Psycho dog owner on the loose in Teele Square
Rob Bellinger learns to be wary of the short guy with the short dog jogging around the square:
... I love dogs, and as the duo passed us on the sidewalk, the dog panting heavily, I swooped playfully torward toward the panting pup. The dog lunged and barked at me as she passed. Dan and I laughed, not having wanted to cause the dog any anxiety. Then we heard a human ranting angrily at us from behind.
"Did you just terrorize my dog?! You think that's funny?! I saw you laugh! You terrorized my dog!" ...
Kids
Could be that the dog is like a child to the jogger.
Take a playful swipe at someone's child on the street, and you're lucky if the parent doesn't call the police or break your nose.
And if the dog bit Rob ...
Rob would be euthanized?
When people hassle dogs (particularly small people) and dogs defend themselves, it isn't the people who get the most dire consequences.
Not that there aren't psychotic dog people in the area - just take a look at what the off-leash crowd has done to Sheepfold in the Fells by deciding it is "their" turf (despite off-leash being illegal there ...).
Like a child?
It could be that the dog is like the President of the United States to the jogger.
Take a playful swipe at the President of the United States on the street, and you'll be lucky if you're not shot dead by the Secret Service.
Like the President?
Or it could be that the dog is like Mother Teresa to the jogger.
Take a playful swipe at Mother Teresa on the street, and you'll be lucky if-- hey, I thought Mother Teresa was with God now...
Oh, you were trying to make a point? To a lot of people, their pets are their kids. It's not that uncommon nor unreasonable. And, to compare to a lot of human kids I see, pets are often better-behaved little animals.
A lot of people are nuts
Pets are not your children. If you think otherwise, you are nuts.
Sure, lots of people are nuts. That doesn't mean we have to be nuts too.
That said, the guy who messed with the dog was a jerk. He would never have found out the dog owner was a jerk if he wasn't a jerk first.
sock-puppet, you hit the nail on the head
The guy who wrote this probably never had a dog.
What does "swooped playfully" mean?
If it means anything like I would guess it might mean, the dog should have sunk his teeth into this doofus's leg.
Internet Tough Guy meets
Internet Tough Guy meets high-strung asshole. Internet loses.
I'm so happy both stripes of asshole live in my neighborhood.
Wasn't a Lab was it?
I live in teele and the owners of a golden lab in my back yard are terrible, terrible owners. Proof: The last dog died about 2 years ago, the new one is exactly the same. Poor dogs.