Hi Tweets,

I wanted to warn you all about a particular dog on Neal Road in Fall City.
Neal Road has become a popular birding destination. For the last several
years, an American Redstart or two have been spending May-July along this
dead end road, and between Nov and Feb of this year, a Golden Eagle has
been found as well, just to name two rarities.

The road is also a popular destination for families to walk and bicyclists
to ride while enjoying a wonderful combination of farmland and native
riparian habitat along the Snoqualmie River.

On Friday, while walking on this road, two dogs came running out from
behind the house at 2506 Neal Rd SE and onto the street barking and
confronting me. This is precisely near the area where two redstarts were
found this year. The dogs both bolted up to me barking loudly, and one of
them, a large german shepherd type one, decided to take a bite out of my
left elbow despite my attempt at acting calmly and slowly walking forward
(I stand nearly six feet and had a scope strapped to my back; the only
other time I can remember getting bitten by a dog was when I was a kid).
The other dog looked to be a Labrador mix (all black).

The owners saw the bite happen and called their 2 dogs back but they never
rendered aid or asked about my condition. While hoofing it back to my car
and my first aid kit, I stopped briefly at the next door neighbor who told
me I was the second person she had heard of that got bit by that dog.

This house at 2506 is not fenced and the dogs just ran into the road and
attacked me as I attempted to walk on the opposite side of the road from
the house.

So, I've reported the dog to King County Animal Control, case #A22-005026.
I got treated for the wound a few hours later at Kaiser Urgent Care in
Bellevue. No stitches but antibiotics for a week and careful monitoring for
infection issues.

Last I heard the owners were expected to get a knock on their door
yesterday with a check of the dog's vaccination record and a stern warning
for the owner who'll be told to keep the dog inside for 10 days.
Apparently, my incident was the first one formally reported, so I elected
not to grant animal control the more drastic option they offered me: a $500
fine to the owners and to have the dog added to some 'list' to be
potentially put down later if it happens again(?) … or something like that!

Be careful out there, my friends. Birding can be a dangerous hobby.

Carl Haynie

Sammamish