I also now carry a blade in case of emergencies.

My late father, decades ago, was in a neighborhood where another resident had a large, aggressive German Shepherd. The dog was apparently very poorly trained/disciplined and never leashed, nor did the owner make any serious effort to keep the dog in their own yard.

Several times the dog had charged towards my dad when he was trying to get his mail, each time he managed to run away to safety. He repeatedly spoke with the owner and mailed them letters asking them to keep their dog from running free. All my dad got back, if anything was shallow lip service, but mostly static. Local authorities had better things to do, apparently, and never intervened.

After one particularly close call with the dog, my dad mailed a certified letter to the owner, which stated:

"I have purchased a Lousiville Slugger. If your dog charges at me one more time, you will have two things left on your porch. A dead dog, and a bill to replace a broken bat."

He never saw the dog running free again. He only had to live in that neighborhood another year or so, so thankfully no long-term drama or fallout with the neighbor.