I am not an animal person

Just about every morning, I wake up with my husband to walk the dog.  As we are walking the dog this morning, we hear someone yelling for "Lucy Girl". We are stopped by a guy in a taxi, with what looks like a german shepherd in the back seat.  He asked if we had seen a large pit bull who  "got away" from him. The guy was pretty concerned.  Worried about a lost, loved pet or nervous about being sued when his Kujo attacks someone.  Nice way to start the day.

We have a small cockapoo who was acquired to satisfy the needs of a toddler wanting a brother.  I am not an animal person and really have no relationship with this animal, outside of walking it and feeding it and taking it to the vet.  Our vet visits include the doctor and assistances talking baby talk to Jack (the dog).  On our last visit the vet stated he needed to have his teeth cleaned which would include anesthesia and a bill for about $750.  Hmmm, how about euthanizing him?  Wouldn't that be cheaper?  Ok, that was mean.  Did I mention I am not an animal person? None the less, my son loves him and after about 9 years I am getting used to him. He is kind of cute, especially now that he has stopped using my piano as a fire hydrant.

Back to point.  Jack has gotten loose on several occasions.  He tends to slip out when someone comes in the house and then gets disoriented.  We have fantastic people in the neighborhood who bring him back with a smile.  No real harm done.

But this is a small little dog.  Not a pit bull.  If you are going to have a killer dog, shouldn't you have a fail safe way to keep him locked up?  Over the past 6 months we have had three stray dogs in our yard.  The first experience was with the neighbor's beasts:  a  dobermein and shepherd.  My response was to stay locked in the house until they left.   Next was the St. Bernard.  An adorable dog who kept us trapped in the car, laying on the horn and screaming out the window until he moved and we could sprint to the back door to hide in the house.  The last was a three legged black dog who happened to enter the yard without me knowing.  A neighborhood runner saw the  dog and rang the bell to let me know "my dog" was loose.  Not my dog.  Back to barricade in house.

One of the reasons I moved into the city is because I am not a fan of wildlife.  Why has my yard become a dog hostel?  Not too mention the several neighborhood cats who frequent our koi pond, the blue heron  also likes the koi pond and the circus squirrels tightroping the phone wires.

I seem to attract animals indoors as well.  Both of my brother's dogs insist on sitting on me when I come over.  My sister-in-law's giant bird sent me into the fetal position with fear.  And even in my own house bats have chosen to visit.  Did I mention I am not animal person?

The way I see it I have two options:  learn to like animals or carry large amounts of pepper spray with me. UGH.