Mounted search and rescue

["Irvin Lichtenstein" <ilichten1@verizon.net>]

My experience with dogs indicates that they don’t bark first. My horse has been charged by 2 different GS. One was a SAR dog working off leash in a field as we went down an adjacent bike path and the handler was not able to call it off.  Needless to say that dog was never on our call sheet again.  The other was the house dog of the manager of the youth hostel in the Park.  He was always outside on a chain or a wire so the first time we backed out of range, the second time we stood our ground, and the third time, when he broke the wire, I told my horse to kill him, and Blackie’s rear end was aimed right at him when the owner showed up.  I warned the owner about letting the dog run loose, even accidentally, and reached for a radio to call a ranger.  The next day the dog and owner were gone without having to file a report.

 

A dog that is a housedog that got loose has no territory until it starts roaming with a pack and then pack hierarchy takes over.  People who let their dogs run loose deserve whatever we dish out.  In Pennsylvania your dog must be under your control when not on your property.  In most recreational areas leash laws apply, some as short as 6 feet.  And in most of these areas your defense is have your horse kick the dog since you can’t shoot it for attacking your horse, only if it comes after you and you are in an area that lets you carry.  The only good thing is that the rangers carry guns, write loose dog tickets ($300 each), no tag tickets (another $300), and no rabies shots (varies from shoot on sight to $300 fine and quarantine costs). Dogs usually get one attack free, and get declared vicious the second time.  Horse don’t get the first one free,

 

Irv Lichtenstein  

 

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From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Karen Nesbitt
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 10:32 PM
To: MSAR; Mounted search and rescue in Illinois USA.
Subject: Re: [MSAR] [MSAR-IL] encountering dogs as a hazard