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[willyB]

This afternoon following behind my brother down a quiet country road a big dog runs out after my brother. It was a Boxer or Pitbull, about 70 lbs. We were passing by a crowded church lot and you would think they'd have the dog on a leash!

Nevertheless, the dog runs right in the middle of the road. Quickly hard on the brakes and dropping a gear I did my best to miss the dog. But just as I'm about to barely miss him he decides to move back my way.

I hit him in his left ass and flipped him to the ditch. I thought I was going to run straight over him.

I didn't stop because there were 50 other people who could help better than me. Plus I had slowed down to about 30 or 35 when I clipped him. I feel bad for the poor dog, I'm sure he's okay, but PEOPLE, keep your dogs on a leash!

[SDCVO]

Good thing you stayed up! I it a dog many years ago and went down bad. I am always worrying about it now (probably way too much) on the backroads. Bummer for sure for the dog but could have been catastrophic!

[tweeter13]

Glad your ok,  hope the dog is as well.  How is the bike?

Todd

[willyB]

Bike's okay. I guess all of my years riding on the dirt helps. It really could have been trouble if I completely ran over him. Just a swift kick in the ass from a CVO.

I hope he's okay.

[murphy]

Brutal, lucky it was you and your brother it chased as opposed to a small child..."oh fluffy would never hurt a fly..."

[05Train]

Glad you're ok, but really uncool for not stopping.  That's a crime 'round these parts.

[Buy early]

Glad you're okay! As a dog owner, I agree with you, dogs need to be on leash unless in a fenced in area. I would have stopped to give the owner a piece of my mind.

[willyB]

Glad you're ok, but really uncool for not stopping.  That's a crime 'round these parts.

You can call the uncool card all you want but when the owner of dogs like that kill a fellow rider this topic would have been in the obit section.

[05Train]

You can call the uncool card all you want but when the owner of dogs like that kill a fellow rider this topic would have been in the obit section.

Nice, reasoned response.  I suppose you'd be cool with someone running over your dog then driving away?  Whether or not you are, that's a hit & run, and that's illegal.  Not to mention it's just downright inconsiderate.  For all we know, the dog slipped out the door and the owner was frantically trying to get it back.

Two sides to every story

[110tHunDer]

 
I took out a bird once.  Could have been some 5 year-old little girl's pet parakeet, for all I know.  I kept going.  I feel like such an a-hole now. 

If my dog is stupid enough (she's not) to run into the road after some bikes, she's got what is coming to her, bless her heart.  No way I'd go back if I thought it was a Pitbull, either.  (See Murphy's response.)

[Jock]

I took out a bird once. 

Ditto on this last trip to Santa Fe.

My first bike accident was when I hit a dog too.

[FLHTCUSE7]

Not sure about the state you were in but I believe that is a hit and run here. So normally the cops come knocking a little later if someone got the plate.

[Twolanerider]

Best advice I was ever given for dogs came from a motor cop.  Gear down and slow down when you see it coming.  Then just before it gets to you accelerate.  Dog can't shift gears and change directions fast enough to compensate.

[E-Skunk]

Best advice I was ever given for dogs came from a motor cop.  Gear down and slow down when you see it coming.  Then just before it gets to you accelerate.  Dog can't shift gears and change directions fast enough to compensate.

Ditto, MSF 101, works every time ..... As long as you see him coming!

[D-N-D]

Wow Glade it all worked out for you !!! hope the the dog is OK and learned a lesson not to chase bikes

[eleft36]

Glad you're ok, but really uncool for not stopping.  That's a crime 'round these parts.

Can you post that regulation? Seems that was a roaming dog, if not leashed.

[longlast]

Some yrs back went with a lady friend to see a friend. He had a long winding dirt drive, when my lady friend and I left I had just pulled away (still in first). Two dogs lunged out of no were One on ether side of us I looked back and down to my left just as a dog was about to bite my lady friends leg (lost site of the other one) So as one would, I just cracked the throttle. Then it all went wrong,...we pulled away from the dogs but I couldn't close down the throttle. When the first bend came up, I was leaned and the wheels road in the bite of a rockface and the drive. That's when I lost my lady friend off the back. When I finally got stopped be for the drive ended(thank the lord because it was a 90Left and a 90right with a rockface straight ahead of the drive) I found the adjustable link on the throttle cable had come undone and jammed the throttle open. My lady friend had scratches and braising.
That was the one and only time I've had a dog encouter. Never saw my lady friend again after that ether  

[05Train]

Can you post that regulation? Seems that was a roaming dog, if not leashed.

Dogs are considered property in Maryland.  Leaving the scene of an accident in which property damage occurred constitutes hit & run.  The fact that the dog wasn't leashed is immaterial from a legal standpoint, though it would be contributory negligence in a civil case.

Hitting a dog and leaving the scene of the accident is no different (legally) than hitting a car and leaving the scene.

[spydglide]

1st of all, I love dogs and can't tolerate someone abusing or neglecting them and would never intentionally hurt one.  But, when a animal (dog, deer, buzzard, whatever) is running onto the roadway at me (esp. in attack mode), I don't consider that to be property, but rather a intentional danger and I'm sure not going to stop (if I'm lucky enough to avoid falling) and deal with someone who didn't think enough of their animal/property to exercise control and safety of the dog.  It's one thing if a dog wanders out into a roadway and quite another if the animal is charging out to chase/intercept the vehicle.  spyder

[2k]

Dogs are considered property in Maryland.  Leaving the scene of an accident in which property damage occurred constitutes hit & run.  The fact that the dog wasn't leashed is immaterial from a legal standpoint, though it would be contributory negligence in a civil case.

Hitting a dog and leaving the scene of the accident is no different (legally) than hitting a car and leaving the scene.

Can't believe some of the comments......If my vehicle is in your yard and I hit your animal, its on me. If your animal is in the road, its on YOU. I wonder how many people have been killed/maimed trying to dodge an animal in the road. If you live near a busy roadway, you have 2 choices.....control him or bury him. Its your choice.

[dlaws01]

Willy, I've turned you in to the ASPCA.  They need your address so they can come pay you a visit. 

[05Train]

Can't believe some of the comments......If my vehicle is in your yard and I hit your animal, its on me. If your animal is in the road, its on YOU. I wonder how many people have been killed/maimed trying to dodge an animal in the road. If you live near a busy roadway, you have 2 choices.....control him or bury him. Its your choice.

The law says differently.

[2k]

Was the dog chasing(attacking) the scooter? Maryland State Law:

§ 11-505. When dog killing permitted

Any person may kill any dog which he sees in the act of pursuing, attacking, wounding or killing any poultry or livestock, or attacking human beings whether or not such dog bears the proper license tag required by these provisions. There shall be no liability on such persons in damages or otherwise for such killing.

So endth the story

[guppytrash]

Did that dog have a headlight, tail light, plates and insurance then it was also against the law for it to be legally on the road.

And if a dog is considered property then I hope you morally feel obligated to pay property tax on it.

I am pretty sure if you dig a little deeper into your laws you may be surprised to find there is responsibility of ownership of pets and other animals.

I think you are no less responsible to keep your dog off the road then say a farmer is responsible to keep his cows off the road or your neighbor with the pet boa-constrictor is to keep that out of your kids play house.

I love pets too.  I just don't put any animal above human life.

[sawyerghost]

Getting back on track to the accident itself.
The group that we ride with have discussed this issue before.
When the lead rider encounters a charging dog, usually he/she is ahead of the path the dog will take.
It is the #2 rider that will encounter the dog.
So we have discussed the maneuver of alternating your speed to throw the dog off (time permitting of course.)
And also, if time permitting, the lead rider needs to point out the charging dog so the #2 rider can make his appropriate speed changes.

[D-N-D]

I just seen a dog with Dunlop stamped on its A$$ so you did not kill the dog !!!

[GregKhougaz]

This is a sad discussion.  MO does not have a leash law but pet owners are legally required to reasonably restrain their pets so they do not endanger others.  Willy could have been hurt or even killed.  Better the dog suffer than he.  The question raised here, however, appears to be what was Willy's responsibility after the accident / striking the dog?  I suppose you can argue about his moral responsibility but I think the answer is quite obvious and consistent with the law.  A dog is personal property under MO law. Thus, that question is resolved by the MO Hit-and-Run statute:

Leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident.

577.060. 1. A person commits the crime of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident when being the operator or driver of a vehicle on the highway or on any publicly or privately owned parking lot or parking facility generally open for use by the public and knowing that an injury has been caused to a person or damage has been caused to property, due to his culpability or to accident, he leaves the place of the injury, damage or accident without stopping and giving his name, residence, including city and street number, motor vehicle number and driver's license number, if any, to the injured party or to a police officer, or if no police officer is in the vicinity, then to the nearest police station or judicial officer.

[110tHunDer]

 
He knows he hit the dog, but does he know he injured the dog?

[GregKhougaz]

He knows he hit the dog, but does he know he injured the dog?

Answer:

...
I hit him in his left ass and flipped him to the ditch. I thought I was going to run straight over him.

I didn't stop because there were 50 other people who could help better than me. Plus I had slowed down to about 30 or 35 when I clipped him. I feel bad for the poor dog, I'm sure he's okay, but PEOPLE, keep your dogs on a leash!

I wouldn't want to try to argue that I didn't know I had injured an animal that I hit at over 30 miles an hour and knocked into a ditch;
especially if I had not stopped.   

[05Train]

Was the dog chasing(attacking) the scooter? Maryland State Law:

§ 11-505. When dog killing permitted

Any person may kill any dog which he sees in the act of pursuing, attacking, wounding or killing any poultry or livestock, or attacking human beings whether or not such dog bears the proper license tag required by these provisions. There shall be no liability on such persons in damages or otherwise for such killing.

So endth the story

Clearly not the case here, but it's pointless to attempt to convince you otherwise.  A dog slipping the leash (or escaping out a door) doesn't meet the standard of "attacking".  The rider wasn't under attack; a horrible series of unfortunate events unfolded and the rider struck someone's dog.  Whether or not the law would excuse injuring or killing the dog is inconsequential to the fact that the rider left the scene of an accident in which he knew he'd struck someone's property.  Whether or not it was the rider's fault, the dog's fault, the dog owner's fault doesn't matter.  Leaving the scene of an accident is a hit & run.

As I said in my initial post, I'm glad the OP kept his bike up and was ok.  I'm sure he was shook up by what happened, because it could have been much, much worse for him.  But that doesn't change the fact that he should have stopped, and that under the laws here (as well as there, it appears) had someone gotten his tag number, the police would be paying him a visit.

[willyB]

"Clearly not the case here....."

How do you know? My second post to your stupid point was removed but clearly defined the situation.

So, if I were to have stopped what would have happened smart guy?

* Would I have been able to anything more for the dog than the fifty other people standing there?
* Should I have apologized to the guy that let his large dog attack the motorcycle in front of me that stood in the middle of the road as I attempt to prevent personal injury to myself and my wife?
* Should I have stopped to yell at the dog owner?
* Could someone in that group attempt personal harm to me for hitting the dog?

I am not a vet and I am not the one to put myself in a potential dangerous situation. I decided it was best to leave the argument alone and let the fifty other people attend to the animal. I'm sure one of them ones a car and knows where the vet is located.

As I said before in my post to you that was removed. #&!

[spydglide]

This afternoon following behind my brother down a quiet country road a big dog runs out after my brother. It was a Boxer or Pitbull, about 70 lbs.

I consider a large dog 'running out in the road after a person or vehicle' to be chasing/attacking or whatever you want to call it....but it wasn't a case of a pooch slipping away and wandering into the path of traffic.  It's a dangerous game that a dog plays chasing vehicles regardless of the intent and usually eventually ends up with someone getting hurt and more times it's the dog.  If a dog is considered 'property' then the owner of same is responsible  for the dog, not the person under attack.  It wasn't a 'act of God' or a freak act of nature, rather a dog chasing after a mc rider.  Going back to confront irresponsible/negligent owners would probably not have ended well for anyone.  spyder

[naitram]

"Clearly not the case here....."

How do you know? My second post to your stupid point was removed but clearly defined the situation.

So, if I were to have stopped what would have happened smart guy?

* Would I have been able to anything more for the dog than the fifty other people standing there?
* Should I have apologized to the guy that let his large dog attack the motorcycle in front of me that stood in the middle of the road as I attempt to prevent personal injury to myself and my wife?
* Should I have stopped to yell at the dog owner?
* Could someone in that group attempt personal harm to me for hitting the dog?

I am not a vet and I am not the one to put myself in a potential dangerous situation. I decided it was best to leave the argument alone and let the fifty other people attend to the animal. I'm sure one of them ones a car and knows where the vet is located.

As I said before in my post to you that was removed. #&!

since all you want to do is insult anyone with an opinion on this i'm locking the thread