Woman injured by off-leash dog

It started out as a wonderful September day for retired Sisters resident Jo Reitan and her seven-year-old standard poodle, Kari. They were enjoying each other's company on one of their daily strolls down the walking path in Tollgate, with Kari on leash.

What was about to happen would change Reitan's life in a way she never would have expected.

During their walk, Reitan noticed a man, a woman and a large unleashed dog standing in a driveway around 50 feet away. Instinctively Reitan turned with Kari to walk away from the unleashed dog, just in case he might notice Kari and get distracted.

"Kari and I headed in the opposite direction hoping the dog wouldn't see us," Reitan said. "Less than one minute and bang, the dog was right behind us and grabbed a hold of Kari's tail. The next thing I knew the dog was in my face and I was on the ground and in pain, it happened that fast. The dog didn't seem aggressive; he just wasn't under anyone's control."

While bites and maulings are the most common form of injuries caused by dogs, there are additional accidents responsible for thousands of injuries each year in the United States. They include knock-downs, tripping and falling over dogs, and even head-butts. In an excitable state, a dog can jump up on you and knock you down. Non-aggressive dogs sometimes unintentionally trip or knock people down, resulting in injuries.

"I yelled for the man and woman to come over," Reitan said. "When they did I asked them to go over to my neighbor Robert Kempvanee's house nearby, because he is a retired fire chief and a friend of mine. The man and woman didn't seem to know what to do, but they did grab the collar of the dog and walk off. Then a woman in a van came by and asked if I needed help and she went and to get Robert or somebody did. It's hard to be sure since so many nice people stopped and asked if they could help.

"When Robert came to help me, he took Kari home, who was really shook up, and he decided to take me to the emergency room in my small car because I couldn't get up and it was easier to get me into a smaller vehicle, rather than his truck."

Non-aggressive dog accidents are responsible for thousand of trips each year to emergency rooms around the country.

"The hospital directed us to the orthopedic center, and I was seen by Michael Caravelli, MD, an orthopedic surgeon. After an X-ray, the surgeon told me that it didn't look good, that the fall had forced the femur down into my knee and onto the plateau of the tibia, and they would have to do surgery. It was Thursday, and I stayed in the hospital and had surgery on Saturday.

"My neighbor and friend Pat Rinehart and her partner, Wanda, took care of Kari while I was in the hospital. I contacted the Deschutes County Sheriff's office about the incident and a sheriff actually came to the hospital so I could fill out a report."

Deschutes County has an "at-large" ordinance. According to Deschutes County Animal Control, County Code 6.08.15 defines "at-large" to mean a dog or other animal found off the premise of the owner or keeper while the dog or animal is not under the complete control of a capable person. This would allow for dogs which are trained to be off the leash, however would require them to be under the complete control of the handler.

Failing to control a dog is an act of negligence, even before the dog causes an injury.

The accident has Reitan laid up.

"The surgery turned out good as far as we know right now. I return in four week to see my orthopedic surgeon for a radiograph to see how it's mending," Reitan said. "The entire healing process is 11 weeks, and that's just for me to be able to put weight on my knee."

The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office cited the woman who was the caretaker of the young man who was present at the time of the incident. The owner was not present.

Reitan appreciates all the help she has received in coping with an unexpected injury.

"I've been so lucky all through this because of the Tollgate community effort," Reitan said. "My friends and neighbors have been helping me. My neighbors Tom and Barb Harris have been taking care of me and walking Kari every day. My good friend Robert and his wife Janie have helped so much, too. They cook and clean for me and take good care of Kari while I'm off my knee. My grown kids have been here helping also. My daughter from Tucson, Arizona, Kristi came and helped for nine days. And my son, Shannon and his wife Gaia from Idaho came for a few days to help also."

It's a lot of effort and a lot of disruption - all caused by a moment of inattentiveness that left a dog out of control.