I guess the bike rider never heard of pepper spray. Why not shoot him.
The local article also stated the dog was 5 to 10 feet away. I think the cyclist panicked when he saw a Shepard.
Because it’s the bike rider’s responsibility to manage a loose, aggressive dog and not the owner?
I lived many years in a very rural area, and never once saw that - not even during hunting season.
Perhaps if the sheriff had asked a few pertinent questions, like, why the shotgun? Where were you headed? You know, things like that. It would have added a degree of fullness to a story that lacks some depth. And as a bonus, would eliminate some speculation, as noted earlier, that the guy was maybe trolling for dogs.
Maybe the biker was afflicted with a manner of PTSD himself, whether war related or not.
In any event, my own personal view is that the Vet, and his deceased companion, deserve our sympathy, not condemnation.
But I guess that's just me.
CA....