pulled out a knife and waved it at you, wouldn't a reasonable person consider that a threat of harm? Words aren't really necessary. Why is waving pepper spray at someone any different?

Assault is exactly that -physical injury to one person by another. This doesn't qualify.

Brandishing a weapon may be a chargeable offense, however, I still don't think pepper spray qualifies, particularly because this woman is not threatening to use it UNLESS she feels threatened by the dog. Some people have a very low fear threshold for animals.

Here is what was previously written:

I now dread and think about her everytime I walk with them, wondering what I will say or do when we meet again. I will absolutely tell her from a distance to not pull out her spray with my children present and to please stop or walk over to the far side of the trail. My dog is not going to bother you, so let us pass. Hopefully that will work.
=====
Now, put these words in the pepper spray carrying woman's mouth, changing it to her point of view walking on the trails and being fearful of someone with a dog. Sounds like there are equal fears here, with one fear being "rational" and the other "irrational". It's all in perspective.

[MSgt]

Get a bigger dog

[realtor]

Is that the skinny lady with the long blond hair in the tights? There's one I've run into in Empire Ranch near Nisenan Park when I walk my dog that flips out at the sight of me. It's really weird because my dog is a Border Collie mix that looks and IS really friendly and thinks everyone is his friend. Anyway. this lady reacts way ahead of us and seems irrational. I don't recall being threatened with pepper spray but wonder if that's the same person.

[mylo]

Why is it not okay to hate dogs? IMHO, dog lovers overly consider their pets family, and so friendly, and they'd never hurt anyone, just let him lick your face and sniff your butt.. he's really great with kids!

This woman obviously doesn't like animals. Just leave her alone, and keep walking. Why are you standing there having a conversation with her? If she whips out the mace 20 yards ahead, run past her and don't make eye contact!

[Steve Heard]

Why is it not okay to hate dogs? IMHO, dog lovers overly consider their pets family, and so friendly, and they'd never hurt anyone, just let him lick your face and sniff your butt.. he's really great with kids!

I tend to agree with that sentiment.

Some dog owners practically force their dogs upon you on the grounds that they won't bite and their snot is harmless.

[mylo]

I love animals, so I don't entirely mind, but I can certainly sympathize with this woman if that's where she's coming from.

[Steve Heard]

I love animals, so I don't entirely mind, but I can certainly sympathize with this woman if that's where she's coming from.

I too love animals. I've got a couple of birds myself. Some folks are scared of them. I put them in their cages when those folks are around. I know they are harmless, but I do it out of consideration of others.

I think this speaks to the larger issue of how some pet owners perceive their animals, and how they might expect humans to love and revere them as much as they do. A couple of examples:

I have a friend who has a pit bull. My wife won't visit him because he won't put the dog outside, because he "won't hurt anyone".

When my kids were small, we used to go to a particular in-law's house at Christmas because she had a huge house. The whole family would meet there.

The problem was that she had a dog, the breed of which has a reputation for biting, and not liking kids. I had 2 small daughters, as did another in-law. The cocker spaniel, however, was allowed free reign, and our girls were warned not to try to pet it. They refused to put it in a locked room, so we had to pretty much follow the kids around the house to make sure they didn't approach the dog.

The dog would come in and sniff the the appetizers on the table, turning off many of the guests, but the owner was oblivious. She felt it was harmless, the dog wouldn't bother anyone who wouldn't bother it, and we were just paranoid.

Another in-law has a beautiful macaw. It does not like women (I think it's the long hair). He refuses to put the bird in another room when people visit, because "it's his house too". Women in the house, therefore, have to be constantly wary of this thing snapping or flying at them. The owner swears that the bird has never hurt anyone, but only shows hostility.

All of these folks put their animals above their human relationships, and actually get offended when others don't feel the same way about their pets.