A terrible thing happened the other day to my dog and I. I wanted to write about this experience to shed light on the controversial subject of the uses of pepper spray and off-leash dogs. 

I live in northern British Columbia, Canada. My house is in a rural area with a backyard that is essentially a steep hill and a creek, with a lovely path winding along the creek that opens into The Bulkley River. I have lived here for close to two years now. My partner and I chose the location for two reasons. One, because it is a five minute walk from where I work, and two, the location. The creek is a dogs paradise. There they can romp and play to their hearts content, splash in the creek and run through the small woodland area that surrounds it. I have three dogs - two eight year old German Shepherds who are sisters, and a year old Labrador mix who is also a rear-leg tripod. My shepherds Star and Katie are reactive dogs, or DINOS (Dogs In Need Of Space) if you will, so whenever we are anywhere populated they are on leash. Katie has a history of abuse so she is often fearful or aggressive depending on the person and situation. Our tripod Sarge came from a past of severe abuse that ended up with his leg being amputated, but despite that he has one of the friendliest, most positive dispositions I have ever seen in a dog. He loves absolutely everyone.

I walk my dogs by the creek almost every day. Other days we will take a different route, but the creek is our favorite as it's the most fun for them because they are off leash. In two years of taking my dogs to this area I have never encountered anyone. On this particular morning I grabbed my pups and headed down the hill. It was a gorgeous sunny winter day and I was looking forward to getting some exercise.

At the bottom of the hill, there is a trail of a few yards that opens onto a dirt road and a bridge leading into a farm. We cross the bridge every day and continue on the trail to the river. Since there is woods on either side of us, it can often be difficult to see the rare traffic approaching the bridge, so I always recall my dogs before we cross. Sarge was ahead of me, sniffing the ground, when I saw his head pop up and his tail start to wag excitedly. I thought someone must be coming up the bridge, so I kept Star and Katie by my side and called Sarge. 

Well, Sarge is a pup, and as we all know sometimes a pup doesn't have the best recall, especially if there is a very tempting distraction. This particular distraction turned out to be a man and woman walking their two small dogs. As I said, Sarge is one of those dogs who loves everyone and wants to make friends with every dog he meets, so he approached them with playful body language - tail relaxed and wagging, ears up, mouth open. The man's reaction to this was to pull a can of pepper spray from his utility belt and spray it point blank into my dogs face.

The man held the spray down for a count of at least five seconds. This was no short warning spray. He made no verbal attempt to keep Sarge from him. He did not shout, or lash out, or make threatening body posture. He went for the most extreme means to 'protect' himself from my exuberant, wiggling tripod pup. I suppose he took in Sarges floppy-eared, bow legged appearance and saw a 250lb Cujo lunging for his throat. After all, what sane person would do this?

I was absolutely stunned. I was overcome with such panic and rage all in the same moment that it left me unable to even speak. Sarge immediately started screaming. He backed up, eyes squeezed shut, and stumbled over the snowbank. He started to thrash in the snow, crying and rubbing his face frantically over and over into the snow in an attempt to cool his face. I went to him and grabbed him, not thinking to keep myself protected from the second hand spray that was all over him. All I could think was; "Oh my god, my dog is blind, my dog can't breathe, my dog is dying." I pulled his face into my lap and rubbed a handful of snow all over it. Sarge was gasping and coughing violently, his eyes wouldn't open and there was a thick drool and foam coming out of his mouth. 

I wanted to kill this man. Vivid images of me attacking him and spraying him in his face flashed through my head, but I had to get Sarge home as fast as possible. Sarge is nearly 60lbs and I am not in the best of shape, but adrenaline was pumping through me and I picked him up and started to walk as fast as I could through the snow to the hill. At this point Star and Katie were extremely agitated and worried about their brother and were circling my legs and whining. I was crying so hard I couldn't see, and the pepper spray was working its way onto my skin and into my own eyes. I was terrified for my dog and burning with anger and started to scream over my shoulder at the man. I won't go into detail about what I screamed, but you can be sure it would have made a sailor blush. The man had the audacity to scream obscenities back at me.

The walk up the hill was awful and seemed to take forever. Sarge was hacking and crying and I had to put him down a number of times when he panicked his way out of my arms and buried himself in the snow. At this point I was starting to panic as well because painful tears were blurring my vision and the pain was intensifying. I was worrying that I wouldn't be able to make it up the hill. My house was very close, only a few feet away, so I started to yell for my partner who was inside. Sarge and I made it to the house and got him inside where he began to run furiously through the house, tripping and sliding everywhere on his back leg. He was rubbing his face over everything, shaking his head and coughing. My partner was incredulous, and after I quickly told him what happened he jumped in our truck and tore down the street to confront the man and his wife. 

I got Sarge into our bathtub and held his head under the tap. He struggled greatly and still wouldn't open his eyes. I could hardly see at this point but I just knew I had to get some water into my boys eyes and into his mouth. 

Eventually I got Sarge under control and his eyes open. He calmed down enough that I could take care of myself. I have never experienced pain like that before. It felt as though someone had skinned me and poured rubbing alcohol on my flesh. My eyes burned to the point that all I could think was that I was going blind. My throat was closing and snot was running down my face. I threw up twice. All my pores burned and couldn't make the pain lessen no matter how much water I splashed on my face and into my eyes. If it hurt me this badly to have gotten it second hand, how in the world must it have felt for Sarge, who got it point blank in his face from only a few inches away? 

The cops arrived a short time later to take our statements. The reason for the cops was because when my partner confronted the man, he pulled out his pepper spray and pointed it in his face. That is considered assault. No matter how angry my partner was, he never once threatened the man or acted aggressively. He shouted and swore, but that was no cause for having a can of pepper spray being pointed in his face. 

My friends were outraged on Sarges behalf, and mine. Everyone told us that we should have charged the man with assault and/or animal cruelty. As enraged as I was (and still am) I don't want an enemy. It is not uncommon for dogs to be poisoned due to personal grievances and I don't want to worry about them or, god forbid, have anything like that happen. 

I find it mind blowing that this man felt that the best course of action was to pepper spray my dog. I find it even more mind blowing that he then became angry at me for my reaction, and then pointed the can at my partner. Pepper spray is a LAST RESORT. It is a non-lethal weapon used for personal safety, to be used for GOOD REASON. A year old, tail wagging, three-legged dog wanting to make your acquaintance is not a good reason. Sarge displayed absolutely NO threatening behaviors. 

I worry that there are people like this with personal insecurities on power-trips walking around my neighborhood. I have friends with friendly off-leash dogs who walk their dogs close to this area. I absolutely understand fear of dogs - but this man had two of his own, and Sarge is neither an intimidating dog nor did he act aggressively, at all. My main issues were the extreme actions taken by him for no good reason, and the total lack of empathy when my partner explained Sarge's duress, and mine. This man was short tempered, sarcastic and cold when my partner confronted him. The type of person who I see using his 'weapon' flippantly. 

This was a horrible experience, and one I hope no one ever has to go through. Sarge was fine and didn't need a vet visit. We were instructed to give him a milk bath followed with some medicated dog shampoo. I am so grateful that he was OK, but now I worry that my loving life pup will become fearfully aggressive or withdrawn. I am worried that he will have been traumatized by this...that this experience will change his amazing outlook on life and people. 

That would break my heart.