Attacked by neighbor''s rottweiler...

[ladykemma]

sorry my response was rather harsh but colored by a year of incidents on my street. house on the corner had several viscious dogs, the kind they put in repo lots to keep people from retrieving their cars. dogs kept getting out. dog attacked child, dogs kept getting out, attacking. finally on the last escape another child was attacked in the middle of the street. a frantic neighbor (a cop) took a shotgun and shot them all. right in the street.

and the neighbors cheered.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 1/9/2007 3:33:49 PM
Author: 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~

small dogs can do damage - if a dog gets at your face, a scar is a scar.... doesn''t matter how big the dog is. I''m not saying small dogs can do as much damage as easily or quickly, but they can definitely do damage.

One more thing I was thinking is that I would talk to your neighbors and ask them to do the *right* thing and not make you have to make a decision like that. It is only fair and just that it be on them. If they decline, then you know you''ve got a fight ahead.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Ugh! I am so sorry, too, Mandarine!

It makes me terribly sad, but I think the dog probably does need to be put down since the attack was totally unprovoked. He obviously couldn''t stay there once you pressed your HO association to enforce their rules, but I would be so afraid that the dog might hurt someone else. I also would not sue the neighbors, but I might have them sign a legal agreement to pay for my medical bills not paid by the insurance, including plastic surgery. I''d probably get them to do this before they find out the decision on the dog''s fate. I am sure they are sick with fear over you possibly suing plus the inevitable consequences for the dog.

I do want to agree with the girls who said that it is wrong to believe all dogs of a particular breed are bad. We have a female of one of those breeds...given to my son when she was a puppy, and she was the most submissive dog in the litter. She is precious and is now 3 1/2. BUT, we have a large fenced back yard and we do not take her out on a leash except to go the vet or the kennel. And she is not allowed around visitors either. She is gentle and loving and the best dog we''ve ever had, but we do not take ANY chances. Dogs like that belong in fenced yards, period, and should not be walked around strangers, IMO.

Again, I am really sorry and hope you''ll be better soon!

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 1/9/2007 9:54:58 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
Ugh! I am so sorry, too, Mandarine!

It makes me terribly sad, but I think the dog probably does need to be put down since the attack was totally unprovoked. He obviously couldn''t stay there once you pressed your HO association to enforce their rules, but I would be so afraid that the dog might hurt someone else. I also would not sue the neighbors, but I might have them sign a legal agreement to pay for my medical bills not paid by the insurance, including plastic surgery. I''d probably get them to do this before they find out the decision on the dog''s fate. I am sure they are sick with fear over you possibly suing plus the inevitable consequences for the dog.

I do want to agree with the girls who said that it is wrong to believe all dogs of a particular breed are bad. We have a female of one of those breeds...given to my son when she was a puppy, and she was the most submissive dog in the litter. She is precious and is now 3 1/2. BUT, we have a large fenced back yard and we do not take her out on a leash except to go the vet or the kennel. And she is not allowed around visitors either. She is gentle and loving and the best dog we''ve ever had, but we do not take ANY chances. Dogs like that belong in fenced yards, period, and should not be walked around strangers, IMO.

Again, I am really sorry and hope you''ll be better soon!

DS makes a good point about having them agree to paying your medical bills, plastic surgery if necessary BEFORE they find out the fate of their dog. I hope you get a good nights sleep tonight, it''s great that your family is with you right now.

 

[diamondfan]

I love dogs, and will go up to almost any dog I see, not necessarily smart but I love them. I think that there are three key points at issue, at least to me,

1. A dog that size is clearly in violation of the rules and that needs to be addressed. There is a reason why they have a size limit, and while a small dog can bite, of course, a large dog can do more damge.

2. They were not unaware that the dog could possibly go haywire, and they did not take appropriate measures, i.e. muzzle, etc. Not the dog''s fault, the owner''s, but yet how best to prevent this from happening again, I do not know if the owners will do the right thing when they did not do it before.

3. This dog could have seriously maimed you or worse. A child could have been out and bothered the dog and been attacked. I repeat, I am a dog lover, but they are animals. We cannot presume to know what will set off a dog in a given situation, many wonderful dogs with no history of aggression can turn, even on their owners. I would never place bets on the behavior of an animal, even if I think I know it well. A little girl I know was attacked by a presumably tame and nice dog. It was at school at the end of the day, a teacher was watching it for a friend and had the dog at the pick up area. Something spooked this dog and it attacked my friend''s daughter. She had tons of surgery, 100''s of stitches in her face and is scarred for life and now terrified of dogs. The owner never had any issues with the dog, who had been well socialized and spent time with kids frequently. Again, dogs can be unpredictable. It is not that you want harm to come to the dog, but something must be done. And paying your medical bills is the minimum they should be doing.

I am sorry for htis, I really am glad it was not worse...hope your recovery is speedy!

 

[lumpkin]

Oh, wow, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I'm glad you are okay.

I love animals, too, but this is a no brainer. This dog is vicious, dangerous and a ticking bomb. He needs to be put down.

I get so FURIOUS when dog owners refuse to take responsibility for their pets. There have been more than a few pit bull attacks in the KC area, and one was so severe that the man who was attacked has virtually lost his mind. He cries constantly and can't sleep, eat or function. It just makes me see red. I just don't get the need for someone owning a potentially (and often, truly) dangerous animal. This is one of the few things I see no gray on. If anyone moves into my neighborhood with a pit bull, a rott, or any other type of attack dog, I'll be on them like flies on flypaper. I have kids, and sorry, my kids trump the dogs. I would have no indecision at all -- that dog would be put down if it attacked me, my kids, my husband or another neighbor. I'd be ALL over it!

ETA: I usually try to be really diplomatic, get along with people, and go out of my way not to offend others. In this case if I made enemies over it, so be it. Anyone who would bear ill will toward me for making them put their dog down after it attacked me is no one I would ever want to be friends with. IF I had a dog that attacked someone, it would never be an issue -- the dog would be euthanized. I would never pick my dog over the safety and lives of my neighbors, family, friends and children. Certain priorities just, to me, are carved in the perverbial stone. I hope you are not concerned with the feelings of your neighbors -- they apparently are not that concerned with others' safety.

 

[jaz464]

Date: 1/9/2007 9:10:04 PM
Author: ladykemma
sorry my response was rather harsh but colored by a year of incidents on my street. house on the corner had several viscious dogs, the kind they put in repo lots to keep people from retrieving their cars. dogs kept getting out. dog attacked child, dogs kept getting out, attacking. finally on the last escape another child was attacked in the middle of the street. a frantic neighbor (a cop) took a shotgun and shot them all. right in the street.

and the neighbors cheered.

Uh, what a godawful story. I can't imagine cheering as dogs (even viscous dogs) are shot.

I guess I am in the minority here. I would not want the dog to be put down, if at all possible. I would want it to go to a responsible owner with expirience with dogs that attack people. 1.5 years is young enough for the dog to recieve proper training. It is such a shame that people destroy the lives of animals because they don't know what they are doing or don't care. I am sorry for the trauma you have gone through.

 

[phoenixgirl]

I''m so sorry to hear about what happened to you!

I agree . . . it''s not easy to advocate putting a living thing to sleep, BUT imagine the worst case scenario. What if the dog hadn''t been shaking your arm back and forth, but the body of a small, defenseless child?

The neighbor''s comment is really stupid, but it does indicate trouble in the road ahead. If she is clueless enough that she didn''t realize that accusing somebody who has just undergone a traumatic experience and injuries at the hands of her animal that she supposedly heard from so and so that your 19 pound dog once jumped up at somebody . . . well, she probably doesn''t have much perspective on this whole thing. "Oh, here, take some flowers . . . but by the way, I heard that one time your tiny dog jumped up at somebody! And barked! So obviously you are just as guilty as I am! I mean, oops, I really hope you feel better." Please.

I don''t think I would sue the management company or the neighbors . . . I would just threaten to do so until they took appropriate action, which at the very least would be sending this dog and every dog over 30 pounds away to live where it couldn''t harm humans. Keep barking, no pun intended, and something will happen.

 

[movie zombie]

what would you do if you the neighbor attacked you? if you were hurt enough you wouldn''t have a choice as the state would press charges.

perhaps Best Friends in Utah can help your neighbor find a solution which could include a new home for the dog.

you could be attacked again. a child could be attacked. a dog or cat could be killed in front of you. it is a pity these people aren''t responsible....the dog will have to take the consequences for their failure.

movie zombie

 

[Mara]

for me personally i am not saying any breed of dog is 'bad'. but facts are facts regarding animal instinct. someone said that certain breeds who 'get a bad rap' have the instinct to attack prey OR other animals. obviously when they attack a human or child...they think that IS their prey. they are not distinguishing human from prey. a dog's BASIC instinct is REALLY strong. portia is super well trained but if she is ever off-leash and sees a squirrel or a cat or something darting in front of us, she would chase it. regardless of where she is or if i was calling her. if she is on a leash, she jerks and tries to run, even dragging me behind her. all she sees is the instinct for her to trap and corner (thankfully it's only corner) small prey which was bred into her for hundreds (thousands?) of years. modern 'pet' training can never overcome that which is inside the animal in my opinion.

diamondseeker, i'm happy that your darling dog displays only wonderful qualities...that is awesome. but would you really feel confident leaving a breed like that alone with a small baby? in a rocker? or if the small child runs across the room?

i totally don't agree with people who say that it's all the owners...yes i do believe that 90% of a dog's behavior or personality or whatever comes from living with and being trained by their owner but i have seen instances where the basic instincts these dogs were bred with that is in their nature comes out when people least expect it.

it doesn't mean that a breed is bad or should not be out there or whatever, i don't agree with that. but people who do get those types of 'breed' dogs that are on the 'potentially dangerous' list should be at least aware of what they are getting and be confident they can make that type of breed the most responsible parent out there. so many people just don't do that. and of course many people think their dog could NEVER do anything like that. i'm sure the dog's owners who attacked diane whipple thought the dog would NEVER do that. same with this dog who attacked mandarine.

dogs are animals, flat out. they do not think like humans and they can be trained to an element but i try to never forget that as much as i adore my white rat, she's still a DOG. an animal. different than us. not human.

 

[diamondfan]

Mara, I am a bit confused by your reference above, I did not mention MY dog in my post. I was in fact saying ANY dog, no matter how well trained, is still an animal and as such unpredictable no matter how well trained. I do not recall mentioning anything specific to me or my dog, but was commenting GENERALLY about any dog's natural tendencies. My point was that it was not even necessarily the fault of the dog, sometimes dogs are just reacting to something we cannot foresee, and there are tragic consequences...and what is to be done going forward to prevent another, even worse incident?

I trust a dog, any dog, until I see a reason not to. That does not mean I would be careless or ignorant about what a dog could or might do, I would not leave an infant alone with a dog for example. or take a skittish dog into a crowded or uncontrolled setting. I do not condemn an entire breed since I know from my experiences and family members (one who breeds and trains and shows Chessies and is a vet and one who used to train German Shepherds) that ANY breed can do what is in a dog's nature...I also know certain breeds, like Pitbulls, get a bad rap, and it is usually how they are trained and raised more so than a total genetic predisposition to behave in a certain way...I just would never speculate as to a dog's state of mind, since we cannot ask them, we have to go by their actions, and this dog had shown aggression without being provoked before, which makes this even more an incident that could and should have been avoided if the owners were acting appropriately...

 

[Kaleigh]

Casper is a nice doggie, great with people. But when it comes to our bird, well he couldn''t give a rats as*. He sees her as his breakfast. He knows she is off limits, knows her name, etc.. We have to lock him in my room when we play with her, because if he was in the room he would try to jump up and catch her. Have we yelled at him, yes. Scolded him, yup. But the only thing that works is to keep them seperated. My point?? It''s the nature of the beast.

 

[aljdewey]

Before this thread veers into a breed-war discussion, a few points......

1. We can all agree or not until the cows come home about whether or not certain breeds are more or less predisposed to aggressive behavior, but it doesn't change anything....nor does it get to the heart of the issue.

2. Whether or not everyone agrees that some breeds are more prone to aggression than others, one thing that cannot be debated is this: some dogs come heavily equipped with a formidable physique that raises the danger stakes. That could be in the form of extremely powerful jaws (i.e. pit bull), dominating weight/mass (rotts and shepherds), or whatever. This means that they are able to 1) more easily physically overpower and dominate humans, and 2) more able to inflict serious or even mortal injury.

3. Once a dog has been aggressive to a human....ANY dog.... it is a risk, regardless of breed. Once it has learned through experience that it can be aggressive toward a human, that potential will always exist going forward. It will always feel it has the capability to dominate some things or people. I believe that cannot be unlearned, and it cannot be rehabilitated.

4. For those who say "it's not the animal's fault"....you're right. In a majority of cases, it's not. However, that doesn't change the fact that the animal has now learned it can attack and dominate. It doesn't matter whose fault it is or was. What matters is the impact that it has on the dog, and that impact is irrevocable. Worrying about who's fault it is means absolutely nothing; it doesn't change the outcome once the dog attacks. That animal can never be considered stable again. You cannot put Pandora back into the box.

5. Arguing lack of fault as a reason not to put a dangerous dog down is to ignore the real reason for putting it down. Assigning fault only matters if the response is meant to be penal or punitive, and it's not. Putting the dog down isn't done to penalize the dog for what it did. It's strictly and solely about acknowledging that a dog who has attacked cannot ever be completely stable again, and the only way to prevent possible future attacks is to destroy it.

One element seems to run in common with every dog attack: in almost all cases, the dog had menaced or been aggressive in previously instances, and no one had done anything. In the Diane Whipple case, she'd been afraid of the dogs due to previous instances. Others in her building had unpleasant instances with the dogs. Same with many of the stories here.

I don't see any other option but to have this dog put down.

 

[Mara]

oh sorry diamondfan...i meant to direct that area of my post to diamondseeker....who referenced having one of the breeds mentioned and how great her particular dog is.

modified my post!

 

[diamondfan]

I agree that once the door is opened you have issues going forward. As stated, a dog is a pack animal, there are leaders and followers in a pack. Once they have the dominance and feel that they can attack a person, all bets are off at the point. And giving a dog away that has behaved aggressively, well, knowing that the dog could still ever come in contact with a child would scare me...

Interesting story... a good friend of mine had a teacup or toy poodle. It nipped and snarled and growled at her kids and would not let anyone touch him except when he wanted it. She consulted a well known breeder in my area who took in the dog for training. He told her it was HER fault, not the dog''s, and that clearly she was not trying enough or being effective with the training techniques. She felt she was. She tried and tried but just felt the dog, this small poodle, was not kid friendly. The trainer told her he would be happy to keep the dog. Months later, he emailed her to tell her that yes, she was indeed right, this dog was THE MOST aggressive dog he had ever seen. Of any breed. And that this dog did not belong in a home with kids. She now has a Bichon who is lovely, and she did training on her own and is so happy with this dog. This trainer has all breeds, I take Maya there and I have seen everything from a Chihauhau to a Bull Mastiff there, and he had to finally concede that this little poodle was indeed very aggressive and not good to be around kids. I would never make an assumption just based on breed, because there are factors that mitigate it...clearly, someone is likelier to be more afraid of a Pitbull with all it''s jaw power, than they are likely to be fearful of a Yorkie, that is logical based on looks and reputation. But a dog that feels it needs to attack, whatever the breed, is going to be able to inflict pain and damage and cause long term fear in the person attacked...

 

[ladykemma]

Date: 1/9/2007 11:03:22 PM
Author: jazmine

Date: 1/9/2007 9:10:04 PM
Author: ladykemma
sorry my response was rather harsh but colored by a year of incidents on my street. house on the corner had several viscious dogs, the kind they put in repo lots to keep people from retrieving their cars. dogs kept getting out. dog attacked child, dogs kept getting out, attacking. finally on the last escape another child was attacked in the middle of the street. a frantic neighbor (a cop) took a shotgun and shot them all. right in the street.

and the neighbors cheered.

Uh, what a godawful story. I can''t imagine cheering as dogs (even viscous dogs) are shot.

I guess I am in the minority here. I would not want the dog to be put down, if at all possible. I would want it to go to a responsible owner with expirience with dogs that attack people. 1.5 years is young enough for the dog to recieve proper training. It is such a shame that people destroy the lives of animals because they don''t know what they are doing or don''t care. I am sorry for the trauma you have gone through.

these were trained attack dogs. and they had no business being in a residential neighborhod.

 

[bee*]

Im really sorry to hear that mandarine, I hope that you are doing ok. As a huge animal lover and as someone who worked in my spca for nine years I really feel that the dog has to be put to sleep. An adult dog, which he is a 1 and a half, to attack a person totally unprovoked, is a risk and a hazard to children, people and other animals. I think that its too late to try muzzles now as whats done is done. If the owners were already concerned about it behaviour, why didnt he take these measures already. Its one subject that really annoys me. I have a golden retriever who I never let off the lead when I walk her and I was up the mountains one day and a cocker spaniel came flying towards her and started attacking her. Luckily the spaniels owner came up and took her off, but he then advised me that she had done that previously! All I said to him was why did he not have her on a lead then and he couldnt answer me. It made me so annoyed but thankfully my baby was ok. I agree with Mara, I adore my baby, she sleeps at the end of my bed, but she is not a human, she is my dog, she thinks differently to me and you, and it is my responsibility to look after her and her behaviour. I cant believe that your neighbours havent come around to you and advised you what they are going to do with the dog. It cant be much pleasure owning a dog that you cant trust when you walk it.

I also agree that a dog no matter what size it is can be very scary if it is coming for you, so I would be careful with your own dog too when you are walking it. Ive seen some terrible bites from tiny jack russell terriers also.

This happened in the uk last week so its so important that something is done here
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/02012007/325/police-carry-tests-dog-killed-girl.html

 

[Fran Fine]

I don''t have anything to add on top of all of the great advice that you''ve already received from everyone here, but I just wanted to say that I''m sorry that this happened to you, and I''m very happy that you''re ok. It really could have been so much worse, so clearly you have an angel looking over you. Take care of yourself.

 

[pricescope]

Al, let me ask you a question, would you agree to go thou licensing proses in order to have a dog? Or you will take it as a violation of your rights?

Animal law is non-exiting, civilized (and wealthy) society SHOULD have responsibilities to animals and animal control ENFORSMENT and we will never get there thinking "it does not matter who's fault is it, just shot it."

Mandarine, i am so sorry it happened to you and that you have the pressure of making a decision especially in existing society norm. Your instincts saved your face when you covered it by hands, that's what we all are thankful for. I have a damaged face since i was 19, it's not pretty.
Have a speedy recovery and take you time to heal properly, i mean don't put too much pressure on both your hand and you mind.

 

[hlmr]

I am so very sorry to hear this happened to you Madarine!!! I can only imagine how scary that would have been to go through.......I hope that you heal quickly, emotionally and physically.

I haven''t read through all the other responses but in my opinion the dog must be put down. I love animals too, but in my mind there is no rehabilitating a dog who makes an unprovoked, vicious attack on a person.

 

[fire&ice]

I haven''t read through the responses - but quickly - 1. In most parts of the country if you go to the hospital/doctor for a dog bite, it is automatically reported to the police. So, don''t think you have much of a choice there. And, I would see what they (the police) have to say.

The problem with breeds like Rotties is that they have powerful jaws & they rely on their bite to bring down their subject. Sounds to me like a defensive mechanism. You have probably built up this reponse as you have passed by many times & the dog couldn''t get to you.

What to do? Tough call. Also, *how* did the dog attack? You mention that he took your arm? This is why I say it''s defensive. *BUT* did he try to go for your neck? Did he try to bring you down? Did he try to go for your face? Did you have your back turned? Where you walking towards them? Did you engage this dog with any eye contact? All of these answers to my questions would help in my making of a decision.

I''m really sorry. I hope the damage remains superficial. At the very least, the dog owners should be responsible for all your medical bills, etc. I not certain that their homeowners will pay. Some dogs (in certain areas/policies, etc.) are automatically exempt. Do they own the house? Who "techincally" owns the dog? Is the dog licensed? Does it have to be?

 

[Shay37]

Date: 1/9/2007 6:23:35 PM
Author: 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~

Mandarine, I am so sorry this happened to you, and I am grateful that you are okay. Sweetie, this is normal, and it will continue for a while. The other thing you will notice is that you are unable to watch a show on tv with a dog being aggressive (even a tiny one) without having a flashback. It does get better. Eventually the nightmares fade. You will be a little leery from now on with dogs. It''s just the way it works. I always loved dogs, and I still do, but I am cautious around dogs who are larger that I do not know. It''s a defense mechanism that is needed to keep the human alive. You now have a learned response that means you will always instinctively cross a street to avoid passing a dog (on a leash or otherwise) that you sense might or could be a threat to you.

shay

 

[ellaila]

Oh gosh, Mandarine! I'm so so sorry to hear about this -- what an awful thing to experience. You've been in my thoughts since I read this post last night, and I hope you're feeling a little better this morning!

I wish I had some great advice to give, but I don't have anything to say that others haven't already said in their posts. The dog is an animal and a vicious one at that, and unfortunately I think the situation calls for serious actions. Just a bad situation all around

Sending you good wishes for a fast recovery and a fast end to this whole mess!

Espero que te sientas mejor, chica (from me and my Venezuelan hubby)!!

 

[widget]

hey, Mandarine... How are you feeling this morning?

Hope you got a good night''s rest...

widget

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 1/10/2007 8:38:24 AM
Author: Pricescope

Al, let me ask you a question, would you agree to go thou licensing proses in order to have a dog? Or you will take it as a violation of your rights?

Of course I'd agree to licensing!

I don't see how require licensing could be interpreted as a violation of civil right? In our nation, we agree to licensing many other things that have potential for injury. Our constitution provides the right to bear arms.....but it also requires a license to obtain/possess them.

We require a license for many things: to drive a car, to practice law or medicine, to hunt.....even to manicure fingernails!

Whenever you own something that requires proper training/control to avoid injury -- be it a 4000 lb. automotibile or a 100 lb. dog -- it's reasonable to set a standard of competency (license) for it.

Date: 1/10/2007 8:38:24 AM
Author: Pricescope

Animal law is non-exiting, civilized (and wealthy) society SHOULD have responsibilities to animals and animal control ENFORSMENT and we will never get there thinking 'it does not matter who's fault is it, just shot it.'

I think you're interpreting my comment too broadly. My comments shouldn't be construed to mean 'don't try to do anything to prevent the attack.....just wait until they attack and then destroy them.' That's far from what I meant.

My comments above along the lines of "it doesn't matter whose fault it is, the dog must be destroyed" are limited to what happens at/after the point the dog attacks.

There are two timelines for every event; pre-event and post-event (in this case, pre-attack and post-attack).

I do not at ALL suggest that the pre-attack attitude should be "oh, don't worry about it - let's do nothing to socialize the dog or the owner, and instead rely on destroying those who attack." Quite the contrary......I think that steps to ensure proper dog training and proper dog *owner* training should absolutely occur.

However, once an event occurs and you move into the post-attack timeline, it's too late for preventative measures. The dog has attacked, and whether or not owners were derelict in being responsible doesn't really impact outcome at that point. Once a dog has attacked, prevention is no longer an option.

 

[Cailet]

Mandarine!
I''m so sorry you have to go through all this.

I''ve volunteered at my local Humane Society for a couple of years and I can tell you that owners make a huge difference in how a dog behaves. Of course, there are always those animals that are exceptions to the rule.
I''ve seen lovely pitts / shephards / rotts come through the humane society - and I''ve seen dogs come in that were so out of control that we had to ask the owner to leave the building.

My 2 cents is that the owners have clearly not been responsible with their animal. As sad as it is I think the dog needs to be put down. Neither the owners nor the animal is trustworthy at this point -- and why should you have to worry about getting attacked (or someone eles getting attacked) everytime that dog is around??

I would definitely keep a file with all of your documentation from this incident as well. In case you do have complications or further need of medical care you want to make sure you have all your bases covered. If the owners decide to change their mind and not cover your bills you may need to take them to court.

 

[diane5006]

Mandarine...sorry to hear this happened to you...glad it was not worse...although it seems it was pretty bad...

I am just posting here to mention that if your injuries are large I think you should consult a plastic surgeon sooner rather than later to have your injuries looked at to make sure they heal up as clean as possible...you don''t have to go to Dr 90210...a general plastics consult should do

I am not going to get into the great doggie debate...bottom line the dog needs to no longer live next door...the HOA needs to get off its but and enforce it own rules (<30lb)

Hope you feel better

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 1/10/2007 12:48:40 AM
Author: diamondfan
I agree that once the door is opened you have issues going forward. As stated, a dog is a pack animal, there are leaders and followers in a pack. Once they have the dominance and feel that they can attack a person, all bets are off at the point.

I agree about the leaders vs followers.... I think it is very important for the HUMAN to be the alpha.... as long as a human encourages their dog to be dominant, there is potential for disaster. Not to say there can''t be even if the human is dominant but IMO it is lower.

 

[bee*]

here in Ireland we have to have dog licences. Its not strictly enforced though so not everyone gets them, but we can be subjected to a random check at any time and we''d have to have one at home

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 1/10/2007 9:31:04 AM
Author: fire&ice
I haven''t read through the responses - but quickly - 1. In most parts of the country if you go to the hospital/doctor for a dog bite, it is automatically reported to the police. So, don''t think you have much of a choice there. And, I would see what they (the police) have to say.

The problem with breeds like Rotties is that they have powerful jaws & they rely on their bite to bring down their subject. Sounds to me like a defensive mechanism. You have probably built up this reponse as you have passed by many times & the dog couldn''t get to you.

What to do? Tough call. Also, *how* did the dog attack? You mention that he took your arm? This is why I say it''s defensive. *BUT* did he try to go for your neck? Did he try to bring you down? Did he try to go for your face? Did you have your back turned? Where you walking towards them? Did you engage this dog with any eye contact? All of these answers to my questions would help in my making of a decision.

I''m really sorry. I hope the damage remains superficial. At the very least, the dog owners should be responsible for all your medical bills, etc. I not certain that their homeowners will pay. Some dogs (in certain areas/policies, etc.) are automatically exempt. Do they own the house? Who ''techincally'' owns the dog? Is the dog licensed? Does it have to be?

my answer to those questions would be I don''t care! I don''t care why, I don''t care if there was eye contact - if I was a pet human I might succumb to the social rules of dogs, but that''s not the way the world is and if a child who doesn''t know better makes eye contact that should excuse it? no.