Excellence -just for the record, it was a guard dog. I was working in a camp and they had gone to some kind of a fair. I had to come late, so I was walking around the fair grounds trying to find my way. Apparently, I walked next to some trailers that were being guarded by guard dogs. A dog (or 2 dogs – i don’t remember) started running after me and stuck his teeth into me. I thought I was about to die, so I said the Shema & he let go.
I guess Torah & Mitzvos do protect you from animals!
He also may have realized that I wasn’t a threat because I was running away, and because thieves don’t usually say the Shema.