Bicycle ride turns painful after encounter with dog

Arthur Kowitt used to ride his bicycle daily on Gulf of Mexico Drive. As an 81-year-old who has had two bypass surgeries, he believes exercise is important to his health.

But Kowitt hasn’t been on his bicycle since Nov. 21.

According to a Longboat Key police report, Kowitt was riding his bike on the sidewalk and passed Eunice Okun, who was walking her dog. The dog bit Kowitt on his left calf as he rode past it, causing Kowitt to fall off his bike and sustain lacerations and scrapes.

Kowitt said he landed in a pile of fire ants that swarmed his bloody leg. He was treated at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where he received 12 stitches.

“The pain remained with me for several days,” Kowitt said.

He received medical treatment again Nov. 29, as the result of an infection that developed because of the ant bites. His doctor has told him he can’t resume exercising until the injured area has healed.

Okun said she feels horrible about the incident.

She said her dog was startled when Kowitt rode up behind them without ringing a bicycle bell. A town ordinance requires cyclists riding on the sidewalk to have a bicycle bell and ring it when they pass a pedestrian or another cyclist.

The dog, a fox terrier named Jake, has never been aggressive.

“He really, really loves people,” she said. “He’s never even growled at people. It was just an unfortunate incident.”

(Okun brought Jake to the Longboat Observer office to show that he isn’t aggressive. Two of her neighbors also contacted the Longboat Observer to vouch for the dog’s friendliness.)

Kowitt estimated the leash Jake was on was 12 feet, making the dog difficult to control. Okun, however, said she measured the leash and that it was only 7 feet long. Town code requires a leash that’s no longer than 8 feet on streets and in public places.

Kowitt said he plans to contact an attorney.

“I feel that there is responsibility here,” Kowitt said. “I think the dog owner is somebody who very well may be a fine woman, but I think there is culpability.”

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected]