Mugsy Was Mugged!

You all remember my Aunt Renee's dog, Mugsy, right? He's the tough little guy who made it through an abusive beginning (running wild in the woods and had to be caught in a trap, rehabilitated, and ended up as my Aunt, the pet photographer's, right hand man). Yep, that's the one.
See my previous post on Mugsy here: boccibeefs.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html

Well, just the other day, Mugsy was attacked by a Rottweiler whose owner had left their gate open. Aunt Renee and Mugsy were walking on one of their usual routes, and out of his yard and onto the sidewalk dashes the Rottweiler, growling and snapping and biting at Mugs! Aunt Renee tried to keep Mugsy away from the attack by turning Mugsy in circles on his leash and....well, screaming at the top of her lungs for the owner to get her dog under control. When the Rottie was finally back behind his gate, the owner agreed to exchange contact information. A bit later that evening, Mugsy was rushed to the emergency vet with a number of bleeding wounds.

See poor Mugsy below after wracking up a $450 vet bill...(footnote: the vet called the owner of the Rottie directly and she paid on the spot, as well she should :-) )

           Mugsy, still in a stupor from pain medication

Here's what Parental Unit, Aunt Renee, Mugsy and I strongly recommend from this "teachable moment": If you choose to own what Cesar Millan refers to as a "powerful breed dog" you must take extra precautions to have that pooch under your control at all times-and that includes walking on a leash and making sure (like double and triple checking!) that your gates are closed and fences secure if your dog is left unattended.
And...all doggies need exercise commensurate with their breed and natural activity level, but most large and powerful breeds need a TON of daily exercise to drain their excess energy, and a long daily walk with their "pack leader" is a must!

Mugsy is now doing fine, but as we all know, it could have been much worse. So please, if your beloved dog is large enough to do some real damage to another pooch or human, (and even if it's not!), please have your four-legged best friend under your control at all times-Mugsy and I say thanks in advance for your effort-we're not the fightin' kind!

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