Attacked by neighbor''s rottweiler...

[Mandarine]

Last night I had a great night planned..

(before you keep reading I don''t want you to freak out, I did get damage but it could have been su much worse...so I''m ok)

My mom is in town an we were inviting some people over for dinner. I went to the gym and was in a great mood!. As we were getting dinner ready I decided to go to the car because we left something there.

As I''m walking outside I see my neighbor''s girlfriend walking to her house (they live next door to me) with her rottweiler. He is a big dog....maybe 2 years old (beatiful dog) and probably weighs about 120 lbs....

As I see them I decie to take a shortcut through the grass to avoid being so close to them in the same sidewalk (the dog always seems a bit out of control, always pullin on his leash, jumping on the windows growling everytime you walk by their house (I have to walk in front of their house everyday)...so out of precaution I moved away....

then all of sudden I hear her screaming, the dog growling, I turned aorund and he''s running towards me. Next thing I know I''m covering my face and he has my arm.....I actually felt his teeth sinking into my skin and breaking it...

. I was screaming and he kept biting harder and tugging my arm side to side.

He finally gets off of me (I think the girl''s boyfriend came outside and grabbed the dog)....Istart freaking out...I see my arm (left, upper arm) and I see skin/fat coming out and blood running down my arm....I don''t deal well with blood at all!!!!!. Anyway, I came to my house to tell my mom and the guy rove us to the emergency room.

After about 5.5 hours there (I don''t know how they call themselves ER but they''re SO slow and rude!!!!!)...the doctor came and gave me 11 stitches in three different lacerations. There are also some puncture wounds but those can''t be stitched. The ER nurse called the cops and I filed the report. Animal control has been advised and they will call me.

I''m in pain..coulnd''t sleep last night. They gave me an arm sling so my arm satys still (it''s still bleeding)....I''m taking antibiotics and pain medication and I will call the dog''s vet to ensure that dog is healthy (the owner said he was, but I want to be sure)

Here is where I need you guys.....

I don''t know what to do. I''m a HUGE animal lover.....so my heart is breaking and I know accidents do happen. But first of all, the by-laws of the community state that no dogs over 30 lbs are allowed. Second, if you''re going to have a large/violent breed you need to take all the necessary steps!!!!!!...have them trained (and I don''t mean just puppy training at a pet supermarket), have them wear a muzzle...I don''t know!. I was lycky, the doctor said...the wounds are very deep but there is no muclse or nerve damage...thnk God!!.

The cop said animal control was probably going to ask me what I wanted to do...and I just don''t know. I couldn''t forgive myself if I didn''t do anything and this dog attacked another person, or a dog (like my precious min. schnauzer!) or God forbid, attacked a child!. There are always kids running around here and little dogs walk with their owners all the time (me included).

I''m getting all kinds of diffrenet reactions from family and friends...some say I should take legal action against the community''s management company for not enforcing their policies, or legal action against the neighbors (he''s homeowner''s insurance would be responsible) and some say don''t do anything. I''m still in such shock that "I just don''t know. In one hand I feel bad for them...an for the dog...but in the other hand they ARE responsible...they didn''t train thier dog, the dog had a regular chain and no muzzle...and the owner had no control over her dog. Then, I adore dogs and the thought of a dog being put down breaks my heart...but my dad says once a dog acts like this they''re already a danger to society and they at least should be kept away from this type of comunity...

I have no idea how my arm looks like or how it will heal....

I''m in shock, in pain, heartbroken and still nervous

I keep hugging my little dog because usually I would have taken him with me if I go outsie even for a second (so he can take a quick pee break)....this time I didn''t take him...thnak God!!. I know he would have tried to defend me (he is a small dog with a big dog heart!)...thank God I didn''t take him...

Wha do you guys think I should do?

M~

(sorry for the mis-types...i''m only using one hand...)

 

[FireGoddess]

I would take some sort of action. The owner has GOT to be in control of their dog. If the dog is a threat to people/animals, the owners must control it accordingly.

I too love animals and do not like to see animals put down or in any sort of pain (I just cry every time I watch the Animal Cops shows on Animal Planet where animals are mistreated), and I would hate for that to happen in this case. But at the very least they [the owners] need to face the consequences of the situation, pay for your damages, etc, and be legally bound (moreso than they're already supposed to) to control this animal.

I am so sorry to hear this happened (talk about SCARY) and I hope that you mend well and quickly!

 

[Mara]

oh my gosh mandarine i am so sorry to hear this happened to you!!!

first off, i think that you should not let anyone else really influence what you want to do ultimately because i think it has to come from your heart, but what i would do is file the report about the dog and if necessary have the dog put down. i also am a huge animal lover but if the dog attacked you literally as you are just walking across the lawn, that is seriously dangerous. you weren't even near the dog or in it's space or acting remotely threatening to him at all. and if the owner cannot control him, which is obviously the case, then that is even worse...because chances are this will not be an eye opener for her on how to truly give the dog what it needs to be a better animal. oh it drives me nuts when i see people with dogs they cannot control. and they think it's so funny when the dog pulls or gets loose or whatever...especially big dogs.

as much as we adore our pets, they are still animals. they do not think like us, and much of the time i figure they don't understand what we are saying, doing, how we are acting. they are pack animals and they have a mental heirarchy in mind. some dogs are hunters...small prey, large prey, etc. with a breed like a rott you inherently have a prey instinct in this breed which is VERY STRONG. i have read articles online about how unnpredictable these types of dogs can be...how do you really undo years and years of breeding for one thing to suddenly turn the dog into a pet? there was one article that i read online that always stuck with me. it was about how this dog, i think it was a rott or a pitt but anyway it was raised from a pup with the family...never displayed anything aggressive or anything but exemplary pet and family behavior. the family even had a child that was about 10 or something and the dog had been fine. one day the dog was left alone with the new baby and the baby was in one of those jolly jumper kind of rocker things...going back and forth. somehow it awakened the prey instinct in the dog and it attacked the baby. i don't remember if it killed the baby or what. but the whole article was about how dogs are unpredictable, even a dog who was a great family pet for years still had SOMETHING inside it that could not be tamped out or shoved down forever. and it's horrible what happened...but it underscores the reality that our beloved pets are still just animals.

in any case, again i'm so sorry you had to endure this, it sounds horrible and i hope you heal quickly and the pain lessens very soon. keep us posted...but whatever you decide DO NOT feel badly if you end up wanting to have the animal put down. i totally agree that if this dog is not under control and obviously the owner is useless...then this could happen again and yes to a child...which dogs can have a strong prey instinct for.

 

[shinythings]

That sounds really terrifying! I think taking some sort of legal action is the responsible thing to do. I hate getting involved in those types of things but this dog is obviously going to attack someone else-sounds like he was completely unprovoked! I''m a huge animal lover too so hopefully something can be worked out where they pay for your hospital visit and are required to take the dog to training. It''s definitely the owner''s fault for not training the dog in the first place, and for letting go of the leash!

they should be happy to do that since otherwise the dog may end up severely hurting something and they''ll have to pay for that later.
good luck!

 

[allycat0303]

Mandarine!

I''ve been thinking about you and was considering a *paging Mandarine* thread because I wanted to know if you were engaged. Now this is awful. Honey, I love animals too. I really do, but owners also have to be responsible for their pets. Imagine if this had happened and the dog attacked a child? The injuries could have been life threatening.

I think you HAVE to do something. Obviously if you do nothing, and then the owner does nothing, it is a disaster waiting to happen. I think I would talk to the owner. What is his feelings about this? Is he taking responsibility? Has he given you specifics on what he is going to do to fix this situation? Muzzle? Classes etc.? Is that satisfactory to you? Did you feel that there was gross negligence on his part? Or was a freak accident.

For me anyways, the most important part would be to assure that the dog is no longer a menace to other people. At least to the point that I could say to myself "I did what a normal reasonable person would do" as for legal action, I really don''t know. I''m Canadian and we don''t have the same outlook on lawsuits, etc., it''s not done here. When a dog killed our cat we reported it to the police, and later the man was given a fine. However, if you will be missing ALOT of work because of your arm, or there is lasting damage to you, then I wouldn''t rule it out (especially if it''s the insurance companie''s problem) I would be less inclined to take legal action against a neighbor who was apologetic, sincere and eager to rectify the situation.

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[Kaleigh]

Oh how awful and scary madarine, I am so sorry. What to do?? Well first I''d gage what they plan to do. Have they offered to pay your hospital and medical bills. Are they sorry this happened or are they indifferent?? Seems like this dog is very dangereous, and could happen again. To you, to your little doggie or to a child. That''s terrifying to me. I am a huge animal lover as well, but sometimes a dog has to be put down as they are a danger to those that live near them. You have to do what you feel is right. I hope your arm heals quickly. Good luck!!!

 

[Mandarine]

Thank you everyone!

As a side note, thanks Ally!!, you're so sweet! not engaged *yet* but my family is still in town and I know he wants it to be just me and him...this coming weekend was our first weekend along in like a month!.

Back to the dog. I'm not the 'suer' type either but ant to do what is right...I would take advantage of the situation...only if I needed some sort of surgery later on. Last night they came to the hospital and they were all shaken up as well...I told them how I felt and how I don't think a dog that size should be poorly trained....it's not the dog's fault at all. I told her that she can't walk her dog, since he's obviously stronger than her!!. I told them I was filing a police report (which I did) but wasn't pressing charges against them....again, maybe that's because I saw how they were reacting and I felt bad for them too.

Honestly, what my heart tells me is that I don't want that dog living next door to me....that it should be trained and muzzled, but that just may not be enough...like Mara said, it's in their brred.... I couldn't forgive myself if this dog attacked someone again and I could have prevented it. I don't know how strict or tough animal control is...or if they won't take this so seriously....beacuse it's the firts time.

The funny thing, well, not funny at all really, is that my sister told me a couple of ays ago the dog was grwoling at her, but the owner was able to control it that time. The owner's boyfriend told me that " the dog is not bad, they go to the dog park and he's ok, he tried to attacj someone before but he didn't actually attack"....hello?? so they knew the dog had it in him.....it's just upseting to me how people can be so irresponsible when it comes to their pets!!!

...and how irresposible to know that and do nothing!....yes they were nice to me afterwards, offered to pay my medical bills and were shaken up...but in the other hand, they know they can't control this dog and that it had shown signs of agression before....

how horrible...the same image plays in my head over and over. I've never been scared by dogs. My dad has a brazilian fila in his farm, they're big (bigger than a rott) and can be mean!...but he's totally trained and evethough I only see him once a year or so, he's always gentle...and I've never been scared of him...or any other dogs.....I hope this doesn't chnage because I truly do love all of the furry friends...big and small...

Thanks for all your good wished and great advice (I knew you guys would have good advice!!)

M~


ETA: the did offer to pay the bills, not sure if I mentioned that in the post above.

 

[CrownJewel]

Mandarine, I read your whole post like this

. Wow I''m shocked but glad you will be ok.

I personally would take legal action. I adore animals but they cannot be allowed to endanger other animals and humans. Maybe the dog didn''t know better, but the owners should have been aware of his temperament and had him trained or held on to him better. I too would have trouble thinking about putting the dog to sleep, but I feel the dog should at least be muzzled when in public. While this incident may have been a terrible accident, it is something that should NEVER happen again.

I wish you a speedy recovery!! It is very unfortunate that this happened, but hopefully it will be resolved with the least pain to either party. Good luck with everything!

 

[poptart]

Mandarine, I am so sorry! I am glad that you didn''t suffer nerve and muscle damage, but the terror you must have felt is probably the worst of everything. I agree that you need to decide for yourself what actions you should take, and find out all the resources available to you. I think that the dog definitely needs to be taken away from those owners and maybe, MAYBE the dog could be trained. But you are right in questioning, what if the dog attacked a child. He''s too dangerous to be in a neighborhood with small children. I love animals dearly, especially dogs, so hopefully they can do something other than put him down. My aunt always says, there is no such thing as a bad breed, just a bad owner. And it''s so true. She has taken in mean and abused dogs and trained them into perfect pups. She has rescued abused horses that kicked at humans and had severe muscle damage inflicted by their owners. She has restored these horses so that you can walk up and pet them (as I did). What I am trying to say is, these owners have no business caring for a dog they can''t train or control. And I believe it is possible to retrain a dog, but who knows about this rottweiler because it attacked you with no provocation. I hope you can find a good middle ground, and somehow help the dog in the process. Feel better!

*M*

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I'm sorry this happened to you. The cop was right - a dog who attacks an adult for no reason will also attack a child. I wouldn't let the case drop, and I would make sure that the owner paid my medical bills. If you have to take legal action, take it.

 

[psaddict]

Oh no I''m so sorry this happened to you! Thank goodness it wasn''t something worse! I would encourage you to take action, it''s up to you if you want to actually get a lawyer and try to get a little money for your pain/suffering/trauma/medical care and possible scarring that you may want to have fixed in the future. However, taking this kind of legal action is up to you, and not necessary... but in my opinion it IS necessary to take action, tell animal control what happened and have the dog either removed from the community or put down. I have heard too many stories of dogs biting adults, children, or other dogs, and often it is not the first offense! Sometimes the dog owner continues to be irresponsible even after an incident like this. And it sounds like you were in NO WAY aggrevating the dog and it did some serious damage to your arm. I can''t imagine what it would to to a small child who might run towards it or pull its tail!!!

 

[firebirdgold]

Not only am I a huge animal lover but I''m the owner of a potentially dangerous dog. Having to put my precious dog down because he bit someone is one of my recurring nightmares.

In fact he bit someone a week ago. I left him with my parents over the holidays while we were out of town. My father (yet again) had him off leash and loose when the roofers came over. And when the poor man tried to climb onto the roof, my dog (yet again) closed his jaws on the back of the roofers calf and laid down with the poor man''s ankle still firmly gripped in his mouth. It''s happened before and I can''t believe the roofers will still come over to my parents house! I don''t care if there was no damage... an 80lb dog puts his mouth on someone, it''s biting.

My dog and I were well trained by a specialist in aggressive dogs. But even though I can control him on leash and off leash on down stay (if I keep an eye on him) in most situations, I still know he can''t be totally trusted. (especially with workers!)

While I have trouble believing that my precious fluff monster would ever actually injure someone, I don''t want to take the chance. If he ever did attack and hurt someone like that rottweiller did to you ... I would put my own dog down.

At the very least the people should pay for your care, and promise to have them and their dog professionally trained and promise to put a muzzle on him when they walk him. That''s the minimum, he probably should be put down. Let''s face it... this rottie tried to rip out your throat! What would have happened if you hadn''t gotten your arm in front of you?

 

[deliciouspear]

Mandarine,

I am so sorry to hear about your experience! I hope your arm heals quickly and throughly. I want to share an experience I had a few years ago. I adoped a mixed bread dog that was about 1 year old and soon realized it was a pit bull mix. He was smaller than most pit bulls, very high energy and a very sweet, loving dog. I have no idea how he was treated before I got him. I took him to the off leash dog park almost every day (he would whine when we didn''t go) and he was farily well behaved. He liked to play rough with the big dogs, but they seem to like it too. I never had a problem with him there, although occasionally getting him to leave was a challange. He was good with the dog owners and the kids.

For some reason he never seemed to like my neighbor, with whom I shared a back yard. He would always bark at him but then ususally calm down when I came out. One day when the neighbor was mowing the lawn, my dog bit his leg. The bite was not too deep, but he needed a few stiches and it brought up some major issues. I was very nervous with him after that (around other people, never at home). At the dog park I noticed that he seemed more aggressive with the kids. I was afraid that he would bite again.

A few weeks later, my mother, who lives in a small town, offered to take him after talking to someone at the grocery store who lived on a large piece of land and wanted a dog. It seemed like the perfect place for my dog! Lots of room to run and play, not a lot of people. So, my mom took him, but she took him to our family vet for a check-up before giving him away. The vet told her that she couldn''t give the dog away with a clear conscience because he was likely to bite again. They put him to sleep and I didn''t find out until after the fact. I was very upset, but looking back, I think they did the right thing.

It is very sad to put an animal down. I don''t know if I would have made that decision in my case. This sounds bad, but to be honest, as upset as I was at the time I am now thankful that someone took over and relieved me of making the decision.

Good luck with your difficult decision!

 

[firebirdgold]

Oh, I forgot to say that when male dogs hit maturity at around 2 their personality starts to shift. They can become much more territorial and aggressive even when they''re neutered.

 

[deliciouspear]

Date: 1/9/2007 2:36:44 PM
Author: IndieJones
Not only am I a huge animal lover but I''m the owner of a potentially dangerous dog. Having to put my precious dog down because he bit someone is one of my recurring nightmares.

In fact he bit someone a week ago. I left him with my parents over the holidays while we were out of town. My father (yet again) had him off leash and loose when the roofers came over. And when the poor man tried to climb onto the roof, my dog (yet again) closed his jaws on the back of the roofers calf and laid down with the poor man''s ankle still firmly gripped in his mouth. It''s happened before and I can''t believe the roofers will still come over to my parents house! I don''t care if there was no damage... an 80lb dog puts his mouth on someone, it''s biting.

My dog and I were well trained by a specialist in aggressive dogs. But even though I can control him on leash and off leash on down stay (if I keep an eye on him) in most situations, I still know he can''t be totally trusted. (especially with workers!)

While I have trouble believing that my precious fluff monster would ever actually injure someone, I don''t want to take the chance. If he ever did attack and hurt someone like that rottweiller did to you ... I would put my own dog down.

At the very least the people should pay for your care, and promise to have them and their dog professionally trained and promise to put a muzzle on him when they walk him. That''s the minimum, he probably should be put down. Let''s face it... this rottie tried to rip out your throat! What would have happened if you hadn''t gotten your arm in front of you?

I agree with IndieJones in regards to your neighbors'' minimum duty to you.

 

[Mara]

The problem for me with the whole trying to rehabilitate the dog or making the owners promise to leash and muzzle etc is that you are relying on two people who seem pretty useless at this point, who obviously have not given this dog the type of training that it needs, AND they obviously cannot control the animal if it decides it wants to go after someone. I don't know that I'd want that potential for future damage to others to be on my conscience. It's also my nightmare that one day Portia might get loose and attack someone. I mean sure she is 16 lbs and a ball of fluff but sometimes she gets a hair across her a$$ and she is barking like crazy at a person or a dog or whatever. And of course she's so small someone could just shove her away, but STILL. It's my responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen. And I'd feel like I failed in my duty if something bad did happen. I do think that for the most part dogs are only as good as their owners because that has a huge amount to do with it...but I firmly believe that certain breeds like rotties and pitts just have way too much 'bad history' in their breeding for them to ever be totally exemplary pets and trustworthy. And honestly just reading that article about the baby in the swing and the dog made me question if I'd ever leave my precious luvmuffin Portia alone with a future baby or child in a situation like that.

In terms of payment or whatever...if you have medical coverage that you can use to not incur bills and can take time off work without any repurcussions. I would not seek any financial aid from these people. Honestly, I'd just want to be as far away from this situation long-term as possible. Feel better girl!! Maybe your darling will surprise you with a bauble to help make the healing process that much sweeter.

 

[Hopes]

So sorry to hear this Mandarine! I am glad you are doing ok, but that really is terrible. I've been to the ER before several times, and 5.5 hours is just crazy to make someone who is bleeding and in pain wait! Yikes, you must have gone through hell.

I've owned dogs previously but I have two cats now, not really a big dog lover. It's the law of your community that these people broke, their dog injured you a LOT (it's not just a glancing wound!), and they knew this was a possibility and yet did nothing! What if the guy hadn't grabbed the dog away? What if the dog had just kept on GOING? Who was going to stop it?! What if you had died to this dog? It is so fortunate that you didn't get more hurt, but I am really just angry at these people for this (I'm also angry at those people that refuse to clean up the sidewalks after a snowstorm so it's all icy, and pedestrians could possibly fall down and injure themselves; people need to take responsibility when their actions or inactions lead to someone else's pain and injury!).

This is just my personal opinion, but I think 1) the dog should absolutely be put down, and 2) let them pay for your bills. This is NOT YOUR FAULT!! You shouldn't beat yourself over what happened. Take care of yourself, and remember how angry you would be if this happened to your dog, your friend, or significant other, or your own children!!! Then act accordingly, imo.

 

[tina sparkle]

i don''t reply on this forum very much, but i would like to now. let me preface this by saying i am a huge animal lover, and have owned both dogs and cats. the situation you describe--your fear of this dog and his snarling and growling and eventual attack, prove that it is a vicious dog and probably needs to be put down before it attacks something else with more serious results. my husband volunteers at the detroit shelter of the michigan humane society and even he, a defender of animals, would admit this dog is a menace. it''s obvious this woman cannot control the dog and it is not properly trained. i''m surprised animal control left it up to you, they should have quarantined the dog and then put it down. i''m sorry you had to go through this and i wish you speedy healing both physical and emotional.

 

[asscherisme]

I'm so sorry this happened to you. You MUST report this or the dog will attack again, guaranteed!!!

A few years ago there was a woman named Dianne Whipple. She was from Long Island but living in San Francisco with her girlfirend in an upscale apartment building. She was attacked and KILLED by a rottweiler right outside her own front door in her building. I did not know her but her story stuck with me. She was carrying groceries minding her own business when she was attacked and killed.

I love animals too, but in this case, the dog could have killed you. You are very lucky. I don't mean to scare you, I urge you to prevent this from happening to someone else.

Or to you again. I would be terrified of living next to a dog that had attacked me.

 

[widget]

OMG, Mandarine.... I'm SO SO SO sorry this happened to you. My thoughts are with you, and I hope you heal quickly.

Here are my thoughts. First of all, I don't think you have to decide today how you want to proceed with this. Perhaps a little time to get over the shock and horror of it would be beneficial for clearer thinking.

I'm surprised that the animal control people (or the police) would leave it to you to decide on what should be done with the dog. To me it's obvious, and should be a matter of law.

I think this dog should be put down....I really do. And I'm saying this as a true dog lover, and a Rottweiller lover in particular. But the sad fact is that this animal is a potential killer. This is so sad...it really is the owners who are ultimately to blame.

They certainly should be responsible for all your doctor bills, including any future related ones.

I generally don't believe in "punitive damages". Hopefully losing their pet would be punishment enough..

I'm so sorry you're going through this...my thoughts are with you...take care..

widget

 

[glitterkitty]

Ok, let me start by saying what a horrible experience for you - take care of yourself while you heal.

I''m in the UK, so this is slightly different, but in the last six months/year there have been a number of attacks on children and adults by dogs -some of which have resulted in death.

The most recent tragic event was on New Years Day at 4am. A five year old girl was savaged by her uncle''s pit bull which had somehow got into the house. Her grandmother fought to get the dog off and suffered serious injuries. Unfortunately she couldn''t save the little girl.

It transpired that the dog''s owner had been warned about the dog by the authorities - people had complained about it, but the owner had apparently not taken heed.

I think the majority of us here are animal lovers, and hate to think of them being destroyed. But you were attacked by this dog in a place and at a time the owner was there. What if they hadn''t been so close, and you had been a child rather than an adult. You may have to make a very difficult and upsetting decision on the future of this animal, but in doing that you may prevent someone else suffering as you have - or worse.

 

[Beacon]

I love all animals and grew up in the country with everything - dogs, cats, horses, you name it. I understand that you can have mixed feelings.

But don''t get confused. This dog is is viscious and it will attack again. You were "lucky" that you were not more seriously hurt, but next time might be different.

Don''t sue the community association for failing to enforce their laws. Expensive and slightly besides the point.

If it were my dog, he would be gone already. I could not live with him after that at all. They need to humanely dispose of him.

I would write a letter to the community association to inform them of this event. That will help things get done. I would hire a lawyer and request payment from the owners of the dog for all your bills plus your pain. This is only reasonable. I would request that the dog be put to sleep.

Since you love animals you will want to protect other animals (and people) from this kind of attack. I know it''s hard, but if you do this, you may save lives.

So sorry that you are suffering and I hope you feel better very soon. I feel so bad for you.

 

[asscherisme]

I agree with glitterkitty. It is so heartbreaking when you hear of children killed or disfigured and disabled by these animals. You were able to walk away but what if it had been my 30 pound 3 year old? Or my 45 pound 7 year old. They most likely would not have walked away. What if the owner had not come out and pulled the dog off?

Yes you love animals, so do I but not at the expense of risking injury or death.

 

[mtrb]

I have had animals all my life.. and let me tell you that you are lucky it was a Rottie and not a lock jawed Pit bull, you wouldn''t have an arm now.

That said. THIS DOG NEEDS TO BE PUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY. Next time it could be a 5 YO child''s face. This dog is capable of killing a child if it has episodes like this.

My brother had a dog like this, and they had to have him put down because they were having kids and he was very unpredictable.

It would be unfair of the owner to put him up for adoption. This could happen again.
I have also known rotties that have been angels all their lives, but this one has problems and needs to be put to sleep.

 

[Mandarine]

Thank you everyone!! for the advice and well wishes...

Mara - haha, you''re right! maybe I could use this to make my BF move quicker in the ring department!!...hehe

You guys are right with everything you say...and I do knoe I''m lucky.

The neighbor''s mom (she''s the actual owner of the house) just stopped by with roses for me. She''s obviously shaken up and very apologetic...at one point she actually had tears. I didn''t say much because i just don''t have too much to say right now, but I felt bad not answering the door and letting her in.

She sai her son and GF were crying all night and feel terrible. I told her I loved animals, but in this case this og IS a danger...and he shouldn''t live here....not just because of what he id, but those are the community by-laws. I told her we would have to wait an see what animal control says.

She said they bought a choke chain and a muzzle for the dog....still, that''s not enough for me....this dog, even with a muzzle, can do damage.

What the cop said was that animal control will come and they will ask me what I want...after having assessed the dog....I''m not sure what they will say....I guess we will see when they call me....

The neighbor did say something that pissed me off....she said that another neighbor was talking to her last night and that she said MY dog attacked her son!!....totally not true...the kid was running right in my back yard, my dog had his extendable leash and did go running after this kid (15 or something) and jumped on him. I ran after them and as soon as my dog jumped on him, the kid kicked him lightly (I would have done the same). My dog is 19 lbs....yes it was an accident and my responsibility, but with one light kick my dog stopped. I know that was wrong so now I never let him be in the backyard with the extendable leash anymore. He didn''t bite him, I was there an saw how he jumped on him once....and let''s say he did...why didn''t they tell me or even come ask me if he had all his shots???.......it''s just like cheap neighborhood gossip....but this is coming from another neighbor who owns 2 big dogs that are way over 30 lbs too. It just made me upset when the neighbor mentioned this to me because it''s almost like pointing the finger at me...hello? min schnauzer vs. rottweiler. I admit it, my dog is a little brat and will efen his house if he feels threatened....but he''s 19 lbs....this makes a huge difference!....not only the size, but the strenght and size of teeth!!

*sigh*....

I hope animal control comes to me with their decision...and I do feel for the neighbors and for the dog...this is why I feel so heartbroken about the whole thing...

M~

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 1/9/2007 2:25:09 PM
Author: Madam Bijoux
I''m sorry this happened to you. The cop was right - a dog who attacks an adult for no reason will also attack a child. I wouldn''t let the case drop, and I would make sure that the owner paid my medical bills. If you have to take legal action, take it.

Havent read all the replies but...
Agree 100%
The dog can never be trusted again, its not its fault but it will pay the price for the sucky owners but it has to be done.
If it had happened to me or mine the dog would be dead allready.

I love dogs but sometimes the right thing isnt the easy thing to do.

 

[Mandarine]

I know you guys are all right...

I couldn''t live with myself if this dog attacked again and the next person wasn''t as lucky as I was....

I know.....in my mind that the right thing to do is to put the dog down...but even as I write that my eyes get full of tears.....

I think I need to try to relax and breath eeply an get over the initial shock....last night I couldn''t sleep...the events just re-played in my head...and the consequences break my heart, I even took 1/2 of a sleeping pill an still was wie awake...tonight I''m taking the full pill!!...I need to sleep

thank you all, hopefully my arm will heal quickly an I will be back to normal in no time. I''m lucky my mom an sister are here this week so I''m getting spoiled silly

(also reading gossip magazines and forgetting the diet!)

Hugs

M~

 

[Miranda]

Date: 1/9/2007 3:33:51 PM
Author: strmrdr

Date: 1/9/2007 2:25:09 PM
Author: Madam Bijoux
I''m sorry this happened to you. The cop was right - a dog who attacks an adult for no reason will also attack a child. I wouldn''t let the case drop, and I would make sure that the owner paid my medical bills. If you have to take legal action, take it.

Havent read all the replies but...
Agree 100%
The dog can never be trusted again, its not its fault but it will pay the price for the sucky owners but it has to be done.
If it had happened to me or mine the dog would be dead allready.

I love dogs but sometimes the right thing isnt the easy thing to do.

Mandarine - First off, I''m so glad you are ok! What a scary thing to have happen. As sad as this is, as a parent and a pet owner I have to agree with Storm. I''m not sure this dog can be rehablilitated. If he can, animal control will know of a place where he can go since his current owners are being irresponsible regarding his training. Folks need to be extra diligent with the training of large dogs since they can''t be scooped up by their owners when they get out of hand. Especially when you are talking about a breed that has a notorious reputation of being bred for violence.

 

[AceP]

Just want to echo everyone else''s comments and say that i wish you a very speedy recovery! Have you though about talking to your neighbor and telling him that you''d rather not take legal action, but you''re obviously concerned for the welfare and safety of the neighborhood residents and see what he says? Maybe he''ll take it upon himself to have the dog put down - or maybe that''s wishful thinking on my part!

 

[psaddict]

I can't believe that woman told your neighbor that your dog had attacked her son when relating the story!! It's as if she's trying to lighten what her dog did, by making it seem like now you two are even or something since your dog attacked and now hers did too. Your dog is much smaller and easier to push away, your dog was in your own yard, and the kid came into your yard, and your dog didn't come close to drawing blood. This rotweiller was going for the kill and for no reason!

I love my pets, but if one of them did such damage (or even LESS damage) to a human with no provocation, I wouldn't be able to keep it as a pet anymore and feel ok about it. I know I would have to put it down, not just get a better leash for it. Will they ALWAYS have the leash/muzzle on the dog? Even when it's indoors? What if someone comes over to their house, a deliveryman or something, and the dog lunges through the front door? I am shocked that they didn't even tell you they were considering putting it down or getting a vet's opinion on whether to put it down. They should be doing both of these things! If they aren't, they simply aren't realizing that their pet is a danger.


ETA: Also, can you guys believe that they owned a dog known for it's aggression and did not yet own either a choke chain or a muzzle??