Off-leash dogs, Napa River and Bay Trail Park

[JasperSpartan]

2016 - Napa River and Bay Trail Park off Eucalyptus Drive, American Canyon CA

I was walking at twilight, out of the parking lot at (Eucalyputs drive) and entering the Napa marshland by the trail. I was wearing my headphones, and minding my own business. I'm training for a race, and I like walking and jogging along this section of the Bay Trail.

There was a man (middle aged) who was "walking" his (female) Rottweiler (cropped tail, still had pointy ears) and by walking I mean, he was carrying an extendable leash in his hand, but his dog was easily 25 yards away, off of it.
The dog took a crap, and he was entitled enough where he didn't have to pick it up.
I said nothing and kept on walking.

I walked past him and the dog (now in the woods) and was minding my own business when all of the sudden - you guessed it, his dog ran up behind me and bit me.

I turned around and yelled at the dog, and at him "Get your dog off me, get your dog under control!" and you know what he said?

"She just nipped you."

….

Right.

Please take a moment to take that scenario in.
Walking, in a familiar place, minding your own business, a man walking not far from you (who thinks he's above picking up after his pet as well as the posted leash law for the park) with a dog, and the dog comes after you. It doesn't break the skin, but when you confront the dog owner, the dog owner is LESS THAN APOLOGETIC.

I took photos of him.
I took photos of his car.
I called the police.

At some point, this "entitlement" among dog owners has *GOT* to stop. I probably won't single-handedly make that happen, but here's what I learned from that experience.

First, I would love to tell this jerk he was LUCKY, so lucky I left my mace in the car today.
It might not have done much for the dog, but it would have worked wonders on him.
I will forever carry mace with me at this park from now on.

Second, American Canyon, which just passed a law saying the public leash limit under 8 feet in length.
That those extender-leashes would have gotten him a fine if his dog was even on it because under the previous ordinance it had to be under 15 feet and most of those extenders go much futher than that. Mental note to self if you are a dog owner: carry a short leash with you or put one in your car.

Napa County Sheriff which answered the call said that a uniformed officer actually has to witness anything going on.
The video that I shot of what happened afterwards, the photos I took of him letting his dog run around off leash, the images I took of his car and him getting in it, won't get me anywhere this time around. Napa Sheriff does patrol the park. Maybe not every day, not every hour, but once there's been a complaint they will keep an eye out for an offender. Why be a douche-bag about this? Seriously?

In the State of California you can carry a concealed weapon with a permit.
Super entitled dog owners seem to fail, by and large to think that their dog is ever going to be shot. Yet another reason to keep your beloved pet under control on a leash. If you believe that you are being attacked by a dog, you can shoot it. Why risk this happening?

The Sheriff did say that mace is allowed, and if you believe you are being threatened by a dog or person, you can use it.
The Napa Sheriff that I talked to actually said that were it he that this had happened to, he would have found a brick / rock / branch and hit the dog with it. Really hard. On the head. That is within your rights.

The Napa River & Bay Trail is loaded with coyotes.
Especially this year. You can see them wandering around as early as 3pm in the afternoon, twilight hours in the winter just before sunset. According to the Napa Sheriff, there are "hundreds of them out there." If your off-leash dog doesn't hurt a person, you are potentitally either letting your pet disturb the wildlife or potentially get hurt by the wildlife. Let me ask you this; why are out there in the first place if you don't give a shit about the wildlife?
Furthermore, there are also occasionally homeless people living back there for a week or three at a time (with their garbage and human feces), and there is also poison oak. Want some poison oak in your car?

Yes, I'm a former dog owner. Yes I get that you think ANY park is place you can go with your pets - alas you are ill informed about this. Also, a number of the Napa PD are dog owners and they really DO NOT have "sympathy" or empathy for people who are being jerks. Some parks exist for dogs and some for people and some for both. You really should read, and heed, the posted notices because when you don't you "ruin it" for everyone else. Google search "Napa, dogs, Alston Park" and you'll see a cache of stories and about how that all went sideways.

And lastly, to the man who owns a white, four door, newer model Subaru Outback, CA LIC: 6ZTZ327 that he and his female (bitch) dog ride in, I'm not the only person keeping an eye out for you now.