Bah! Humbug!

[Big Frank]

Holy shit!!  I'd be prepared next time you got out... "He was coming right at me, I had to do it!"
If your neighbor won't contain him thats not on you.
Hope it heals ok!

Thanks, Red. Long time, no see, here. I think I'm going to take a CCW class in the next month or 2 and get a new permit. It's been way too long since I had one, and I obviously need to be armed, even if I just step out onto my porch to get a package. My friend might take the class with me, and will see if his wife wants to join us if he does. I open carried to take out the trash and check the mail for a little while after the first attack, but I need to wear a coat now, so I have to get a CPL (Concealed Pistol License).

[Big Frank]

I have been thinking about all the moving parts of living with close neighbors, out of control pets, public perception of action, and legal issues. 

Since you never know when to expect an attack, bear spray is not an option that is easily carried at all times, but mace/pepper spray is.  Get yourself some Sabre and carry it at all times. These companies also sell practice units. INVEST IN THEM! You know as well, or better than, anyone what a fast-moving dog is like. You need to practice to be ready to hit that moving target coming at you.

Shout commands and calls for help.
Defend yourself with whatever you have and need to do to stop the threat.
Call 911.
Call your self-defense insurance company.

In a nutshell - This is an attack on your person with the intent to inflict death or great bodily harm. Being an animal does not change the intent of the attack. Respond accordingly!

I need to check on the legality of pepper spray here. I know at one time I could legally carry it, but only up to a certain size. I had a 3 ounce spray that was legal, but a 4 ounce wasn't, IIRC. Tear gas is illegal here for some reason, unless that's changed, but small pepper sprays are okay. Or were. Maybe if I spray the dog and it's owner I won't have to shoot either one of them.

[Rastus]

I need to check on the legality of pepper spray here. I know at one time I could legally carry it, but only up to a certain size. I had a 3 ounce spray that was legal, but a 4 ounce wasn't, IIRC. Tear gas is illegal here for some reason, unless that's changed, but small pepper sprays are okay. Or were. Maybe if I spray the dog and it's owner I won't have to shoot either one of them.

Wasp spray works pretty well too.  That's something you can accidentally leave outside in reach without it being noticed for self-defense purposes.  And...who steals bug spray? 

[alfsauve]

Of course it’s against Federal Regulations to use insecticides for purposes other than approved.  I would just plea I didn’t have a degree in etymology and couldn’t decide if it was a mammal or some genetically engineered super, killer wasp from Wuhan.

[Big Frank]

I read somewhere that wasp spray can blind people and using it for self defense is a bad idea. They could say you're trying to to inflict permanent injury on some A-hole who deserves it. And using it on animals other than wasps is likely a crime. From what I've read about it, from a legal standpoint, you're better off shooting them, whether its a person or animal.

[Sponsor]

[alfsauve]

Miss Kitty, a school librarian for more years than she will admit, kept an aluminum baseball bat by her desk.  Her story was some student left it in the library and she was waiting for him to come back and claim it.  Of course she couldn’t remember the students name, or class, or grade, or which century he had forgotten it.

[Big Frank]

I didn't have a weapon on me, but on Christmas I walked to the car and back with my Cold Steel Heavy Duty Cane. The Heavy Duty Cane features an extra strong partial crook handle made from heavy duty nylon, and a 2mm thick aluminum shaft that's heat-treated for strength. The tapered shaft is capped with a thick rubber ferrule for better traction on slick, icy sidewalks or uneven terrain. The Heavy Duty Cane features an extra strong partial crook handle made from heavy duty nylon, and a 2mm thick aluminum shaft thats heat-treated for strength. The tapered shaft is capped with a thick rubber ferrule for better traction on slick, icy sidewalks or uneven terrain. Weight: 15 oz. Handle Length/Material: Aluminum Shaft, Heavy Duty Nylon Handle. Overall Length: 37 1/2 inches. I have a 4" long loop of cord through the hole in the handle to hang it on a hook when I'm not using it. It's an ounce less than the head of an average hammer.

https://www.coldsteel.com/heavy-duty-cane/

Federal law and the Americans with Disabilities Act protect your right to carry a cane. Anyone who needs them has to be allowed to maintain possession of their Walkers, Canes, Crutches, and Braces in places where weapons aren't allowed, like on airplanes. They don't count against your carry-on weight on a plane either, and it's against the law for anyone to ask why you have it. I don't often NEED it to walk around, but whether I do or not at any particular moment, it's better to use that against an attacker than my bare hands. Here are 2 of the 3 pics I have from Christmas day. I'm keeping some for my lawyer when I sue my neighbor. The swelling in my arm and shoulder joint was so bad I could barely raise my arm. It hurt really bad and forced my head forward at a weird angle hurting my neck too.

https://canemasters.com/products/new-mobility-card-plus



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeXSz92QSZU

[MikeBjerum]

Per the USCCA information:

Per the reciprocity map" Pepper spray is Legal for personal self-defense under Michigan Penal Code (MCL 750.224d) for those 18+. The amount of pepper spray a person can possess is limited to 18 ounces or less. "

Two points from a non-attorney who speaks with attorneys and USCCA: 1. Any self-defense tool you feel you may need needs to be with you at all times, and you need to be well practiced and prepared with it; And 2, Planning to and using an agent, such as wasp spray, outside of its labeled usage will open the door to both statutory and civil issues.

In Michigan, pepper spray is legal to carry and use. It is easy to carry, and it has practice products available. 

The owner of this dog is well aware that the animal is dangerous. They have paid a lot for the damages the dog has done. If the dog comes for you again, pepper spray it. If the owner becomes aggressive, you should already have 911 on the phone hearing the issue, and after watching the dog in pain the mere visual of the can still in your hand and aimed at them should settle things down quickly. If calm does not return, a dose at the human face will be helpful.

[PegLeg45]

Miss Kitty, a school librarian for more years than she will admit, kept an aluminum baseball bat by her desk.  Her story was some student left it in the library and she was waiting for him to come back and claim it.  Of course she couldn’t remember the students name, or class, or grade, or which century he had forgotten it.

 I have a short (18") aluminum 'bat' with a flashlight built into the business end. I keep it stuck in the back pocket of the passenger seat with the handle where it can be grabbed on the way out the door. Nice light and great skull thumper if needed.

[Big Frank]

Per the USCCA information:

Two points from a non-attorney who speaks with attorneys and USCCA: 1. Any self-defense tool you feel you may need needs to be with you at all times, and you need to be well practiced and prepared with it; And 2, Planning to and using an agent, such as wasp spray, outside of its labeled usage will open the door to both statutory and civil issues.

In Michigan, pepper spray is legal to carry and use. It is easy to carry, and it has practice products available. 

The owner of this dog is well aware that the animal is dangerous. They have paid a lot for the damages the dog has done. If the dog comes for you again, pepper spray it. If the owner becomes aggressive, you should already have 911 on the phone hearing the issue, and after watching the dog in pain the mere visual of the can still in your hand and aimed at them should settle things down quickly. If calm does not return, a dose at the human face will be helpful.

Thanks, Mike. The laws around here change faster than I'm able to keep up. One day we can suddenly own machine guns and suppressors, then they're trying to ban "assault weapons". The amount of pepper spray we were allowed to carry used to be bigger than a lipstick size, but smaller than what the police typically carry. 18 ounces is a lot. I was strapped with over a half pound of hollow points in my .45 when I checked the mail and took out the recycling tonight. And I had another pound of hollowpoints (2 15 round mags) on my left hip. I've been shooting that pistol for 37 years and am confident that I know how to use it. And well enough to do the job. I never got much practice with pepper spray, but if I buy it, I'll be sure to get inert trainers and practice with them. I don't have to worry about the wind blowing bullets back in my face, but pepper spray is another matter. That's just one reason I prefer firearms to chemicals.