Black Dog

In general dogs on my bike rides don't bother me. Most just want to run along with me, reveling in the joy of a good run. Some want to get you, but don't have a clue how. The bad ones are the thinking dogs. The ones that sit and plan all day for when you are going to come by. Face it, I get home about 5:15, and am on the road by 5:30 most nights. It's predictable when I will get to certain places.

One of my neighbors (ok a mile away but where I live that's next door) has a border collie mix. They got the dog about a year ago, and in keeping with Goochland tradition, the dog runs loose. At first the dog made a little game of running with bikes. As time has gone on the dog has gotten more and more aggressive, and lately has just flat ass gotten dangerous. The sit and wait for you in the bushes by the road kind of dangerous. The lunge directly at you at a 90 degree angle dangerous. Trust me, you cant out-sprint what you cant see. Monday she almost got me, and even worse, just about ran me head first into a car.

Last night I saw movement at the house and called for the owner. As I came up the drive, the dog attacked me. If I hadn't had the bike to use as a shield I'd be in the hospital. Nice lady. Mid-60's, lots of money, well educated. Got the dog from the SPCA... the whole deal. I told her that the dog was becoming a real danger. She told me that she noticed that the dog was giving bikers a hard time... (long pause) I asked her if she understood the liability situation at hand. "Uh- huh?" You know, you know that your dog is dangerous, and yet you let it continue the behavior? All this while the dog was STILL trying to bite me.

After some give and take, where I told her that 1. I was her neighbor, and 2. the Litigation Specialist for a major insurance company, and 3. exactly how bad she could get nailed when her dog either bit someone, or caused someone to have a head on with a car she came to her decision.... Yeah, she'd just give the dog to someone else.

Why people like this have pets is beyond me. If you get bit by a black dog on Hanover Rd, at a house/farm called Windy Hill, I'll testify for you. She's on notice, she already knew, and I more than a little pissed about it.