How would you handle this???

Hi All,

Every weekend, my family and I go up north to our trailer, it is in a park and a great get away from the city. Anways, this weekend when we were up, I was visiting at a friends trailer, I had Abbey with me and I brought her long yard leash with me to my friends trailer lot. I secured her to the fence so that she was only about 15 ft from where I was sitting on the deck chatting with my friend. Well the neightbours show up, and I had remembered from last year tha they had a small JRT, so I thought oh maybe that would be nice for Abbey to play with while we are chatting. Anyways the couple get out of their car, and out runs the JRT (off leash) he then notices Abbey attached by leash to the seperating fence. He comes up to her, and at this point I am right by Abbey, cause I really don't know this dog, I have just seen him before. So they are looking at each other and sniffing noses, and BOOM! The JRT bites Abbey right in the face, and Abbey starts yelping, so I grab her, and the JRT owners just call their dog away, and they say nothing else.
So then after inspecting Abbey and babying her cause she just got attacked, I notice blood by her eye. The JRT had either bit or nipped her to the point of blood, about 1/2 " from her eye. So I yelled to the couple that their dog had bitten mine and she was bleeding, so they come over, still no sorry no nothing, they just looked at Abbey and didn't really say anything at all I think what they said was that there dog doesn't get along with other dogs, or something to that effect, JRT is still off leash , but in his yard, which is not more than a farm fence, not secure at all. Abbey and I then left and went back to opur trailer.

My question is this, what do I do? My friends suggested taking Abbey to the vet and then brining them the bill, and if they do not want to pay me, I should go to the owner of the trailer park, and tell that they have their dog off leash and that it is agressive. My friends also told me that the day before the JRT had ran out on to the road and was attacking a dog that was walking by on leash.

What should I do? :x :cry: :?:

 

GRR! This makes me sooo mad!! When are people going to learn how to be responsible for their pets!!

I would get Abby checked out first and foremost. You will have to pay the bill at first and then see if they will reimburse you. Regardless, I think you should contact animal control. They will send someone out to talk to them and tell them to keep their dog on leash if it is out of their yard, or they are not right there. If it happens again, they will fine the owners.

It is not illegal to own an aggressive dog, but the owners do have to be responsible enough to keep the dog under control.

Harley is extremely dog aggressive. Because we know this, we do not inconvenience others by allowing her offleash. She is always on a leash if outside our yard. We avoid dog parks, and if we do go, she remains on lead, and we choose a path where there are no other people and dogs.

I'm sorry for what happened to Abby. The reality is though that these people probably will not want to pay, so expect to have it out of your pocket.

You should report it to the park supervisor. It is possible that others have also complained about this dog.

 

Thanks Bully Love,
I have made an appointment for this evening for Abbey to be looked at.

Actually it is a park rule that ALL dogs are to be on leash or confined by fence. So basically they are breaking the park rules.

I really don't want to cause these people problems, but they do need to be responsible with their pets. I think I will see if they will reimburse me for teh vet bill, and take it from there. I also think I will contact the park supervisor and see what she has to say...

 

I would bring them the bill after you have Abbey checked out. I would not hesitate to report this to the owner of the park especially since this was not the first time the JRT has had an incident such as this. A dog that is aggressive with other dogs should not be off-leash ever. I would be furious if a dog (that the owners knew was aggressive with other dogs) attacked my leashed dog. Poor Abbey.

 

I agree Nern. It is horrible when pets have to take all the blame because of careless owners.

 

I agree with Nern aswell. I woudn't hesitate to contact the park manager and tell them your situation. They are breaking the rules here, not you. How many other dogs has this JRT done this to. What happens if he does it again but this time its a small child???? I would defintaly be calling animal control aswell......

 

Sounds like the dog is spoiled rotten and the owners don't do anything to discipline it. Some dumb people thinks this type of action is "cute."
But it won't be very cute when their dog does nip at a kid or another adult. Then they will find their dog in quarentine.

If it happens again, I would complain to the manager and insist they are removed from the park.

I think the only way you could force them to pay the vet bill is to take them to small claims.

 

I agree with them. why? well in a town 18 miles from me a handicap man was walking his poodle with a leash, he got to a corner close to home and a big dog ran out and killed his little dog. big dog no leash. The owner acted like he could careless, what if that been a kid or person. Why does somedog owners have the right to disobey the rules. whats good for one is good for the owner. Let me tell you i'd tell thew park owner and the whole town if that been one of my dogs. No they would of heard me yelling and came to see what was wrong ..lol... my dogs are like my children.

 

Thanks All,

Abbey went to the vet last night. The vet perscribed medicine to prevent any infection, as it is so close to the eye area, and shih tzu's are prone to eye infections etc.

I called the park manager, and she is going to address this off leash issue, and if the rule is not obeyed they will be asked to leave the park.

I will be presenting my vet bill this weekend to the howners, I will let you all know how responsible they are...

Oh, and btw, Abbey is doing well....

 

Your too sweet. You say you don't want to inconvienence them, but they are causing you and your dog turmoil ruining your time away from home. I say, Shake them up really well.

 

ditto on everyone else's

I have a long story regarding my previous dog I won't go into...but I can assure you if their dog is going around, off leash, attacking leashed pets it's time they get this dog under control before it decides to start attacking people walking by.

Money is usually the best way to get people to listen

 

Hi Abbey, sorry to hear what happened to your dog and I hope she will get well soon. I agree with all the advices the posters gave you.

I have a 3 months old shih tzu and now I am even more careful when I walk him to parks/around after a 13 years old shih tzu got torn apart by 2 big dogs and died instantly a few days ago here in Toronto. The dogs were on leashed but got away from their ower and they got put down because of this. So tragic for both owners.

Peace.

 

Hey Abbeys-mum, Did you present them with the vet bill as yet? If so, how did they handle it?

 

I have gone off the deep end this past week, yelling at a women with her unleashed sharpei. I honestly have nothing against her dog. Its all towards her. But she is making me a raving lunatic. I have gone beneith myself with things I've said to her. You would think an old lady would know the laws. God I could spit venom. I get so mad.

 

I find I have less patience with stupid people as each year passes - and less inhibitions about what I say to them. When I am old, I will be one of those crotchety old ladies who says whatever the heck she wants to anyone.


Jamiya

 

I have to confess that my edit button with stupid people has never really been on in the first place and that I get even worse as I get older!!! One of my all time favorite defending the dog stories was when I was about 17, one of my best friends was a guy named Terry and his mom was alot older then most of our moms and she was a hoot! Like a Betty White character on Golden Girls, really innocent and sweet. Well, there was this horrible 10 year kid that lived in their neighborhood and he had a Lab that he liked to abuse. One morning he was out "walking" the dog in front of Terry's house and the dog was in front of him and he was kicking the dog in the butt as hard as could for every step the dog took! The dog was crying terribly and Terry's sweet mild mannered mom burst out the front door and yanked that leash out of that little monster's hand and yelled at the top of her lungs (edited of course!) "How would you like it if I kicked your a__ all around the block you little monster!" She then dragged the kid and the dog to his house and laid into his mom! 2 weeks later Mrs. Brown bacame the proud owner of a very grateful Lab named Buddy who lived with them until the day he died! I loved that women!

 

Good for her!! That kid needed a good a$$-kicking, but I bet he never got one.


Jamiya

 

How'd presenting the Bill to the owners go?

 

Sarge: what a memorable story that was. Good for that little lady.

 

hehe. Great story Sargesmom!!

my moms "outburst" was pretty funny aswell. She has a yellow lab (Charlie) who is the sweetest, boy. Anyways, the old neighbours had this awful daughter, probably 10. She would ride up and down the sidewalk between our houses with a stick that she would clang on the fence to get Charlie worked up. This dog is GREAT with kids, but what a B!$^% this girl was. God knows where her parents were.
Anyways, my mom finally caught her doing it one day and "lost" it. She pulled the little girl (I know, not the best way to handle it) by the shirt and yelled that next time she harassed the dog, she was gonna let him out after her.
Well, needless to say the little girl never bothered poor old Charlie again and they moved about a year ago!!