My dog was attacked.

[CaitlynR]

I have two Bichon frises. One, Chell, is a rescue from a puppy mill, was kept in a cage and bred over and over and adopted at age 5, a year and a half ago. So much progress was made. She went from shut down, shaking or in a panic to a sweet dog who enjoys life. She is still skittish and gets triggered but is loving and when in the back yard looked free and pranced and wagged. She is my companion and snuggles me in my recliner and bed. On a good day she gives foot kisses.

Today two large neighbor dogs broke through the fence into our back yard. They were mostly after the other Bichon. It sounded vicious, but we got them off of him and he was uninjured. They immediately started chasing Chell. Before I could get to her she was bitten. It didn’t look bad at first but it looked worse quickly and we got her into the vet. She has two punctures, on her lower back and anus. The back one looked bad and they recommended emergency surgery. She is back home and has drains and meds. Hopefully no infections develop which are a major risk.

The bill is about $500. The neighbor feels paying half is fair. We disagree and we’re very upset with his angry and defensive response. I am so afraid of her being retraumatized. She was doing so well.

I want cake. I want alcohol. I had a quarter glass of wine and feel like the worst patient ever. It didn’t help me feel better either. I still am considering getting junk food. I just want to self sooth. I feel so awful about this.

 

[DianaCox]

First, the legal issues:

• You should call the police/animal about the VICIOUS dogs next door
  • He may be angry and defensive because his dogs likely MUST be quarantined (at his expense) after biting another animal
    
    • For example, Connecticut law: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2004/rpt/2004-R-0308.htm
      
    • BITING DOGS
      Quarantine
      The law requires an ACO to quarantine a dog that has bitten someone off its owner's property. The dog must be quarantined for 14 days in a public pound, veterinary hospital, or place approved by the DOAg commissioner. The purpose of the quarantine is to assure the animal does not have rabies and to examine the dog's demeanor. The owner must pay all fees associated with quarantining the animal. The ACO may quarantine the dog on the premises if it has bitten someone on its owner's property. The ACO must give the person the dog bit and the commissioner notice of the quarantine within 24 hours. The commissioner or his designee must examine the dog on the 14th day of the quarantine to determine whether it should continue (CGS § 22-358 (c)).
  • Did your vet call the cops or recommend it? S/He should have.
• Whose fence is it? The neighbor has a DUTY to have a fence that his dogs can't break through.
• On what planet does he think he's only liable for half??? He has a duty to control/contain his VICIOUS dogs.
• Call a lawyer, or threaten to. Or you can say that you got advice from a lawyer that he is 100% liable (I am a lawyer, but totally incompetent to give you legal advice about dog bites or fences, considering I'm a biotech patent attorney and I don't even know what state you live in - but you can SAY you spoke to an attorney ...)

Self-soothing:

• Try a walk.
• Smoke some weed.
• Snuggle with Chell (and soothe her)

 

[Duckman]

I’m 100% on your side: he needs to pay 100%. His dog caused the injuries. Your dog did not.

 

[southernlady]

Find out if there is a leash law in your county.

Being fair would be paying the entire bill for you. They trespassed onto your property. Attacked with no provocation. Broke thru your fence.

I’d being suing his ass.

 

[Duckman]

Paying for the injury and having his dog or dogs destroyed is the minimum.

 

[southernlady]

Back on Good Friday about 3 years ago, hubby had our two JRT/Chihuahua mixes out for a walk around the block in our neighborhood (on leashes). Ours were attacked by the neighbor’s Doberman (who was on a leash but the leash was not attached to a human at that moment cause they were sitting on their front porch).

Our male was bitten around the hindquarters. Wasn’t until the emergency vet shaved his butt that the extent of the damage was obvious. Neighbor was a retired lawyer. Reimbursed us the money for the emergency vet and authorized our normal vet (who she used as well) to bill her for follow up care. And because we used the same vet, we were reassured that her dog was not a rabies risk.

We did not even have to ask her to pay the bill, she just did.

We had a leash law and her dog got loose. Had it been a person, the dog would have been put down. Our state law did not cover a dog attacking another dog.

 

[CaitlynR]

We are not sure who owns the fence and are trying to determine this. We rent and I don’t know if the neighbor owns or rents. The neighbor’s reasoning is that the fence was in poor repair and the nails were loose. He feels we are in part responsible for the fence, and so we should take responsibility for half. I feel the fence was sturdy enough that my under 20lb Bichons could not have broke down the panel. It was not sturdy enough for his dogs. Even if my landowner owns the fence, how could it need to be sturdy enough for his dogs if it was fine for ours?

However, I feel the fence is besides the point. If his dog and my dog were fighting, and mine got bit, especially off of our property, then I could see going half. However, Chell was not fighting. She was trying to get away and was viciously caught. More like a predator prey interaction.

We asked the vet about what reports the recommend and they are not sure. They said if it was a human bit the hospital would report, but at least in this state vets don’t report and are unsure what my options are regarding that. They agree he should pay it all.

I really think a decent, empathetic person would pay it all. He didn’t even look at me when I initially went over, distraught and crying to tell him what just happened. His five year old was amazingly sweet and said that it was awful she was hurt and apologized. The man just silently got some boards from the garage and started repairing the fence.

My mom is really pushing to make a police report. I guess I am hesitating because I don’t want a feud with our immediate neighbor. Many people respond with escalation. I just want him to mature up and be a good person about this. It is a lot of money but really not a unreasonable amount. We live in a solidly mid middle class neighborhood, so I feel most people it would sting but be possible to pay. I feel it’s not that he can’t but doesn’t want to.

Three years ago or so we sued someone in small claims court who had stolen money (did not pay loaned money) and property (pawned a computer we lent him) from us. We even had a contract he signed about paying us what he owed. He didn’t even show up for court. We won easily. We never saw a cent and it just meant flushing another $300 in court fees in the toilet. I so don’t want anything to do with lawyers (no offense meant) or courts. The two times I have had to deal with them I was clearly, demonstrably in the right and “won” but they were awful experiences and no good came from them.

Last night, the same day this happened, he called animal control which took one of his dogs. He said this was one he had adopted about a week, maybe two ago and felt this one was the instigator and likely the one who bit. The dog had also growled at his kids. The other dog they had for a long time and the dog did look and act sweet prior to the second dog. I don’t want to do anything that may threaten that dog which is a reason I hesitate to report also.

As for the suggestion of weed, it is something I’ve been thinking about if it is better for us than alcohol. I tried it twice over a decade ago and didn’t like it but I know there are different strains. In my state it is still illegal though so I wouldn’t even know how to find any and would be super scared of getting caught. As a federal employee that would mean my job and as a psychologist it could mean my license. Marijuana laws are so stupid, I am glad much of the county is finally decriminalizing it.

Part of posting here is admitting the thoughts of saying f it and getting crap food (baked goods). I think in the end though it wouldn’t actually help me feel better because much like the wine it would be short lived and I would feel guilty. So I think once it get home from work I’ll baby on Chell and have some hot tea and watch my junk food equivalent in movies.

Thank you for the support, it is very appreciated.

 

[CaitlynR]

Ok, my husband now tells me that the neighbor says he will pay it all. He did tell my husband that his friend who sustained a chest wound in combat didn’t complain as much as we were about our dog. Ugh.

Chell so far is acting ok, eating and drinking and walking ok. She is not acting as retraumatized as I’d feared. Honestly I think emotionally I’m taking this the hardest. I think that is a combination of all the that has happened before and after surgery the past couple months, and seeing my baby, my constant companion and friend, innocent and gentle, be chased down and attacked. You know how sometimes you experience physical stress, and or relationship or emotional stress, and are handling everything and are “fine” until something happens and all that fear and sadness and anger all floods out in tears? Yeah, that’s me.

I hope everything heals ok, and I’ll be ok in a day or two after some more sleep and cuddles.

 

[hilary1617]

I'm so sorry, that's terrible. I wish Chell a speedy recovery. A police report is needed to protect you and others, given this aggressive action points to a high likelihood of future attacks absent remediation (enclosure, training, etc.) An official record of the first attack will help with recourse when the second happens. What is the neighbor's plan to restrain his animals in the future?

 

[JackieOnLine]

oh, I am so sorry to hear this. your neighbor is an ass and needs to pay it all - I expect they will need to be forced. listen to Diana - free legal advice!

my little pom was attacked by a loose dog a couple years ago and now when I walk them I carry both a bat and a stun "gun" (flashlight) with me. but you expect they are safe in your back yard!!

I hope your dog recovers fully and that you do, too. I'd offer you some cannabis if you were close by. I tell you, being able to go into a store and buy some - while knowing the exact dosage you are getting if it's an edible - is so civilized. the whole country needs to legalize.

it's unfair that you have to do all this stuff - starting with filing the police report! but you have to, the neighbors don't care. the next time their dogs might kill and at the very least this attack needs to be on record.

when I lived in Scottsbluff I knew a woman who was walking her yorkies when a dog she couldn't see due to a hedge snaked his paw out a hole in the fence and dragged one of her dogs inside and attacked. the poor dog lived but, god, when your little dog isn't even safe on a leash with you.