A possible addition to your protection collection:
“Fire extinguishers are the non-lethal alternative to shooting an attacking dog with the highest success rate.”
Responded to ANIMALS 24-7 posting
Prince (Fire Marshall, Torrence, CO) posted to Facebook in response to a posting by ANIMALS 24-7 editor Merritt Clifton, which brought together into a single statement the advice he has offered on many occasions about how best to respond to a dog attack.
[See 15 real-life tips for surviving a dog attack (2019 edition)]
The Clifton posting read in entirety:
“I recommend fire extinguishers as the safest and most humane tools for interrupting a dog attack, since using a fire extinguisher does not require closely approaching the dog, it does not have to be aimed very accurately to have a deterrent effect, it does not quickly run out of ammunition, it does not produce an erratic ricochet, and is non-lethal. But if the fire extinguisher is exhausted while the dog attack continues, the empty cylinder can be used as a shield, a club, or a bite stick, as appropriate.
(Beth Clifton collage)
“Most animals retreat”
“Besides the deterrent effect of the fire extinguisher’s contents, which tend to make animals quickly short of breath without lastingly harming them, most animals, including most dogs, retreat from the snake-like hiss of a discharging fire extinguisher.
“There should be a fire extinguisher in every kitchen, near every fireplace, in every car, near the driver in any bus, truck, or taxi, and prominently and visibly located in every public building or place of business.
“Fire extinguishers have about a 70% success rate in stopping pit bull attacks. Guns have only about an 80% success rate at stopping the dog with the first shot fired.
“Among the other popular non-lethal devices used to stop dog attacks, pepper spray and Mace must be relatively accurately directed, and are typically carried in small containers meant for use at close range. Pepper spray and Mace have about a 40% success rate in stopping pit bull attacks.”
I like the idea - however, is there a small fire extinguisher that I could carry on my hikes? I can’t see lugging around a standard-sized extinguisher, even around the block (but I may have to if I keep seeing that menacing dog).