Bite by three dogs...what to do?

[jimtigers65]

Everyday I take my boxer for a walk. On Saturday morning we were on our usual route when three dogs; a pit bull, 2 collies bust out of their fenced in gate towards us. My dog and I backed peddled into the middle of the street. With the pit bull in the lead, the three dogs reached us. My boxer immediately sat. The three dogs by passed her and started to attack me. I yelled, kicked and punched with no effect. In the process the pit bull knocked me down and continued bitting. While on the ground I saw a pickup truck parked nearby. I got up and picked up my dog and ran to the truck. I threw my boxer in the bed and jumped in. The dogs continued to try to jump in the bed until they heard their owner yell "Get back here" Once they heard the owner's voice they ran home.
I waited a couple minutes (to catch my breath), secured my dog in the truck and I went to the owners house. After knocking on the door he came out and was surprised that his dogs did this. He said he was sorry. He wrote his phone number on a piece of paper and I limped home (I didn't have my cell phone with me). My clothes were torn up. I went to Urgent Care and they cleaned out the 17 bites and gave me a tetanus shot. My total bill was $25 ($12 co-pay, $13 medicine/pain killers). I went home took some pain killers and slepted.
Today, Sunday, I went to the local Police Station. They said it was a Animal Control issue. I called the number and they will get hold of me tomorrow.
Where would Net 54 members take it from here? I figure my clothes (jeans, hoodie, shoes are torn, $25 in doctor fees, and $40 for sheets). I woke up with blood stains on my sheets. So I figure a couple hunderd dollars that I am out of. But what about scaring? What to do?

[vintagetoppsguy]

An animal control issue? I've never heard of that. Sounds like the police just didn't want to get involved.

Here in Houston, the pit bull would probably be euthanized. I don't know about the collies.

I would confront the dogs owner and politely ask him to pay for your medical bills and other costs. If he refuses, maybe small claims court?

[bouncer]

If it was one bite, I would try and work it out with the dog owners. However, you were bit 17 times and imo that deserves some compensation. Once the wounds start to heal, what type of scarring will you have? Will it be short term or lifelong scars? You may want to contact a lawyer just to protect to see what your options are.

[Econteachert205]

Take pictures now, call lawyer tomorrow.

[D.P.Johnson]

I love dogs more than I love most people, but I've got no use for any dog that would just randomly attack someone like that...If one of my dogs ever did something like that, I'd get rid of them immediately...What if the next time it was a old lady or small child that couldn't defend themselves??? "F" that...Can't say I'd personally sue the guy because that's really not in my nature, but if someone sued me because my dog did something like that I'd certainly understand it...Good luck...

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by D.P.Johnson

I love dogs more than I love most people, but I've got no use for any dog that would just randomly attack someone like that...If one of my dogs ever did something like that, I'd get rid of them immediately...What if the next time it was a old lady or small child that couldn't defend themselves??? "F" that...Can't say I'd personally sue the guy because that's really not in my nature, but if someone sued me because my dog did something like that I'd certainly understand it...Good luck...

+1 perfectly said.

[packs]

Tough situation. I'm not really for getting rid of dogs. Often their behavior is a reflection of their owner, just like children. There are lots of dogs in need of good homes, so I wouldn't advocate their being taken away and euthanized.

On the other hand it's not in my nature to sue somebody either. I think a fair compromise could be sought for bills and expenses and ask that they leash their dogs at all times, or else you'll be forced to call the police / animal control.

Lastly though, I think you should document the incident in some way via law enforcement or animal control agencies. That way if this happens again there is a precedent.

[EvilKing00]

Originally Posted by Econteachert205

Take pictures now, call lawyer tomorrow.

^^^^^do this now!

[BicycleSpokes]

Sorry to hear of this. For a couple hundred dollars, I would not get a lawyer involved. Not sure about the scarring, however. Document everything, and ask the owner in writing to cover your expenses. If he won't then consider taking him to small claims court.

My own opinion is that any dog (including my own, if it ever happened) capable of this should be put down. One incident of this magnitude is waaay too many.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[vintagetoppsguy]

I was watching the local news tonight and saw this story that reminded me of this thread...

http://abc13.com/news/girl-4-attacke...ground/520757/

I started to say this last night, but I bit my tongue. I'll say it now though. Pit bulls serve no purpose. IMO, they should all be euthanized.

[pgellis]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

I was watching the local news tonight and saw this story that reminded me of this thread...

http://abc13.com/news/girl-4-attacke...ground/520757/

I started to say this last night, but I bit my tongue. I'll say it now though. Pit bulls serve no purpose. IMO, they should all be euthanized.

That is the most ignorant post that I have seen on this board ever!

[jimtigers65]

I had my wife take pictures of me in the parking lot of the Urgent Care. Also, I saved the torn, blood stain clothes. Plus the clothes are covered with pit bull hair. This morning Animal Control called me. They said they are going to put the animals in quarantine for 10 days. If they have rabies they will put them down. If they don't they will return to the owner. Either way, they will let me know.

Today, I took my first shower and counted the bites. It totals 26, the med tech must have missed a couple. Yes, I'm afraid of scarring.

The way I was brought up suing was never in the discussion. So, I don't know if I want to go that route but again I don't want scars. Even though my wife says "Chicks dig scars".

I would like to money back for the clothes but I don't want to go to the owners house.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by pgellis

That is the most ignorant post that I have seen on this board ever!

Last year, there were 42 dog-bite related deaths in the US. 27 of those (64%) were by pit bulls. Going back over the last 10 years, that number decreases slightly to 62%. How does one breed account for so many deaths?

So speaking of ignorance, go ahead and tell us what good dogs pit bulls are and how wonderful they are with kids., blah, blah, blah. There is a reason that pit bulls are banned as pets from most apartment complexes. There is a reason most dog rescues/shelters euthanize pit bulls. There is a reason that the majority of law enforcement uses pit bulls over any other breed.

Or just save your ignorant rhetoric before you look more stupid!!!

Edited to add: Pit bulls make up only 6% of the dog population, but account for 68% of dog attacks.

[D.P.Johnson]

I believe that dog bites may be covered by homeowner's insurance. (The dog's owner, not yours.) Thus, if you don't feel comfortable talking with the guy about it, you may be able to file a claim with your insurance agent and let them try and collect from the guy. He's obviously going to know you've filed a complaint when they come and get his dogs, so he may want to talk with you about the situation anyway. Good luck brother...

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by jimtigers65

After knocking on the door he came out and was surprised that his dogs did this.

Yeah, they always are.

"Oh my dog would never do that"

[clydepepper]

I had a bitch attack me once...oh, wait, that wasn't a dog...sorry.

[BicycleSpokes]

Jim, I get what you are saying about suing. I would first at least communicate with the owner, by phone or letter or whatever you prefer (I would personally do it in writing, so that it and any response is documented), to see if he will do the right thing by you and cover your expenses - both the immediate clothes and medical, plus reasonable treatment to minimize scarring. Alternatively, and especially if he will not cooperate, Daniel's insurance idea seems like a sound option. This might also have the benefit of them raising his premiums considerably, or dropping him altogether, if he doesn't get rid of these dogs. (My parents once had to put down a much loved, but timid, St. Bernard for similar reasons in the 1970s, after it "merely" snapped at a child who was teasing it i.e. a far cry from what you endured).

Given that the owner made the conscious decision to go with pit bull, over all the 100s of other dog options out there, I am guessing that you may not be dealing with a full deck of cards here, but one never knows. (Yes, I am a dog lover who happily places myself into the "ignorant" category regarding this particular breed, both due to their well-documented aggressive tendencies, as well as for that God-awful song "Timber" he came out with last year.)

[barrysloate]

Jim- I think you have an obligation to do something, because as pointed out, the next person attacked by the dogs may not be as lucky as you. This is potentially a very serious situation.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

Last year, there were 42 dog-bite related deaths in the US. 27 of those (64%) were by pit bulls. Going back over the last 10 years, that number decreases slightly to 62%. How does one breed account for so many deaths?

So speaking of ignorance, go ahead and tell us what good dogs pit bulls are and how wonderful they are with kids., blah, blah, blah. There is a reason that pit bulls are banned as pets from most apartment complexes. There is a reason most dog rescues/shelters euthanize pit bulls. There is a reason that the majority of law enforcement uses pit bulls over any other breed.

Or just save your ignorant rhetoric before you look more stupid!!!

Edited to add: Pit bulls make up only 6% of the dog population, but account for 68% of dog attacks.

Phil was wrong this post is much stupider than the one he quoted because this one also has some made up statistics.

My personal opinion is that it is 100% the dog owners fault and not the dogs no matter what breed it is. Pit Bulls get the bad name because they can be an aggressive breed when owned by people who should not own them.

We have a 2yo American Staffordshire Terrier(supposed to be the worst breed of pit bull). We adopted him a little over a year ago from the same shelter we got our last 2 dogs a St. Bernard and a Rottweiler.

Here is a picture of my Pit Bull from thanksgiving. The Wife and I love him dearly but if he was to ever bite anybody even once he would be dead before the sun set.

[pgellis]

Ben, you are correct.

David took some statistics that he Googled to try and make his point. Pit Bulls are the most mis-identified breed out there. The term "Pit Bull" is actually a catch-all phrase for many "Bully Breeds" including American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Bulldog and many mixes of these breeds with other breeds.

I'm sure the stats that David took lumped many mixed breed dogs into his 64% of attacks by Pit Bulls, but when he said that Pit Bulls only make up 6% of all breeds, I'm sure that number relates to American Pit Bull terriers that only make up a small percentage of all the dogs that are termed a "pit bull".
Law enforcement and the media continue to mis-identify the true breed of most dogs involved in attacks.

My pit-mix came from a high-kill shelter in Georgia where every dog in that shelter was labeled a "Pit Bull" on their information sheet. It was just easier for the over-worked employees to label every mixed breed dog a pit bull.

I said that David's response was ignorant because it's obvious that he doesn't have any experience at all with "Pit Bulls". Educated yourself before you make such a blanket statement. I have owned my dog for almost three years and I also volunteer on weekends at a shelter dedicated to finding homes for pit bulls. I would include myself in the "ignorant" category too before my experience with these wonderful dogs. But I have learned so much about these dogs.

So according to Dave, he would want me and Ben to euthanize our pets because "they should all be euthanized"......how ignorant.

[packs]

Wow these pitbull posts blow my mind. Are either of you guys aware that pitbulls make up the majority of dogs available for adoption at shelters? So it could be that this person rescued the pitbull and adopted a dog someone had thrown away or abused. If saving a poor dog's life means you have "less than a full deck of cards" then so be it. Have you ever owned or known a pitbull? What was your experience? I have many friends who have adopted pits and they're all sweethearts, a direct reflection of their owners.

Also any dog is dangerous in theory. Your POV that pitbulls are some ubiquitous bad guy dog is misguided. Those collies bit someone too, remember?

[BicycleSpokes]

I do not know the accuracy of the statistics quoted by David above. But even the pro pit bull articles I have read will generally acknowledge a disproportionate attack rate for these breeds. While this is usually CORRELATED to poor ownership, it is enough information for me personally to choose not to own one.

For the record, I do not place myself in the "euthanize all pit bulls" camp, and am sure most, including yours pictured above, are very nice. But the specific case being discussed here involves a clearly dangerous group of dogs, the most aggressive described as being the pit bull. Why argue that this neither reflects on the dog nor the specific owner who has seemingly raised it?

[packs]

I think the attack rate is really only a reflection of the fact that pits are most often trained to attack either other dogs or humans by their owners. I would imagine that the attack rates for German Shepherds and Dobermans are equally high amongst all dog breeds for the same reasons.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by pgellis

My pit-mix came from a high-kill shelter in Georgia where every dog in that shelter was labeled a "Pit Bull" on their information sheet. It was just easier for the over-worked employees to label every mixed breed dog a pit bull.

I said that David's response was ignorant because it's obvious that he doesn't have any experience at all with "Pit Bulls". Educated yourself before you make such a blanket statement. I have owned my dog for almost three years and I also volunteer on weekends at a shelter dedicated to finding homes for pit bulls. I would include myself in the "ignorant" category too before my experience with these wonderful dogs. But I have learned so much about these dogs.

So according to Dave, he would want me and Ben to euthanize our pets because "they should all be euthanized"......how ignorant.

Same story here. My wife and I volunteer at a no kill shelter, and a majority of the dogs they pick up are pit mixes of some sort, because those are the ones that get abandoned the most. We also foster dogs to help them find homes, since some get more stressed in a shelter environment then others.

We have 4 in our house right now. 2 ours and 2 from the shelter. Pitties being a very broad stroke breed, they are all different from each other, in both appearance and temperament.

Some pits can be a challenge to work with and other are an absolute breeze. They can be as vastly different from one another as people.

I'd like to think we're not nutcases, but that's for other people to figure out on their own.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Phil was wrong this post is much stupider than the one he quoted because this one also has some made up statistics.

Well, Einstein, enilghten us then. What are the REAL statistics?

Originally Posted by pgellis

David took some statistics that he Googled to try and make his point.

Are you disputing the accuracy of the statistics?

[pgellis]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

Well, Einstein, enilghten us then. What are the REAL statistics?




Are you disputing the accuracy of the statistics?

Did you read what I stated? Yes, I am disputing the accuracy of your stats. I stated that law enforcement and the media have inaccurately labeled dogs involved in attacks as "pit bulls", so your numbers are off. Did law enforcement or the media do a proper DNA test on these dogs? No they didn't.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Yes, I did read your post. It sounded like this...

Originally Posted by pgellis

blah, blah, blah...

Sure, your dog is different. It would never attack. It's a loving family pet that is good with kids, right?

Save it. I hear the same old story every time a pit bull attacks.

The statistics I quoted are facts from non-biased sites that have no agenda. You clearly have an agenda since you are a pit bull owner.

Why do dog fighters (ummm...Michael Vick, Edward Faron) choose pit bulls? Why not dachsaunds? Why not poodles? Why? Because pit bulls are the most vicious breed of dog there is.

[packs]

And did you read what I posted? Your stats are artificially inflated even if accurate. Pit bulls are trained to fight other dogs and humans by their owners at a disproportionate rate compared to other breeds. The key phrase here is trained to fight by their owners. They choose pit bulls because they are plentiful and cheap. How much does your average dachshund run?

What you're saying is no different than me saying that boxers get into more fights than your average person, therefore boxers are inherently more violent and prone to fights. That would be a misleading statement for a number of reasons, the most obvious being that boxers train to fight whereas average people do not.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by packs

Pit bulls are trained to fight other dogs and humans by their owners at a disproportionate rate compared to other breeds. They choose pit bulls because they are plentiful and cheap. How much does your average dachshund run?

They are not chose because they are cheap. That's stupid!

They are chosen because of their aggressive nature.

If you were a dog fighter, do you want the cheap dog or the aggressive dog?



Edited to add: Since you were too lazy to actually do any research, I did it for you. Here is a link to an article about Eddie Faron "The Godfather of Dog Fighting"

http://blog.dogsbite.org/2008/12/ed-...-has-been.html

At the time of his arrest, authorities siezed 127 pit bulls. He claims to have sold the dogs for $500 each, but authorities believe he sold them for $1200-$7500 each. Kind of blows a hole in your 'cheap dogs' theory doesn't it? Anything else ridiculous you want to say?

[packs]

No offense but dachshunds, poodles, and the like are all show dogs. You can fight any dog you want I guess if that's your thing. But if economics is your motivator, why would you buy expensive dogs to have one murder the other?

I don't think what I said is stupid at all. It's practical. You are also avoiding essential facts like that pit bulls are trained for fights by their owners, something you haven't responded to at all. How do you feel about the collies involved?

[pgellis]

Yeah my agenda is to try to educate people about pit bulls and that is the agenda of pro-pitbull websites.

I guess you don't have an agenda do you?

So answer the question Dave.....should Ben, Dave and myself euthanize our pets so you feel better?

[packs]

I agree. I'm trying to do the same. I love pits and I love all dogs equally. I firmly believe all any dog wants is to be your buddy. It is 100 percent always humans who taint a dog and turn what should be a friend into an aggressive monster.

[BicycleSpokes]

Honest question: If they make such great pets, why are pit mixes abandoned at such a rate that they are literally the majority of abandoned dogs found in the shelters? (I was not aware of this.)

(Also, Jim, hope you are recovering well!)

[pgellis]

Originally Posted by BicycleSpokes

Honest question: If they make such great pets, why are pit mixes abandoned at such a rate that they are literally the majority of abandoned dogs found in the shelters?

(Also, Jim, hope you are recovering well!)

Read this for many answers to your question:

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/...rs-4986436.php

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by packs

No offense but dachshunds, poodles, and the like are all show dogs. You can fight any dog you want I guess if that's your thing. But if economics is your motivator, why would you buy expensive dogs to have one murder the other?

I don't think what I said is stupid at all. It's practical. You are also avoiding essential facts like that pit bulls are trained for fights by their owners, something you haven't responded to at all. How do you feel about the collies involved?

I edited my previous post to include financial data about the cost of pit bulls that are trained to fight. Why would you buy expensive dogs to fight? Because there is a lot of money involved with dog-fighting.

So you're saying all pit bull attacks are the result of their owners training the dogs to fight. Ummm, ok.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by BicycleSpokes

Honest question: If they make such great pets, why are pit mixes abandoned at such a rate that they are literally the majority of abandoned dogs found in the shelters?

(Also, Jim, hope you are recovering well!)

Part of the answer to that is in the story that Phil linked. Many are abandoned because of the owners living in apartments where the managment doesn't allow pit bulls.

Ok, then the next question should be "Why wouldn't an apartment complez allow pit bulls?" Simple, because many families and children live in apartment complexes and pit bulls are naturally aggressive. The apartment complex does not want to be sued in the event of an attack.

Another reason that many end up in shelters is because the owners get them and then realize how aggressive they are and just don't want them anymore.

Whatever the reason, it all leads back to the same point. Pit bulls are aggressive.

[pgellis]

David, don't you want to answer my question?

Would you want Ben, Dave & Myself to euthanize our pets?

[packs]

Never mind. You clearly don't like pit bulls and no one is going to change your mind. I can accept that but wish you wouldn't wish death upon random dogs without taking to task anything the owner did to that dog.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by packs

You clearly don't like pit bulls and no one is going to change your mind.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you can change my mind. Let's do this. I'll meet you at PetSmart, you bring your dog and I'll bring mine and the two can play together while you're educating me on how wonderful pit bulls are. Oh, wait a minute. Nevermind, pit bulls are NOT ALLOWED at PetSmart (among many other places). I wonder why that is???

[pgellis]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you can change my mind. Let's do this. I'll meet you at PetSmart, you bring your dog and I'll bring mine and the two can play together while you're educating me on how wonderful pit bulls are. Oh, wait a minute. Nevermind, pit bulls are NOT ALLOWED at PetSmart (among many other places). I wonder why that is???

Not true. I have brought my dog to PetSmart.

Here you go with your ignorance again and picking and choosing what to respond to.

[packs]

Right. I'll ask one more time just for fun: have you ever had any experience at all with a pit bull personally? As in: have you ever owned a pit bull or spent a significant amount of time with one?

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by pgellis

David, don't you want to answer my question?

Would you want Ben, Dave & Myself to euthanize our pets?

I already answered your question. Let me be crystal clear. I think ALL pit bulls should be euthanized so things like this are not allowed to happen...




The results of a pit bull attack.

Or things like this...

http://blog.dogsbite.org/2009/11/col...lp-attack.html

[pgellis]

You can only try to educate an ignorant person for so long. David is not going to change his mind. He's read everything he has needed to form his prejudice opinion.

All of your personal experience with pitbulls is impressive.

And you would have me euthanize my dog because someone was attacked by a "pit bull" in California? That makes a heck of a lot of sense.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you can change my mind. Let's do this. I'll meet you at PetSmart, you bring your dog and I'll bring mine and the two can play together while you're educating me on how wonderful pit bulls are. Oh, wait a minute. Nevermind, pit bulls are NOT ALLOWED at PetSmart (among many other places). I wonder why that is???

We bring pitties into Pet Stores all the time, without anybody ever saying a word to us.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

We bring pitties into Pet Stores all the time, without anybody ever saying a word to us.

They are allowed (on a leash) into the grooming and training areas, but they are not allowed to mingle with other dogs.

If your PetSmart allows you to do that, then they are simply turning a blind eye.

The "Bully Breed" policy is posted on their corporate website.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by pgellis

You can only try to educate an ignorant person for so long. David is not going to change his mind. He's read everything he has needed to form his prejudice opinion.

All of your personal experience with pitbulls is impressive.

And you would have me euthanize my dog because someone was attacked by a "pit bull" in California? That makes a heck of a lot of sense.

No, Phil, I'm not going to change my mind. I've seen too many stories, video footage and pictures of the aftermath of a pit bull attack. It bothers me even more when it's a child.

What does California have to do with anything? Are pit bull attacks isolated to only California?

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

Part of the answer to that is in the story that Phil linked. Many are abandoned because of the owners living in apartments where the managment doesn't allow pit bulls.

Ok, then the next question should be "Why wouldn't an apartment complez allow pit bulls?" Simple, because many families and children live in apartment complexes and pit bulls are naturally aggressive. The apartment complex does not want to be sued in the event of an attack.

Another reason that many end up in shelters is because the owners get them and then realize how aggressive they are and just don't want them anymore.

Whatever the reason, it all leads back to the same point. Pit bulls are aggressive.

Pits are also an incredibly abused breed, yes most of them are dirt cheap and they tend to have huge litters. As bad as it is to say, they are the dog of choice in low rent and uneducated areas. I've lost count of how many female pits we've had in the shelter, who are just tossed out on the street after having a large litter of pups.

They are a working breed, even if they are not classified as such, and they need to be exercised regularly, just like any other working breed of dogs. People who keep them cooped up in small apartments, in tiny kennels and in backyards with thick chains attached to their necks should not own pit bulls. They can go crazy, just like people can.

If we don't have the time or energy to walk our dogs ourselves (and in reality most people don't for what most dogs really need), we throw them on a treadmill to get the proper amount of exercise.

I'm not going to pretend otherwise, Pits are the preferred dog of dogfighters, because they have powerful jaws, they can clamp down on their prey (they don't have lockjaw), and they have a super high tolerance for pain.

They are also extremely forgiving of their owners/masters. Meaning, these scumbags who fight dogs, can beat the ever loving snot out of them in training, and that pit will live for the one day a week that owner gives them positive attention, without ever turning on their master.

[pgellis]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

No, Phil, I'm not going to change my mind. I've seen too many stories, video footage and pictures of the aftermath of a pit bull attack. It bothers me even more when it's a child.

What does California have to do with anything? Are pit bull attacks isolated to only California?

This entire discussion evolved from the OP's unfortunate incident that took place in California. You made your ignorant opinion public by saying that you think all pit bulls should be euthanized.

So, I merely asked that "Should I have to euthanize my pet due to the circumstances of the OP that occurred in California"?

[packs]

It is just frustrating that someone who apparently has no experience at all with a pit bull would be so dismissive when people who have experience with pit bulls share their point of view.

[Econteachert205]

I'm more of a cat person myself. But cats or dogs, it is the human owner who should be sued for allowing their violent dogs to attack in such a way.

Ps. Pit bulls or whatever bull brand you want to label it scare the crap out me. So do german shepherds, dobermans, Rottweilers and over active labs. All could bite. Most do not.