Journal entry 10

July 11th

I recently got attacked by a dog while running my daily run. I had been running 1.4 miles for a month or a little longer from our driveway down the road and around this little neighborhood then back. My sister in law had got me started running because she was trying to lose a significant amount of weight and wanted a running partner. So the Friday before I got attacked my step daughter and I had gone on our run/ bike ride and a dog had kind of come at us growling but didn't attack. We got around to the next corner of the neighborhood and a gentleman was standing out and asked if we had ever gotten attacked by a dog over on other side of  neighborhood. He said his granddaughter had gotten attacked that day and he had called the sheriff's department. So we kept on running with no problems. The following day my sister in-law, stepdaughter, and myself went running and the dog came out and barked and growled more. We managed to avoid anything serious happening. The next day my stepdaughter and I went again, just the two of us and this time the dog decided to meet me head on in the road and attack. I don't know if any of you have ever been attacked by a dog but it was not very exciting at all. He was a blue heeler and was a stray dog that had been staying out front of this house for the last 5 days. He bit my left thigh and my left hand. I was screaming and my stepdaughter was on her bike crying and frantic. He bit me the one time and backed off and went back to that house. I went to the next door neighbors house and we had a cell phone with us. We had to call 911. I was dripping blood everywhere. The ambulance came and took me to the hospital. I got 4 stitches in my left hand and my leg just required some cleaning. Animal control and the sheriff's department came out and they had to kill the dog. They had him sent off and thank goodness he had no diseases of any sort. I am now scared to death to run anywhere there might be any dogs around. I cannot run in neighborhoods. I don't even want to take the chance. I have pepper spray now. It overall was not a good experience.