We dog owners love our four legged furry pets. And as pet owners we know we have a responsibility to our pets:
-vaccinations
-medical care
-healthy food
-safe environment
-walking with a leash
We also have a responsibility to our neighbors and neighborhood:
-cleaning up after our dog
-not allowing our dog to run free
-not allowing our dog to jump and bite.
So why am I posting this blog? Most dog owners know their responsibility and are very responsible.
Last week, early in the morning, I went to take our Jack A Bee dog Patches for her morning walk. Patches always walks with a leash.
We were 5 steps from our house when a neighbor’s Belgian Shepherd ran from his yard and dashed down the street directly to us at full speed.
I started to scream, Patches pulled and jumped. The shepherd flew at her, banging into me. I lost my balance, fell down on the street and the dog pinned Patches flat on the street.
Patches did not have a chance to defend herself. Patches weighs around 20 kilos, the shepherd was double her size.
Fortunately, because we were outside my house, my husband heard me screaming and came running. Patches wears a harness and the Shepherd was holding onto the harness so tight that my husband could not pull her paws off the harness to release Patches.
Finally the dog’s owner came to help. It took the two men to release the dog’s paws and free Patches.
He took his dog home, and Avraham and a neighbor who came out to see why I was screaming, helped me stand up.
My heart was beating so fast. Truthfully, I don’t remember how I walked the few steps into my house.
Avraham went to examine Patches and my son led me to a chair. When I couldn’t sit down easily, I knew I was in trouble.
Our Injuries:
Patches: Avraham examined her from head to toe and found no scratches or bites.
Me: I wasn’t so fortunate. My knees were swollen and one knee was bleeding profusely. [It didn’t stop bleeding until the hospital treated it] My legs were also swollen and very bruised. Four knuckles on one hand had been scraped on the pavement and were painful to move.
When I tried to stand up, I couldn’t put any weight on my legs. I thought they were broken. But my biggest concern was my heart.
While sitting on the chair, I had a hard time breathing and became very dizzy.
Many of you know, I had a major heart attack last April and although I’m doing well, I’m still recovering.
My husband called a taxi and we went to Clalit [medical center]. [My son told me that Patches sat in the window and cried all the time I was gone]
The nurse saw me immediately. And after checking my blood pressure she called the doctor.
He ordered an electrocardiogram, and when he read the results, he said there were some changes that he didn’t like and told the nurse to call an ambulance for the hospital.
MDA [the paramedics] were wonderful. They hooked me up just in case I had a heart attack in the ambulance. They were ready for any emergency.
Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva is a very busy hospital. Their emergency room is always packed.
When I arrived at the emergency, I was attended to immediately. Since I didn’t have any chest pains, they sent me to the orthopedic section first.
Within 5 minutes, a nurse came, took my vitals and said the doctor would be in shortly. Two minutes later, 2 doctors came to see me.
They examined my legs, and sent me for x-rays. The results were good..no broken bones.
In the meantime, the cardiologist was examining my EKG and reviewing my chart from the heart attack. He said, my heart was okay, and that the changes that my doctor saw were the result of fear and anxiety.
The nurse dressed my bleeding knee and wrapped an elastic bandage around my very swollen right leg and I was discharged.
All I wanted was my bed. Patchy, my loyal friend, parked herself beside me and didn’t move.
8 days later:
I was still in extreme pain with difficulties to walk, sit down or stand up. I decided to go to the doctor just to make sure the pain I was feeling was normal pain.
It wasn’t…My doctor was horrified that I couldn’t stand up unaided and had to ‘jimmy’ myself up. He called the nurse to see if there was an orthopedic doctor in the building, fortunately there was and he called him. The doctor told my doctor to send me for x-rays and then I should come and see him.
The orthopedic doctor was wonderful. When he asked me what happened and I told him about the dog..his comment shocked me. “Not again!” Asking him what he meant, he told me that I would be shocked how many people are injured from dogs jumping on them.
He examined my legs very well and said that I have massive swelling which is the cause of the pain. He told me he was checking for fractures, and even though there weren’t any when the hospital checked. He said sometimes, not often, they see fractures 48 hours later. Thank-G-D no fractures. And then told me my pain can last up to month and I may need physiotherapy.
All this pain because a dog was able to get out of his yard.
But with all my pain I am also very thankful. The dog did not bite either of us. My heart is strong, no broken bones, and my husband was close by and was able to help me immediately.
That’s all for now
Feel free to comment and share.
Miriam
For your information:
-We notified all proper authorities. If you are attacked by a dog, you must make a police report.
-The dog had been vaccinated.
-The dog owners called to see how I was feeling.
From the SPCA Israel:
Rabies Vaccinations: an obligatory vaccine for all dogs when they are 3 months old, against the rabies disease which is contagious also to humans. The vaccination is given once a year. With the first rabies vaccine it is obligatory to inject an electronic chip into the dog, which is done only once in the dog's life.
The Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for veterinary services in Israel. They told me that it is against the law for dogs to be unleashed on public streets and land.
Violent breeds must be muzzled when outside.
There are heavy fines for:
-an unleashed dog
-no registration and electronic chip
-not giving the rabies vaccine
Let the Animals Live told me that their legal department said fines varies from municipality to municipality running between from 250 nis to 750 nis and a dog that isn’t vaccinated can be impounded.
If you have a dog that you can’t care for anymore, please do not abandon it. Bring your pet to a shelter. Israel has several. SPCA, Let the Animals Live, Rescue Me! Each has a web site.
The ministry posted this article about a court case against a man who cruelly abandoned his dog.
http://www.moag.gov.il/agri/English/Ministrys+Units/Spokesmanship+and+Publicity+Department/publications/abandonment_of_a_dog.htm
This was the penalty for abandonment imposed by the court. The maximum penalty in the law for the offense of animal abandonment is a year’s imprisonment or a fine of NIS 76,500.
If you have any questions about pet regulations and laws in your area, contact the moetza [regional council ].
