Man bites dog

...and I know you read that twice and said, "Cat isn't making sense today. She got that the wrong way around."
Well no, the man didn't actually bite the dog but I have it on good authority that the man was responsible for injuries to the dog.
Imagine yourself walking quietly and legally through the local park with your  golden retriever.  He has been bounding after a stick you have thrown for, catches it and returns it to you. You throw it again. It's a great game. You are both enjoying it.
There are children around watching it. They are enjoying it too. 
And then, someone interferes. He's a complete stranger. He doesn't like dogs. He most certainly doesn't like dogs enjoying a bit of fun in the park.
The dog is young and friendly. It has been trained not to give things to strangers but  the man tries to pull the stick from the dog's mouth. The dog resists and, as it tries to run back to you, the man lashes out. He grabs the dog and attacks it. The dog bites but not hard enough to cause any serious damage.
What ensued next was ridiculous. An ambulance was called. The owner was racially abused. The incident was reported as a dangerous dog incident. There were demands first for the dog to be put down, then for it to be muzzled. The matter ended up in court. The matter went the dog owner's way. The matter was appealed and still went the dog owner's way. The dog has not been muzzled - but it is probably not the same friendly, confident pup it once was. 
Middle Cat knows the owners of the dog and helped them through the process. It isn't a pretty story. They had reached a point where they were prepared to muzzle their dog just to have the matter over and done with but that would have let the wrong person win and they had plenty of support from those who witnessed the incident.
I thought of all this yesterday because I was chased by a dog out on the loose.  It was a small thing of indeterminate breed and anything on wheels was likely to get chased. 
I stopped pedalling and it rushed up to me barking furiously  but with tail wagging fast. Oh yes, soon we would be best friends forever.  I gave it a stern look and spoke equally sternly. It looked at me, head side on, and then sat down in the roadway with a thump.
Now I am not stupid enough to try and catch a dog I know nothing about. There are local dogs I know well enough that, if they were out on the loose, I would know where they belonged and I might try to encourage them home. Not this one.
It was a stand off. Did I go on pedalling and hoping that Dog would simply go back where it belonged? 
Fortunately the owner came out of a nearby house. He was visiting.
     "Little wretch. He won't hurt you. He must have got under the gate. Thanks for stopping because he would just have gone on chasing you."
Dog decided I was his Best Friend Forever. Owner and I discussed Dog and Dog's behaviour briefly and then I pedalled on. 
But, what if I hadn't stopped?  What if I had stopped and lashed out? What if I had thrown something and hit the dog?
I know dogs can be very dangerous. Dogs can kill. I am not happy about meeting dogs I don't know out on the loose and unattended.
But, I knew the late local vet well and she taught me that few dogs will attack unless provoked.
The man in the park only had himself to blame.