Witnesses to dog-biting incident, last year, October, on Graton bike path.

I know this is a shot in the dark. I was walking my white shepherd-mix dog and my niece's chihuahua-terrier black and white terrier mix on the path.Both dogs were leashed. I didn't know the chihuahua hated bikes. He lunged at a passing biker and my dog got scared, thought we were being attacked, and bit the biker on the leg. It was awful I was shocked and stunned. My dog has never, ever bitten anyone before the incident or after it. He's just not that guy. The whole situation could not have been more terrible. I thought for sure it was my niece's dog and I was busy pulling him away, but I made the wrong call.

Anyway. I felt so sorry for the poor guy, but he and his wife or girlfriend would not let me get a word in edge-wise. She screamed at me all the way back to the mouth of the trail. I know I kept saying "I'm sorry", and "He's never bitten anyone, before, ever." She kept saying she was going to have him put down and what a terrible dog-owner I was and that "anyone could tell that he's vicious just by looking at him."

My dog has never been vicious. He has never attacked anyone before. I have had him trained, professionally. I only say that to let you know I am a responsible dog owner. I've had dogs all my life and have never had this happen. It was a terrible confluence of a narrow-path, a little dog who thought he could lunge at a bike, and my dog, who was caught in the middle and thought we were being threatened.

This absolutely does not let me off the hook. I was the grownup and the dog-walker. Period. It happened on my watch. I was prepared for the consequences, I thought.

We used my cell phone to call 911. Because it has my old area code in the number--I've had the same number for 20 years and it's been through 3 moves, over the years--they accused me of lying about where I lived. I gave them my driver's license, and because the address had not been changed since I sold my house and moved into another one, here in Sebastopol, I was accused again of being a liar. They saw my car and said: "Of COURSE she has a Prius!!!" Like it, too, demonstrated my flawed character. When asked if my dog had had his shots, they said: "I'll bet he doesn't!" . The whole time. (He was and is up to date on all his shots.)
It went on until the police and ambulance showed up. I let them blow off steam--it was my dog and my fault. I had to take it, and I did, without ever once being retaliatory or combative.

After the EMT left, and the Animal Control officer carted off my dog, I stood in front of them and told them again how sorry I was and to let me know if they needed anything, like medical bills paid. They had all my information; I had none of theirs. It was the one moment during the entire incident where I was not being screamed at.

So. I got served last night and they're suing me in Small Claims Court for $10,000.00. The recipient of the bite didn't have to have stitches, or even to be taken to the Emergency Room. For which I am grateful.
They alleged in the suit that I was "uncooperative and hostile", and gave that as the reason why they went straight to litigation instead of calling me and asking if I would compensate them. It's been a year, and I'm still traumatized by the incident--being verbally abused like that for 45 minutes was one of the most violent things that's ever happened to me.
I know I am not the victim, here. But I did 'put up and shut up" for the entire verbal beating.

If anyone out there was a witness to the accident, please let me know. They are charging that I was so antagonistic and uncooperative that they didn't feel like calling me to see if I would compensate them for their "pain and suffering." I just want it clear that I was totally cooperative and truly, truly sorry.

Thanks.

408-761-7795