Back about 30 years ago I was working for a relative who had an employee living on the property with two vicious dogs that frequently bit people. Coming out of my uncles house one evening both dogs who were loose attacked me, bit my buttocks and ripped right through my pants. The skin was severely bruised and oozing blood.
I called animal control and the lady on the phone insisted I hadn't actually been bit as my skin was not torn open and just some oozing blood wasn't enough. She claimed I had merely been "menaced" and they would NOT be sending out animal control. NO matter the dogs were not on a chain or behind a fence and were in a public area and clearly out of control. I'd been attacked without provocation.
I asked her if she knew who I was and she of course said no. This is back before there was caller ID. I told her if they didn't deal with the problem I surely would and she threatened me with arrest if I so much as hurt those dogs. Me: "Ya, good luck with that since you don't know who I am and fuck you!".
At that time I did nothing. Just sort of simmered over it and complained to my uncle. Then they had a female accountant visit to work their books for them and the dogs did the same thing to her. Ripped her pants and severely bruised her leg leaving a nasty oozing mark on her thigh. At that point my uncle said he would pay me for each dog I got rid of any way I managed it just so it didn't get pinned back to him or me.
I poisoned one with cyanide and we left it lay there saying, "We don't know what happened!" The meaner dog refused to eat the laced hotdogs so he was free for a few days and the employee was advised to put it on a chain which he did. A very long chain still giving the dog freedom of a huge swath of public area. Well, we weren't having it so I tried to remove it and take it up to the hills. The dog wasn't having it either and it ended in some brutal stuff I won't describe. Dog was severely wounded and we just left it as is. The employee discovered it in bad condition in the morning so he took it up to the hills to dispatch it himself but he was pissed. Eventually he was fired after he went on a rant threatening to kill people over his dog. Why my uncle put up with him as long as he did is beyond me but that's how it turned out. At that time there was kids in the neighborhood whose parents were outraged as the kids had scars on their legs from being ripped by these monster dogs that were usually allowed to run loose.
Fast forward ten years and the situation was even worse with other people allowing dogs to run riot in the street. Cops were called and in the struggle to remove the dogs two officers were attacked so out came a shotgun. For a few minutes it was like a war zone with guns blazing and dogs howling in pain as they brutally died. Animal control could only take away two dog bodies and one severely injured dog that maybe they put down with another terrified dog that suddenly realized how bad it can get when you attack people.
I met with the police to thank them and one cop told me if a dog even menaces you that you have a right to shoot it and no charges would be filed against you. Nice to know.
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