Texan vs. Pitbull

The following story is a another good example of why it is a good idea to carry a firearm with you at all times.

From the Star Telegram:

65-year-old man strangles pit bull during attack

CONROE, Texas - A 65-year-old retired truck driver who was attacked by a vicious pit bulldog during a neighborhood walk choked the dog to death as he defended himself.

Yes, you did read that correctly, a 65 year old man strangled an attacking pit bull.

I turned to face him, and when I saw it was pit bull, I knew I was in trouble," Pardue said. "I put my hands up and I hollered at him. He immediately jumped to my throat."

Pardue shielded his body by grabbing the dog's head and ears, but the dog shook loose and started biting his right hand. Pardue kneed the dog in the ribs, spurring it to let go of his hand, and then grabbed the dog by its thick collar.

Pardue said he then dragged the dog to his house while maintaining a firm grip on its neck. His wife called police from the house. When the police arrived, Pardue was on the ground with the dog and still holding onto the collar.

Police said Pardue's grip was so tight that he strangled the dog. Pardue said he didn't know the dog was dead until it was unresponsive when police tried to move it.

Now that is one old Texan I would hate to cross.

"If not for the collar, I don't know how I would have ever been able to wrestle him down," said Pardue, who weighs 200 pounds. "The dog was about 80 pounds and very vicious. It was hard to believe the viciousness in which he attacked me, but I was able to contain him."

Mr. Pardue, you did good.

You read about dog attacks fairly often these days. I do not know if the numbers are increasing, or if these are just the type of story the media likes to jump on. I do know that many attacks by larger dogs do not end quite as favorably as this one did. My little brother got his throat ripped open by an Australian Shepard when we were kids and you hear about other serious injury or death by dogs on a pretty regular basis. Your best defence against a dog attack is not a squirt bottle, a stick, or your boots, it's 230 grains of jacketed hollow points.