What's Going On in Maxhell? A Whole Lotta Nothing, Pt. 2

[donnal]

" Ellie and I went for our almost daily walk."

...she doesn't walk her dog every day?  I suppose the others could be sharing the duties, but wouldn't that kind of dog want a couple of walks a day and wouldn't Sarah be responsible for the bulk of them as the dog owner? Sorry, this phrase just jumped out at me.

[kpmom]

6 minutes ago, donnal said:

" Ellie and I went for our almost daily walk."

...she doesn't walk her dog every day?  I suppose the others could be sharing the duties, but wouldn't that kind of dog want a couple of walks a day and wouldn't Sarah be responsible for the bulk of them as the dog owner? Sorry, this phrase just jumped out at me.

She might have a situation like ours.  We have a big, fenced-in yard where our dogs can run and play freely.  Sometimes we'll take them for walks in the neighborhood, but they (and we) get plenty of exercise in our yard.

[Palimpsest]

57 minutes ago, usmcmom said:

Reading that post made me feel ill.  I feel so very bad for Sarah for having to endure that. A dog attack is such a traumatic thing and I know she must have been scared to death. I'm so glad that she and Ellie are physically fine.  I hope they both receive empathy and caring as they heal emotionally.   

Steve, please know my  thoughts are with Sarah.  I'm glad she and Ellie are safe now. 

All of that most certainly.  A dog attack is very frightening and I am glad both Sarah and Ellie are OK.  I'm also glad they took Ellie to the vet and I hope she heals fast.

I do want to comment though because I am a stinking cynic -  but luckily the LORD intervened.   Not blaming the victim but a few words of advice from one dog owner to another and noting some very un-Maxwellian behaviors.

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Ellie and I went for our almost daily walk.

@donnal, me too.  No, I'm sorry @kpmom a yard isn't enough for socialization and pee mail.   Almost daily?  This is a Golden puppy and needs more than an "almost" daily walk.  

Sarah should perhaps avoid that direction in the future but keep walking Ellie.

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 I stopped for a moment to contact Mary about something, when suddenly, I turned and saw three dogs racing from the opposite direction at top speed.

Translation: "I was distracted."

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My heart sank. I had heard of these same dogs trying to attack another dog Sunday, and one was a pit bull.

How did you hear about that, Sarah?  In the newspaper?  Pit bulls get an unfair rap, but perhaps you are right.    Is there no leash law - and if you knew about the potential danger why were you not more alert.

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Immediately I shouted at them to stop.

Good.  Next time make yourself really big and step in front of Ellie as you give the dogs commands.  "Sit" or "leave it" is better than stop because strange dogs may have had training.   I know it is really hard to react that quickly.

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They circled Ellie and began attacking. I shouted and tried my best, but again, I couldn’t do anything in this situation except hold onto my puppy’s leash and cry out for someone to help me. Ellie’s yelps as she was bitten cut me like a knife, and time seemed to stop.

Very frightening.  

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Thankfully the road is very public, and a car soon drove up. I could tell the lady wasn’t sure how to help, but she stopped and told me to get in the vehicle. The dogs stopped attacking Ellie and circled around the car, giving me a chance to pick Ellie up. As I was trying to get in, another vehicle stopped, and two men jumped out. They scared the dogs off and asked me if I was okay.

 I wonder whether Sarah checked whether any of these Good Samaritans were Christian?

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I’m so grateful the dogs had not attacked me physically. The men were very kind and carried Ellie to their van and brought us back home.

She actually got into a van with two random male strangers? 

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We took Ellie to the vet, and although she sustained some minor injuries, she’ll be okay. It was extremely traumatic to both of us,

Yes, I am sure it was.  I'm so sorry this happened.

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but the Lord gave grace, and I’m grateful the little ones weren’t out too.

Strangers stopped to help you, Sarah.  I hope you thanked them as well as the Lord.

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Lesson I learned? Always carry pepper spray. I haven’t, but believe me, I will. Obviously one doesn’t know for sure if that would have deterred them or if I would have had time to use it, but I will be prepared next time.

I recommend an umbrella or a big stick instead.  If you don't aim pepper spray properly you can disable yourself.  Also check that it is legal in Kansas.  It is legal for me to carry it in my state - but in some states they still require a firearms licence.

[sparkles]

The frequency of Ellie's walks and the whole god thing aside, I do feel bad for Sarah. It's a terrifying situation and it could have ended very badly. I'm glad both she and Ellie are okay.

We used to talk our dogs—our old greyhound and our then brand-new mystery dog—for their morning walk very early when it was still dark outside. One morning two very large pitbulls came out of the shadows and scared the crap out of us. I really don't know why they didn't attack, especially since Mystery Dog (a rescue who had been abandoned) is very reactive and started lunging and barking, but after circling us they just left. I still get the shakes thinking about what could have happened, especially since there were a couple of houses in the area with pitbulls that weren't exactly trained as cuddly house pets (not knocking the breed, just these particular dogs). We started walking with sticks after that.

[molecule]

I was walking my dog several years ago when it was viciously attacked by another dog. Fortunately, my dog had loose skin and thick fur and was completely uninjured. I, however, ended up in the ER with a bite.

It was a terrifying experience for me, and i was facing only one dog and had my husband with me--and I didn't view my dog as my furbaby as I imagine Sarah does. That must have been absolutely horrible for poor Sarah. I, too, am glad that the little ones were not outside. They easily could've gotten hurt simply by trying to help. 

[RoseWilder]

2 hours ago, donnal said:

" Ellie and I went for our almost daily walk."

...she doesn't walk her dog every day?  I suppose the others could be sharing the duties, but wouldn't that kind of dog want a couple of walks a day and wouldn't Sarah be responsible for the bulk of them as the dog owner? Sorry, this phrase just jumped out at me.

If I were Sarah, I would take my dog for a walk 3 times a day, if for no other reason than to get out of that stifling house and have a few minutes to myself. 

[Eternalbluepearl]

I'm afraid of dogs and stories like Sarah's is why. I'm so glad she is okay. I would still be hyper-ventilating. I wonder if she will now be accompanied by a Maxwell male during Ellie's walk? I mean, what's Jesse doing all day?

[Snarfblatt]

Poor Sarah. That must have been so frightening for her. My dog was bitten by another dog once but my dog was a Mastiff and she was bitten by a Basset Hound so my dog just sort of gave me a WTF is going on here look and we walked on. 

[Dandruff]

45 minutes ago, Eternalbluepearl said:

I'm afraid of dogs and stories like Sarah's is why. I'm so glad she is okay. I would still be hyper-ventilating. I wonder if she will now be accompanied by a Maxwell male during Ellie's walk? I mean, what's Jesse doing all day?

I hear ya.  I was jumped on by a big dog when I was little, and haven't wanted to be near them since.  Turns out the dog was being friendly...but I didn't know that while it was running full speed at me.  I was petrified.  The sight of a dog off-leash anywhere nearby still gets me wired.

I hope Sarah, or someone, is walking Ellie a few times a day.  I'd be surprised if they let her use the yard as potty - these are the Maxwells, after all.  OTOH, if she's not outside enough she'll turn the house into a potty.

If the Lord was protecting Sarah and Ellie then why did the dogs attack at all?  Why weren't they going in different directions?  Are the Maxwells asking the same questions while trying to determine whether there was sin involved?

I hope they called the authorities and reported what happened, and where.  To help others not get attacked.

Hope Sarah and Ellie recover quickly.

[SolomonFundy]

This situation sounds horrible, and Sarah's trauma is real. She's a well-trained, fully brainwashed Maxwellian. She was so frightened and so upset, she GOT INTO A VAN WITH MEN SHE WASN'T RELATED TO. It's heartening to know that her protective instincts trumped Steve's programming, but I have to think that this only added to the fright for her once it was over. 

I'm glad she was unharmed, and even more glad that Ellie will be okay.

 

There's one part of this that blows my mind more than anything else. Mary and Sarah spend 23 hours a day (with breaks for Ellie walks and theoretical toilet time) together. What in the hell did Sarah need to speak to Mary about that was so pressing, it couldn't wait until after the walk? Or hadn't been discussed at length already? It just seems impossible that Sarah (or any of them) managed to have a thought that the others didn't already know about.

[CyborgKin]

3 hours ago, SolomonFundy said:

This situation sounds horrible, and Sarah's trauma is real. She's a well-trained, fully brainwashed Maxwellian. She was so frightened and so upset, she GOT INTO A VAN WITH MEN SHE WASN'T RELATED TO. It's heartening to know that her protective instincts trumped Steve's programming, but I have to think that this only added to the fright for her once it was over. 

 

Yes, it's surprising.  But in the comments she says "Yes, I’m very grateful for those who stopped."

Also in a comment reply: "The dogs are not stray. The authorities are involved!" 

Also someone suggests wasp spray, and someone else gushes over the Moody books.

[Melissa1977]

Sarah in a vehicle with male strangers! Sure she was absolutely desperate or shocked if she got in the car.

 

[Eternalbluepearl]

5 minutes ago, Melissa1977 said:

Sarah in a vehicle with male strangers! Sure she was absolutely desperate or shocked if she got in the car.

 

It's just like how Zsu will suddenly see a male doctor to save her baby's life if she has to. When it comes down to it, if you need help, you need help. 

[VodouDoll]

Holy crap. She GOT into a VAN with TWO STRANGE MEN? I'm glad her dog is going to be okay, and I'm glad she is too. Jesus. That could have ended very poorly.

[fundiefan]

Of the whole event, god's protection is the only thing I have to comment on.

If her god were going to go to such lengths to protect her, why didn't he just not make the attack happen in the first place? that would have been far less effort and wouldn't have involved other dogs or other people, and Ellie would not have been hurt.

Oh, wait, I do have another comment. If there are three dogs running the neighborhood, attacking other dogs, she should have called the police and/or local animal control. The owners of said dogs could be held responsible for vet costs (that was what happened in our case), the dogs can/should be quarantined for medical reasons (rabies, among others; again, that happened in our case) and the dogs can be put down (not ideal but sometimes necessary) and/or put into other care (pulled from the home in our case for the neglect of the owners). In other words, since god chose to let this happen and involve sooo many others for Sarah's protection, Sarah has an obligation to follow through. Three dos attacking people in a neighborhood is not something to use for blog fodder and then move on from.

I had a dog who was attacked. It's scary shit and I can't and won't comment on how it went down. It's panic mode especially if there's more than one aggressive dog involved. After the fact, however, there is much that can, and should, be done.

[nickelodeon]

Noooo, Ellie is all she has in the world, that's so sad :'(

(Putting the "pitbulls are scary" drama aside, how come these people always have to list the breeds of the dogs that attacked them? Flashbacks to Michael Pearl getting attacked, specifically, by heathen Rottweilers and German Shepherds.)

[Granwych]

11 hours ago, Snarfblatt said:

Poor Sarah. That must have been so frightening for her. My dog was bitten by another dog once but my dog was a Mastiff and she was bitten by a Basset Hound so my dog just sort of gave me a WTF is going on here look and we walked on. 

Strange, huh?  My dog is a Maltese and he'll be ready to rumble with any big dog.  Of course, he's securely leashed and held onto when outside our fenced-in yard.  It must be like how smaller men like to pick fights with bigger ones.

Pit bulls are another story entirely.  I feel so bad for that breed and how people have messed it up.  I do hope that Sarah can overcome any lingering fear.

(I would so love a mastiff, Snarf---)

[CreationMuseumCurator]

14 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

(snip)

I recommend an umbrella or a big stick instead.  If you don't aim pepper spray properly you can disable yourself.  Also check that it is legal in Kansas.  It is legal for me to carry it in my state - but in some states they still require a firearms licence.

Yes, pepper spray is legal to carry in Kansas. We are pretty fast and loose here with our firearms, you don't even have to have a permit or training to concealed carry.

A friend of mine walks and trains dogs for a living, and after a similar encounter about a month ago, we had a long conversation about protecting herself and her furry friends. She decided on a specific type of pepper spray (forgive me, but I don't remember the brand) that sprays in a concentrated stream, which reduces the likelihood of the spray backfiring. She wanted the ability to disable an attacker without being as close as she'd need to be to hit the animal. That being said, my friend is very dedicated to what she does, and has done a lot of research. I hope that Sarah has done her research to keep herself and Ellie safe.

[Palimpsest]

36 minutes ago, Granwych said:

Strange, huh?  My dog is a Maltese and he'll be ready to rumble with any big dog.  Of course, he's securely leashed and held onto when outside our fenced-in yard.  It must be like how smaller men like to pick fights with bigger ones.

Pit bulls are another story entirely.  I feel so bad for that breed and how people have messed it up.  I do hope that Sarah can overcome any lingering fear.

(I would so love a mastiff, Snarf---)

Little dogs.

I was at the vet with my (sadly late because cancer sucks) 75lb greyhound a few weeks ago.  There were 2 minute chuhuahuas straining at their leashes and yelling at him from the other side of the room - pretty much "Come over here and I'll bite your ankles off!" in dog language.  He was in pain but managed his usual response to little fluffies - he promptly hid behind me.  I really miss that dog.

I hope Ellie was UTD on all her shots, including rabies.

[LurkerOverThePond]

Imagine Stevehovah's face when he saw Sarah exit a strange van with three unknown males in it! I hope he shat in his pants.

On another note, I really feel for Sarah & Ellie. Like someone said, Ellie is her everything.

[Palimpsest]

2 minutes ago, CreationMuseumCurator said:

Yes, pepper spray is legal to carry in Kansas. We are pretty fast and loose here with our firearms, you don't even have to have a permit or training to concealed carry.

A friend of mine walks and trains dogs for a living, and after a similar encounter about a month ago, we had a long conversation about protecting herself and her furry friends. She decided on a specific type of pepper spray (forgive me, but I don't remember the brand) that sprays in a concentrated stream, which reduces the likelihood of the spray backfiring. She wanted the ability to disable an attacker without being as close as she'd need to be to hit the animal. That being said, my friend is very dedicated to what she does, and has done a lot of research. I hope that Sarah has done her research to keep herself and Ellie safe.

 to the bolded.

That is interesting about the pepper spray - it may be a new brand and I should look. Thanks.

I found a telescopic spring-loaded umbrella very useful in the past when we lived in the big city.  Desensitize your own dogs to it first, of course, but springing it open in an aggressive dog's face can scare the shit out of the dog and it also acts as a defensive barrier.

These days we pretty much know the dogs on our usual small town routes and trails.   I often walk with a friend who has fairly reactive dog too so we are both very alert - and we both carry umbrellas whatever the weather.

[VodouDoll]

1 hour ago, fundiefan said:

If there are three dogs running the neighborhood, attacking other dogs, she should have called the police and/or local animal control. 

She says in the comments that she's called animal control and they're involved, so that's good.

[Foudeb]

If this were a romance novel, one of those men in the van would be very handsome and nice and would come back to enquire after her and they'd eventually elope. With Ellie acting as the ring bearer at their wedding.

In the real world though, wtf, how does an uber-sheltered chidult like her climb in  a van with people she doesn't know? That's the basic thing every 5 yo is drilled never ever to do!

[bertnee]

@Foudeb, wouldn't that be something? If he was a Steve-approved type of Christian who also happened to own his own home across the street from the Maxwells and couldn't tell the difference between meat or bean burritos, then this dog attack would truly be God's divine plan!!

 

(I'm glad everything turned out okay for Sarah & the puppy, I'm sure that was very scary. I'm not a dog person at all so whenever a random dog walks across my path, I get nervous.)

[Dandruff]

Could it be that Sarah got into the van with strange men because she was frightened, they were behaving as protectors, they told her to, and she has never said no to a man in her life?