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I simply cannot believe it

Posted by XT on July 13th, 2009 in General


When I got home today, after picking up my sons from daycare, I was served with two summonses to appear in court on the 21st of this month. I am facing two court cases, one civil and one criminal, for kicking a dog in the park that bit one of my sons.

The full story is that I had stopped in the park with the boys to play while we waited for Mommy to meet us. While I was pushing the boys on the swing, someone tied a small dog to a park bench – I assumed it was the woman who joined the rest of us parents pushing our kids on the swings. When the boys wanted out of the swings, they ran straight for the dog. I caught them disentangled them from the dog, and directed them away to play on the merry-go-round. For one of the boys, this was fine – for the other one, it was a challenge to be overcome.

Everytime I devoted any attention to the younger of the twins, the older one dashed for the dog. Several times, he actually got to it before I stopped him. At those times, I showed him how to touch a dog softly, and then disentangled him and redirected him to play. At one of these times, the woman (who owned the dog) came over and berated me for “letting” my kids play with her dog…the one she tied to a park bench and then walked away from. We exchanged some not-so-friendly words, and she walked away, leaving me with my son next to her dog.

A few more times, Son #1 ran for the dog. The last time, he actually got there and the dog snapped his finger. I grabbed my boys, walked over to the woman, thanked her for ruining their day, and told her the dog had bit him and I was going to kick her dog for it. She said, “Go ahead!”

So I kicked the dog. It’s true. Not hard, but hard enough to register my displeasure. The woman, who had run behind me to scream at me, then kicked me in the thigh. At that point, I simply left the park.

So…my son gets bitten by a dog and I get kicked, but I have received two summonses for court. Man, what a country.

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  • RobinO

    But you continually let your kids run over to the dog? So, the dog was tied up, you allow your kids to repeatedly make a bee-line for the dog,
    the owner tells you to not allow your kids to play with her dog, you continue to not control your kids and let them run over to the dog, and then the
    dog snaps, and it is somehow the dogs fault? And then you kick the dog in front of your children? Where is your accountability in all of this?

  • http://www.xpatriatedtexan.com/blog ThurmanHart

    Hi Robin, thanks for being so judgmental since you undoubtedly know all of the exact details. Details such as:

    1) It is a children's play area. It was built specifically for children, not dogs.
    2) Even in areas where dogs are allowed, it is the owner's responsibility to keep control of their animal at all times. Tying the dog to a park bench and then walking away from it is simply not maintaining control. It is irresponsible.
    3) I didn't “let” my kids do anything. Everytime they went toward the dog, I got them away.
    4) My children are speech disabled. They do not respond to verbal signals like most children their ages, which is only two-and-a-half.
    5) I have two children to attend to – and it is impossible to allow them to use the playground equipment that was built specifically for their enjoyment without allowing them some freedom of movement. When I moved to help one child, the other one ran the other direction. Mea Culpa – you caught me being human again and being unable to be in two places simultaneously.
    6) I don't believe I ever said it was the dog's “fault” for snapping – whatever that means. I'm sure the dog was irritated and acted appropriately. However, an animal that is around children must be trained not to bite them, even if they are aggrieved.
    7) Yes, I kicked the dog, and I did it in front of my children. You know why? Because it's a dog and it bit my kid. See, in the grand scheme of the universe, dogs are much, much lower than humans. Any parent who would have reacted differently has no business having children. I will continue to defend my children whenever necessary, especially against other people's negligence.

  • http://www.xpatriatedtexan.com/blog ThurmanHart

    Hi Robin, thanks for being so judgmental since you undoubtedly know all of the exact details. Details such as:

    1) It is a children's play area. It was built specifically for children, not dogs.
    2) Even in areas where dogs are allowed, it is the owner's responsibility to keep control of their animal at all times. Tying the dog to a park bench and then walking away from it is simply not maintaining control. It is irresponsible.
    3) I didn't “let” my kids do anything. Everytime they went toward the dog, I got them away.
    4) My children are speech disabled. They do not respond to verbal signals like most children their ages, which is only two-and-a-half.
    5) I have two children to attend to – and it is impossible to allow them to use the playground equipment that was built specifically for their enjoyment without allowing them some freedom of movement. When I moved to help one child, the other one ran the other direction. Mea Culpa – you caught me being human again and being unable to be in two places simultaneously.
    6) I don't believe I ever said it was the dog's “fault” for snapping – whatever that means. I'm sure the dog was irritated and acted appropriately. However, an animal that is around children must be trained not to bite them, even if they are aggrieved.
    7) Yes, I kicked the dog, and I did it in front of my children. You know why? Because it's a dog and it bit my kid. See, in the grand scheme of the universe, dogs are much, much lower than humans. Any parent who would have reacted differently has no business having children. I will continue to defend my children whenever necessary, especially against other people's negligence.

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