Attacked by neighbor''s rottweiler...

[KimberlyH]

Mandarine,

I am so sorry this happened to you, but glad that you are okay, at least relatively speaking.

I had a dog that was wonderful to my parents, sister and I but did not like outsiders, specifically men who wore hats (I know it sounds insane but it is true). She was found on the side of the road by an ex-boyfriend''s neighbor and they couldn''t keep her, I fell in love. Fast forward five years, the dog was kept away from all visitors, etc. unless we were present. She was good with friends'' children and women, but if I man wearing a hat came near her she went nuts.

My parents had their house on the market and someone was coming to do a walk through, so my mom and I were going to take her for a walk (leashed of course). The postman, who was wearing a hat, happened to be across the street at the time and he approached us trying to pet her. As I was telling him not to, that she wasn''t friendly she began growling and snarling at him. I had a short hold on her leash, luckily, but he went back to his truck, stuck a pen in his leg (the MD and a co-worker of his confirmed that it was not proved to be a dog bite) and claimed that she had bit him (we later found out he''d had multiple reports run ins with postal customers animals and had been fired and rehired by USPS 9 times). My parents decided to keep Sadie.

When they moved they had new windows installed in their house. My mom had Sadie in the backyard with her while she was gardening and one of the workers, a man wearing a hat, came in the backyard to ask her a question. She attacked him and did some damage to his leg (not permanent, I think he ended up with a few stitches). He lied to the MD who treated him and said a stray dog bit him, my mom assumes this is because his boss forced him to do so, so Sadie never got reported for the second incident. My mom felt horrible. They put Sadie down the next day and covered all of the mans medical bills.

I can''t tell you how horribly sad it was for my mom, that dog had become her companion as my parents moved away from my sister and I and my dad works an astronomical amount of hours. But it was the right thing to do, and she knew it.

They owe it to you to pay your medical bills, and dogs who attack are bound to do so again. I would highly recommend you recommend that the dog be put down, because as an animal lover it is the humane thing to do. Imagine if that dog attacked someone who got severely hurt, or injured the dog in retaliation? There are just too many variables with tempermental dogs, and it''s not about the breed, it''s about the owners taking responsibility and these owners have not.

I would not sue the community, because it''s just not my style.



You need to do what your heart says is right.

 

[marvel]

Date: 1/9/2007 3:42:04 PM
Author: 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~

This is a tough one. Not only could it be a person that the dog attacks, but a cat or small dog. I also don't like the idea of putting the dog down. This is the fault of the owners, not the dog.

Have you ever heard of the Dog Whisperer? Try contacting the dog psychology center and see if they have any suggestions for you and your neighbor. There's got to be a solution for both parties involved.

Good luck!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

How upsetting! I am very sorry. Hope you are on the mend.

kind regards--Sharon

 

[Hopes]

I hope this isn't taken the wrong way, but no matter how "cute" or "loving" predatory animals can be to those whom they choose, ultimately the murderous instincts cannot be "whispered" away like in Dog Whisperer or with animal psychology. We claim to know so much about animals, but the reality is that we know woefully little about their mental workings and behavior. You were right to be frightened, because many of these animals have been bred to kill, and your instincts of self-preservation were kicking in. It's definitely traumatic, and I understand your feelings of adoration for animals in general, but you must be practical about this.

There have been cases throughout history of wolves adopting human babies to raise them, animals nurturing the young of those they normally consider prey, and seemingly harmless animals becoming downright feral and injuring those that keep them. Animals often display affection to those whom they consider kin, and their guarding instincts will tell them to harm and kill anything that provokes them. All you know in this case are the facts, and the facts are that this animal is dangerous and has attempted to attack previously, has attacked and injured you, and will attempt attack again no matter what precautions are taken. Since this society does not have dog or cat "jail," the best method is to remove it from society at large so it cannot injure any more people! Dogs cannot be kept inside all the time like other pets, so no matter how much safety "short leash" and "muzzle" seem to grant, it is in reality much too little. They still have their weight, strength, speed and claws.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rottweiler

"This breed is not for the inexperienced or uninvolved dog owner, or anyone who lacks the physical strength to handle the Rottweiler.

As a result of recent dog attacks involving the breed, some German Länder put the Rottweiler on an index of dangerous dogs. The Länder adopting the legislation are Bavaria, Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia. Visitors and residents must obey the local muzzling and leash-length laws.

On 23rd September 2006 a five month old baby girl was mauled to death by two Rottweilers after being left alone with them, in Leicester, United Kingdom. Local residents described the Rottweilers as "aggressive", "vicious" and also as "devil dogs".

On 27th September, 2006 a fifteen month old boy was attacked by a Rottweiler and suffered injuries to his face after a severe mauling, in Middleton-on-Sea, West Sussex, United Kingdom. The owner of the dog volunteered to have the dog destroyed after it was seized by police."

 

[Mandarine]

Hopes, I know where you are coming from and this is what my brain tells me is right. I''m confused and hearthbroken because of everything, but I have to think of others in this situation and there are so many families with small children in my neighborhood....a muzzle might help, but it won''t stop an attack....like someone else said, an attack may happen inside their own house.

I haven''t given them any indication of taking any legal action whatsoever. I did say that a dog that big shouldn''t be here in the first place...and she said she knew, but she had told me in the past this was temporary....still not an excuse...specially if the dog had shown signs of agression before this incident. She said they would pay for my medical bills and I just said ok...and thanked her for coming by and for the roses. My insurance covers some, but not all of my expenses....and if there is a nasty scar I would want to have it fixed...which my insurance wouln''t cover. This really is the reason why I woul contact a lawyer....at least to get an opinion...

I''m not suing anyone or taking advantage of this (although having money for a dream wedding might be fabolous!!! just kiding ....I was just commenting on what friends/family have told me. I will however send a letter to the association...because they should enforce their policies.....just as they are a pain in the butt if you plant an extra tree in your property, they should enforce this law!...and when you buy here this is one of the things they tell you up front.

I''m upset about the neighbor bringing up her conversation with the other neighbor...I thought it was WAY out of place!!

So who knows....I told her we would have to wait and see what animal control says and that she knows I love animals so this is also very hard for me.....but I have to think of others....that''s when she teared up, she said she was so sorry and left.

thank you all again for your kind words and caring thoughts!

M~

M~

 

[sevens one]

Firstly,

I''m so, so very sorry this happened to you. I can''t imagine how scary it must have been.
You poor thing. Enjoy the spoiling- you deserve it.


Thank God things weren''t worse- what you endured was bad enough.

Facts as I see it:

1) They have dogs that are bigger than allowed.
2) The owner couldn''t control this dog
3) IF the boyfriend hadn''t come along.......

The dog should be put down. It''s a huge responsibility for you- but damn- they shouldn''t have these dogs anyway according
to your HOA rules.
I agree that it could happen again; and God forbid..........

Hang in there- I hope you heal quickly; mind and body

 

[winternight]

IMO you absolutely have an ethical duty to report this dog. As other posters have said the next person it attacks could be a small child. Nevermind that it could also maul other animals, including other dogs and cats.

Btw. you might want to see about getting plastic surgery for the scar.

Really sorry that you had to go through this, but frankly I just don''t see the dilema with reporting a dog that dangerous. How are you going to feel if it attacks someone again?

 

[winternight]

And I sort of wonder even if the owner muzzled the dog or trained it what if someone came over and it attacked them? I just don''t think its worth the risk. This is why some states have a 1 bite rule, after 1 bite the owner is responsible. (Not opining on your case which also involves a dangerous breed).

 

[widget]

Date: 1/9/2007 4:02:44 PM
Author: marvel


Have you ever heard of the Dog Whisperer? Try contacting the dog psychology center and see if they have any suggestions for you and your neighbor. There's got to be a solution for both parties involved.

I've got to disagree with this...I think it's a little late to consider "dog whispering" or behavior modification for the dog OR its owners...

Mandarine, I'm so sorry that your love of dogs and soft heart are making this ordeal even more painful for you. In fact, it just makes me angrier than ever at owners of this dog.

Hopefully the "authorities" (police, animal control, or even the homeowners assn) will make the sad, but proper call to have him/her humanely euthanized so you don't have to.


(((hugs)))

widget

 

[Mandarine]

winternight, just to clarify...I did file a report with the police and they sent the case to animal control. What the cop told me was that animal control wouldn't take action without asking me first what I wante to do...this is the part that is hard for me....and maybe the cop was just mis-informed....but animal control should have some sort of standard procedures and shouldn't leave it up to me......

Hopefully the cop was just wrong...

The dog is 1.5 years.....if nothing is done how will he be once he is older?

My had has put a muzzle on his very large dog and he says that if the dog wants to take it off, he does!. They have their dog in a farm...and they have it for protection, but the dog is caged when visitors come to the house. If you have a large/dangerous breed you need to be extra responsible for ensuring others are safe! they weren't at all responsible, and that's the bottom line, period.

I agree with Widget, I don't think this dog can be 'whispered' out of this behavior..

hugs,

M~

 

[Ellen]

Manderine, I''m so glad you weren''t hurt worse than you were. Not to make light of your injuries at all, I just shudder to think what might have happened had the boyfriend not gotten the dog off.

I can''t tell you what to do, but I''ve been on the other end, and will relay what we did, on our own.

My SIL found a stray Shepard mix puppy, and asked if we''d take it in, we did. She had obviously been abused, if I raised my arm/hand for any reason, she''d flinch. Never really showed aggression to anyone, and she was kept in our fenced in backyard.

One day my 4 year old went out of the yard and forgot to shut the gate. A lady who happened to walk by almost every day was right in front of our house. The dog ran right up, bit her in the calf and ran back into the yard. I was mortified. I put a bandaid on it, called a cab to take her to the hospital and paid her bill (actually ins. co. did).

I couldn''t keep the dog, since she had bitten once, I could never be sure she wouldn''t do it again. I tried to find her a home in the country, but couldn''t. So we had her put down. It was sad, but it had to be done, there was no question.

Not sure if this helps, but thought I''d throw it out there...

 

[Mandarine]

Thank you Ellen...and all others who have shared their personal stories....they do help!

I tend to be too soft hearted sometimes, but I think if it was me on the other end I would do the same.

When my nephews come visit I only let them play with my dog when I can supervise them....dogs will be dogs...they are animals and they have natural instincs...it''s up to the owner to ensure they''re not a danger to others...and if they are, then the owners should be the ones making this tough decisions.

Bringing me roses is a nice gesture and I did appreciate it, but it doesn''t cloud the fact that something needs to be done....I just hope animal control is the one that decides what needs to be done. If they don''t find the dog is a danger after assessing him and they just recommend classes, then I will pursue having the dog move out through the HOA.

M~

 

[roppongi]

M -

I am so very sorry to hear about your accident, and pray that you are on the road to a speedy recovery. As a huge animal lover, I am feeling your pain. A very similar situation happened to me 13 years ago but it wasn''t a neighbor...it was my sister''s dog.

I was visiting my sister and her husband in New York. At the time, they had a very large hunting dog - an Akita (BIL''s dog). Akita''s are very territorial and loyal dogs and it had been some time since I had seen Kuma. Kuma didn''t recognize me. He pounced on me and in hunting fashion took me down on my right arm with his teeth and his front paws clawed my face. My sister and her husband freaked out completely. We went to the ER and the doctor sutured my arm, top and bottom (5 stitches, I had it worked on two years later and you can''t tell) and a plastic surgeon came down to fix my eye, cheek and under my chin (several more stitches).

The plastics doctor told me that he had to report Kuma to the Police and animal care control who would probably put Kuma down. I became hysterical and begged and pleaded for him not to report this. My sister demanded that Kuma be sent to the ASPCA for immediate adoption. Thankfully after I was all "fixed"and bandaged I was able to talk sense into the doctor and my sister (BIL was thankful for my support). The doctor was also an animal lover that had recently lost his dog (ate rat poisoning) and he was very understanding about the love and compassion I had for Kuma.

My scars healed over time, I had additional work to smooth out the scars that were left over, but thankfully my insurance company did pick up the bills. I had several rounds of cortizone shots to lessen the size of the scar. My sister to this date is still guilt ridden and eventually Kuma was adopted.

I am sending you my prayers and positive thoughts during this very difficult time. That accident did not stop me from loving dogs and eventually rescuing a dog of my own. If I may add my two cents, I would definitely contact a lawyer and see what he/she has to say about further medical expenses especially if your insurance does not cover plastic surgery.

Roppongi

 

[AmberGretchen]

Mandarine - I am so sorry this happened to you. It sounds dreadful and terrifying and you shouldn''t had to go through that.

I also completely agree that it shouldn''t be your decision about what happened to the dog - that is too much responsibility to expect from someone who might or might know anything about dogs (not saying you don''t just that any given person in this situation wouldn''t necessarily.

I work at my local SPCA training the dogs as a volunteer, and I would like to point out that there appears to be a slight misconception about some breeds (especiallly so-called "dangerous" breeds) in this thread. The vast majority of dog breeds, including the many (more than 20, I believe) pit bull breeds as well as rottweilers (BTW it was something called a Presa Canario that killed Diane Whipple, not a rott) were never bred to be aggressive to humans, just to other dogs. If you think about this, it totally makes sense. Pit bull breeds, just as an example, were bred to fight other dogs, but had to be friendly enough to humans to be trained easily and kept without a fuss and also to not bite a person when they reached into the ring to break up a dog fight for whatever reason. Any dog that shows aggression towards humans in a situation such as this dog that attacked you did is displaying a sub-standard temperament, no matter what the breed. Sadly, this is something that does necessitate humane euthanasia, because people are absolutely right that you can''t predict if the dog will attack again, but the odds are significantly increased by this one attack, and next time the damage could be worse.

Its hard to know if this one dog''s behavior came from just improper training or from an underlying defect in the dog''s temperament, and honestly I don''t think we as humans understand enough about dogs to be able to differentiate between those possibilities. Unfortunately, in this case it doesn''t matter because the dog really does need to be put down, as heart-wrenching as that is. If it helps, most dogs that are aggressive to humans are believed to suffer from anxiety and stress because that''s an indication of not knowing their place in the pack, similar to what happens to dogs who aren''t trained. It is really stressful for an animal that''s used to having a strict hierarchy to follow not to know where it fits, and attacking humans is considered by many to be one indication/expression of that stress. I know that probably doesn''t help much.

I also want to point out that everything I know about dogs says that they should never be left unsupervised with children or babies. At all, ever, no ifs and or buts. I really believe that its just not a good idea, ever.

I really hope that animal control does the right thing here, but if not you may have to, and I''m sure it will be incredibly difficult on top of what you''ve already been through. I''m so sorry that that is true, but please know you will be making the right decision for all concerned.

 

[AmberGretchen]

Also, I just want to clarify that I am talking about an unprovoked attack throughout my post. Obviously if a dog is threatened in some way or an owner has the dog under their control but someone does something against the owner''s instruction, then that is a different situation and doesn''t always require the same solution.

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 1/9/2007 5:26:19 PM
Author: Mandarine

Bringing me roses is a nice gesture and I did appreciate it, but it doesn''t cloud the fact that something needs to be done....I just hope animal control is the one that decides what needs to be done. If they don''t find the dog is a danger after assessing him and they just recommend classes, then I will pursue having the dog move out through the HOA.

I think that if the dog is not to be put down, at the very least it definitely needs to be removed from the complex. It is already bigger than allowed, and you shouldn''t have to be fearful walking in front of your own place!!!!

 

[KristyDarling]

I can''t believe this happened!!! I''m SO happy you''re OK. And I''m SO incredibly sorry this horrifying thing happened to you!! I can''t even imagine the terror you must''ve felt. It''s amazing to me that in your posts, you don''t sound that traumatized. I''m sure that wasn''t the case during the attack and aftermath, but wow. I''m just speechless! If it were me, I''d prolly be dealing with PTSD and in no shape to talk to anyone, much less typing coherently on a forum! You sound like a very strong woman. Not to mention compassionate, as a dog lover yourself. I hope you''re healing, resting, and not in any pain. (take those painkillers!)

First, it sounds like the owners knew their dog could potentially attack someone. Second, they knew it was against association rules to have a dog that big. Third, the dog actually violently attacked someone, causing serious injury. Those are THREE BIGGEST STRIKES you could possibly have. Animal lover or not, you need to take action. Do not worry about the dog. Clearly it is vicious and a menace to the community. I love dogs and have always had one as a part of my family, but I would put my own dog down in a heartbeat if it ever attacked anyone!!! And these owners prolly don''t have it in them to "rehabilitate" the dog. It''s hard enough to do that with a violent dog even IF you are a professional trainer....imagine how ineffective that would be with these two irresponsible owners!!

It''s great that they''re paying your medical bills. If I were you, I''d follow that part through to the very end (and sue IF they decide to stop paying...remember, there''s physical therapy costs down the road too). As hard as it would be, I would tell animal control to put the dog down. For me, that would be enough. Altho I do think the community assoc is liable for not enforcing the rules, I wouldn''t sue them....but ONLY because I wouldn''t want to deal with all the legal hassles and costs. I''d just want to put the whole thing behind me ASAP and that means to concentrate on healing first, and securing everyone''s safety by recommending euthanasia for the dog.

Get well soon. I''m so glad you''re OK. Rest up as much as you can, sweets.

 

[Mandarine]

Thank you guys!

It means a lot to have all these responses and it helps a lot to read your advice, read your stories and learn from your knowledge!. Amber, thank you for your post, you seem to know more about dogs than I do and your post really helped..

All of the posts have helped. I''m in shock but typing here (slowly with my righ hand!) helps me tremendously!!!!!. All these things in my head need to come out so I can try to make some sense of what happenned, heal, move on and take the appropriate next steps without feeling guilty about it.

The images keep playing in my head over and over....the dog running towards me, with his teeth out and feeling them sink into my skin

. I don''t usually take medications unless I absolutely have to, this time I''m thankful for pain killers and can''t wait for that sleeping pill tonight!!!!

Hugs and huge thanks

M~

 

[marvel]

Mandarine, It does sound very traumatic. To really get an understanding of this situation, I was thinking how I would react if this were my daughter...and I''d be LIVID!!! As much as I love animals (I have two cats and a dog), I would have no sympathy for the dog that attacked her. I think it''s a shame that you would be put in the situation to make any suggestions. Animal control should have policies and laws in place. I''m so sorry you''re in this situation. Take care of yourself and get lots of rest.

 

[divergrrl]

Mandarine: I am so sorry this happened to you!

I think you need to talk to Animal Control & let them advise you on the action to take. If you remain civil & try not to engage in any conversations with your neighbors until you do, that will be best.

As the owner of a large breed that sometimes can be perceived as scary (I have a german shepherd) I am EXTREMELY aware of other''s perceptions of her and of her behavior. I know she''s a gentle love, but she used to be a "tugger" and could get away from us on a leash. 6 weeks of obedience training at a doggie boarding camp (she stayed there & got worked daily & I came for weekly training classes) and I have a dog that truly obeys on or off leash. Now I NEVER EVER EVER let her off leash anywhere but my fenced in back yard & the fenced in dog park. For her safety (cars), the peace of mind of others (they don''t know she''s a lover), and because its the LAW. I also have a good pinch collar on her, because she does not/cannot pull or lunge with it on.

You were incredibly lucky that it was only your arm & not your face, and that the dog only did the damage it did. Rotties have one of the strongest bites in a dog, and while they are usually really sweet, any dog, regardless of breed, can be aggressive.

I don''t put too much faith in the perceptions that certain breeds are meaner than others, but I do think that certain dogs (regardless of breed) are born mean, just like some people. Dogs that show ANY aggressiveness whatsoever need to be dealt with immediately, and if they cannot be rehabilitated (ever watch Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer on National Geographic? You''ll see all breeds of dogs freaking out and having aggression/biting issues, and little dogs are just as bad, but they just don''t have the brawn or bite force to scare/or do as big damage as the big dogs) the owners need to surrender them.

I''d definitely take some action, if that dog bit you, then the owner has to have noticed some aggressive behavior, and they obviously chose to ignore doing anything about it, or didn''t make it a priority.

For the safety of others, including yourself, your dog, and kids its the right thing to do.

If that owners have any brains in their head, they''ll have that dog into some serious private training with a trainer who specializes in aggression BEFORE animal control has to talk to them.

Get better & steer clear of that dog!

Jeannine

 

[Beacon]

Hi Mandarine - Sorry that this terrible thing is causing you sleepless nights. Keep in mind that you are the victim here, not the offender.

Your nosy neighbor is a pain in the behind, but those comments are irrelevent. Big difference between your dog jumping on someone and what you had. Specifically: no blood, no emergency room, no pain, no scars, no nothing. It would be hard to say if that kid was playing with your dog or being "attacked" by it. Ignore that neighbor.

Try your best not to shoulder yourself with the responsibility. After all, this thing was pushed on you. That Rottweiler needs to go and you can feel confident telling people so. As for your financial end, I do believe you should not have to pay for anything. The people who own the dog no doubt have liability coverage under their homeowners and they can file a claim on it. Pretty much they should pay for you 100%. Don''t be shy about it - you were attacked!

Try and recover and keep your stress as low as possible. I know it''s really bad - first the physical assault and now the aftermath with all the different people involved.

I really feel for you - hang in there!

 

[ladykemma]

mandarine - you are being too nice. i''d sue the F out of them.

lawyers: if she makes the decision not to put the dog down, could she be held liable in the future?

 

[Maisie]

I''m so sorry that you were attacked - you must have been terrified. My feeling is that this dog must be euthanised. Not just for your safety but for everyone else around where you live.

This happened recently here in the UK:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/5375520.stm

I know you are an animal lover but the owners clearly haven''t trained the dog properly and its far to viscious.

I hope you feel better soon.

Maisie

 

[Mannequin]

Mandarine, I am SO sorry about what happened. I agree with the other posters, this is a very dangerous animal who is very likely to attack in the future given its track record. Please, please, please trust your instincts on this. The dog needs to go. There is nothing reedeemable about this situation - it came at you with no warning and sent you to the hospital. Next time it could be more than a few stitches and a bad scare for you or another animal or a small child. INSIST that something - adoption, training, or euthanization - is done with the animal ASAP.

Hang in there and get well soon.

 

[IrishAngel7982]

Mandarine...I am so incredibly sorry. I am glad you are well enough to recuperate at home with your family in town. I absolutely think you should contact a lawyer regarding future bills you will encounter. You will have scars on your arm and if you decide to have cosmetic surgery to lighten them, insurance most likely won't cover the cost. Not to mention your ER bills, time off from work, bills for when you have the stitches removed, physical therapy if you need it...it will add up. And you should not have to pay for any of it, because you did not provoke the situation. You tried to avoid it and look what happened!!! Please seek some legal advice about how those charges can be covered for you. That's the least you deserve.

I'm an animal lover too...I've grown up with dogs and cannot imagine living without one. However, as many others have said your neighbor broke your association laws by having the dog there in the first place, clearly could not control him, and openly admitted that the dog has exhibited aggressive behaviors in the past and taken no action. I can't imagine being in your position, but I wouldn't want the responsibility of declaring what happens to the dog. I hope animal control has some clear answers for you. I can't understand how it's your decision what happens...if I remember correctly, my state (IL) is a 3 strike state where if a dog bites the victim can chose to report it or not...but after 3 strikes the dog is put down, no contest. You shouldn't have to deal with this on top of your injuries. It's clearly evident that you don't want to be the one to make this decision, and I don't blame you. Keep us up to date and I wish you a very speedy recovery!!!

 

[gail013]

You can not live in fear with this animal next door. Your ''out'' is that it is stated in your neighborhood guildlines that it can''t be there-simple and end of sentence. If you are in an association this can be enforced. Many of us love dogs, but would be afraid of owning an animal like this for this reason. Maybe these people could find another home for it in the country somewhere, as a working dog of some kind. I don''t think your nightmares will end unless that dog is gone for you. Contacting an attorney does not mean you have to sue, but it does mean you will know what your rights are, and what is reasonable in terms of future sugery should you need any. If your neighbors were responsible, they would already be taking more aggressive actions to prevent this from happening again-a fence, some kind of containment, Ceasar Milan long term therapy.....

It is good for those of us with dogs to be reminded that they are wild animals, and are unpredictable. I hope you will be OK.

 

[angel_nieves]

I am so sorry for you I hope you heal quickly with minimal scarring. Not to offend any one but I don’t believe any Breed is necessarily bad. As a child I was bit by my mom''s friends black lab (a breed that is considered harmless). I have minimal scarring on my leg where grabbed me and shook me. I do believe that the dog in question should have some major changes occur. I wish people realize that big breed dogs need a little more care when it comes to being handed in the public. Why was the dog out with out supervision or in a fence?

I just recently received a big breed dog and when full grown will be over 100 pounds. She will not be out of my fenced in yard with out a muzzle and on a leash. I hope you recover quickly. Sending Hugs your way

 

[Cehrabehra]

First of all I know what you''re going through - my son was attacked by our neighbor''s dog. The dog had menaced us before but they were new to the neighborhood and the owners insisted the dog was nice and just needed to meet us.... so they brought it over on a leash and it kept jumping but they made it sit and all of a sudden it just lunged at my 2 year old''s head, biting his face 5-6 times. Thankfully they were trying to pull their dog off of him via leash and most of the bites were scrapes with the little teeth across his cheeks and nose, but the dog did sink its teeth in at least twice in his cheek and the upper canines were at his hairline but since it is hard (skull) there the dog didn''t do much damage there.

They offered to put the dog down and my husband wanted them to. That was all he wanted - he wanted nothing else, no money or whatever. Our insurance would cover everything and there was *nothing* they could do about my son''s face so just get RID of the dog - we even were somewhat okay with taking it to those special farms they have for unsociable dogs. W just didn''t want to live by it.

Well they changed their mind, couldn''t get rid of their baby, and the laws here are such that if a dog kills a chicken it''s put down but if a dog kills a child, it might live (there are dogs here who have killed people and nothing) It''s really sickening. We''ve moved since then but for 3 years we had to live next to it. My husband ended up suing because they wouldn''t do anything and they had to build a special cage for it within their fenced yard and they had to pay medical expenses (went directly to our insurance co) and I think my son got like 5k in the end put into an account for when he is 18. Not much considering he has a scar on his cheek that will never go away.

I implore you to do SOMETHING - doing nothing is a huge mistake. Aggressive dogs are a problem that should NOT be tolerated. There are no-kill solutions but IMO there are so many dogs out there that need homes and perfectly sweet dogs are being put down - why save the jerk dogs instead? Many of them can not be rehabilitated and it takes an EXTREME amount of effort to suceed and even then there''s no guarantee. I have a friend who does rescue and before she did rescue she ws against putting down dogs that bit but now she has housed so many dogs that she is more discerning on the subject. I might feel guilty about the neighbors dog being put down for attacking my son, but having that dog bark at us every day as we came in and out of the car, barring its teeth, clawing at the fence certainly took a toll. If that dog is not removed you will be living in fear. And if it hurts anyone else that guilt will be far greater than any for putting it down. But again, if you don''t like that idea, there are places that take dogs that cannot be around people to live out their lives. I''m sure a google search wil find you some.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 1/9/2007 2:06:38 PM
Author: Mandarine

Back to the dog. I''m not the ''suer'' type either but ant to do what is right...

I never thought we were either.... in our case we weren''t suing for money we were suing them to get control over their dog - and to have it on their homeowner''s insurance record that they housed a viscious dog. The lawyer wanted money, of course, and so we got a small amount, but sometimes when you''re suing it isn''t just for money, it is to force action.

Have you talked to the neighbor? If that was MY dog I''d take the decision out of your hands and take care of it myself. We have a dog - a lab - and if she ever attacked someone we''d be mourning her. There''s just no room for error there IMO.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 1/9/2007 2:06:38 PM
Author: Mandarine

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...

omg I soooo relate to this as well.... it''s been 5 years now and Im'' much better.... but this scottie and sheltie came up to me in the park and barked at me and I pulled my boys to me and started *screaming*! I freaked!! this was within a few months.... it took like 3 years before I stopped feeling a clench of fear in my heart and I still sometimes do. People have asked me if my son is afraid of dogs and THANKFULLY we own a lab, a large dog, and we''ve had her since he was 1 so he was able to differentiate in his head that all dogs aren''t like that. But still, hes not the one who loves dogs and goes up to them.