You tell this story to the lady with Lila.

If you know a lady who lives on the Westside, maybe in her 50's, with a dog named Lila, maybe you tell her to read this. She's kind of a shorter lady, a little dumpy, I dunno, basic Santa Cruz lady in her 50's. Doesn't ever look like a nice and pleasant lady, but then, neither do I usually when I just want to walk my dog in peace. Lila is a black and reddish brown, shepherdy mix dog. 40lbs or so. Prick ears, not floppy, going little gray. Probably around 10+ years old. A basic family dog. Looks like is probably a good dog. Usually.

Maybe about 6 or 7 years ago, I was walking with Timmy in the dark, on West Cliff. The lady, who is probably a nice lady, I dunno, I've seen her in yoga class, I've seen her at the store, was walking with her dog way behind her. Her dog was off a leash, mine on. Hers rolled my dog, attack style and I had to pull it off. I yelled at her, "hey lady, your dog just bit my dog, stop walking!". You know what she said to me? Or yelled from way up ahead.

"My dog doesn't bite. Lila, Come On!"

I yell again, "hey lady, your DOG just BIT my Dog!"

I yell again, "HEY LADY, YOUR DOG just BIT my DOG!"

In the dark, her dog nowhere near her, and she just knows that her dog don't bite. That lady was just gone. She wasn't coming back, she wasn't buying my story. Maybe I got her to yell her phone number at me, in case I was gonna bill her for any vet bills, I don't remember. I just remembered a lady in denial and definitely no apology.

Timmy wasn't bleeding, not that I could tell in the dark, but he was shaken bad. It was an episode. Off she went, just like that. She is 100% sure that her dog just did nothing. She couldn't see it, that's for sure.

For years after, I see that dog walking in the field with her. Never with her, always way behind. It had never attacked Timmy again, but I also always stepped in. It always vibes him out, postures itself, and he submits by stepping way out off the path to make space for it. I don't say nothing. Why bother. The lady is clueless, I can always intervene.

Last week, it did attack Timmy again. It was with a young girl and a toddler in a stroller. Maybe this lady's daughter and grandkid? She was freaked, and it was an attack. Drew blood on Timmy, although I didn't know this til later and got him home. Not bad, but bad enough. I was walking into the field, it was way ahead of her, and it went straight for Timmy and rolled him up against a log. I had to scruff it, which is dangerous to me but what I was going to do, scruff with both hands, one hand on it's collar, and kick it in the ribs to get it off. Do I need to mention Timmy is 15 and blind? A good weak one to go after, is how some dogs see it.

I went nutso on that girl with the stroller. At first I thought it was the girl from up the street on National Street, who has a very similar looking dog, they live in the big Pagoda house. It is always out and charges my dogs, although has never done anything on that scale. She has a toddler too, and walks out there. Then I am looking at the dog and realize it's Lila, just with this girl and not the lady with dark hair. I wasn't real nice about it, and she kept telling me her dog has never done anything like this. Which I know is untrue, and the owner probably does, but that's neither here nor there.

I was loud, I was mean. I told her you better watch that dog. I was mad beyond belief when I realized it was that dog Lila and not the one from up the street. The poor girl with the baby probably had no clue, shouldn't have took it out on her but I didn't even know if my dog had neck punctures or not.

Today, with the owner, the lady from West Cliff years ago, it walked by and tried to go off again, I stepped in between so it couldn't get near Timmy, and it went for Otterpop who has no problem defending herself, she snapped right at it's face and I stepped in and that diffused it. But the owner had no idea, she is, like she always is, walking way ahead, talking with another lady. Nice exersize walk with the dog. When I yelled at her that her dog went off on my 15 year old blind dog last week, she wouldn't turn to even look, gave me a brush off hand gesture and ambled on. Very rude, very brush off flickery little hand gestures, and very in denial that her dog does this and she DOESN'T EVEN KNOW.

So if you know that lady, you get her to read this. She has no clue. That dog is getting worse, and my dog is getting weaker and if I am not right there, it's a situation that could eventually turn into mauling my old dog next time or the time after. I know dogs are like this. They're dog, they see things different than us, all wild kingdom working it's magic in suburbia. The big issue here is that this lady truly has absolutely no clue and in fact likely, truly believes her dog is a saint, can walk way behind her and she is never going to see what it does. And every time it rehearses that behavior, it gets stronger until one day, I can't pull it off until it has put punctures in one old weak dog.