RPTR ATTEMPTS ENG START ON SINGLE ENG SMA WITHOUT 'CLRING' THE PROP.

Narrative

AFTER PREFLT OF ACFT BEGAN ENG START PROC (COLD). BEFORE ENGAGING STARTER; OPENED PLT WINDOW AND YELLED 'CLR PROP.' CHKED AREA VISUALLY; THEN ENGAGED STARTER. FIRST ATTEMPT UNSUCCESSFUL. AT THIS POINT REPRIMED TO TRY AGAIN BUT SAW ASSISTANT MGR OF THE FLT SCHOOL WALKING A DOG; WITH ANOTHER PERSON; WALKING FROM MY R TO L MAYBE 30 FT IN FRONT OF AIRPLANE. WHEN THEY WERE SAFELY PAST MY L WING AND BEYOND MY PERIPHERAL VISION; I AGAIN ATTEMPTED STARTING BUT WITHOUT CALLOUT. SECOND ATTEMPT UNSUCCESSFUL. I RESET FOR THIRD TRY AND GLANCED TO EITHER SIDE OF THE NOSE AND ENGAGED STARTER BUT RELEASED MOMENTARILY AND WAS ABOUT TO TRY AGAIN WHEN I HEARD THROUGH THE PLT'S WINDOW; 'HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD OF CLR PROP.' AT MY L WING TIP WAS THE ASSISTANT MGR INFORMING ME THAT I HAD NEARLY CUT UP HER DOG WHILE STARTING. 'GET- GOINGITIS;' CLOSE RELATIVE TO 'GET HOMEITIS' HAD BITTEN. (ENVIRONMENT AROUND THE AIRPLANE IS DYNAMIC EVEN FOR 2 MINS OR LESS TO START THE ENG). THE ULTIMATE GUILTY PARTY IS ME BECAUSE AS PIC I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE PROP AND THE REST OF THE ACFT. I FAILED TO VISUALLY ENSURE THAT FROM WING TIP TO WING TIP WAS FREE OF DOGS AND PEOPLE BEFORE EACH START ATTEMPT. HOWEVER! THE FBO ASSISTANT MGR WAS NOT AN AVIATION NEOPHYTE! SHOULDN'T SHE BE MORE CAREFUL AND MORE RESPONSIBLE?