Family Dog Attacked

[hobie16]

I have to agree with other posters that it is a bad idea to wait to report it.

If you take the bill to them, and tell them that you want it paid or you will report them, they could actually use that as an excuse to not pay.

I.E.: They threatned us with legal action if we didn't pay THEIR vet bill. They tried to cohearse money from us! (That would look bad on your part in any sort of mediation/court situation)

I would say to make the reports to the different authorities, and ask your vet to call it in also!

Then let them OFFER to pay your vet expenses and associated rehabilition costs!

What he said!!

[EeyoresButterfly]

I have tried several times to encoruage them to report, but they seem bound and determined not to. I'm hoping that being home this weekend I can work on them. I talked to my father today, and I think he got a little fed up with me pushing it, so I'm going to back off for now.

[felinefan]

And the reason you're not reporting them yourself (besides the fact that you weren't there) is....? Seriously, I think you should if your folks won't. Like someone else pointed out, if you wait too long, you won't have a case. Like somebody once said, "If not now, when? If not I, who?"

[EeyoresButterfly]

This is a hard situation for myself and my family. If you must know, this is why I am not reporting it myself:
a.) I was not physically there as a witness
b.) I don't even know the family's name and address
c.) I only have a second hand report of what was told to me
d.) I have absolutely no evidence
e.) It's not my battle. It is my parents' decision.
f.) My father thinks they may have gotten rid of the dog.

I will do my best to encourage them, but I can't do anything more than that.

[GaTechGal]

On thing no one has mentioned in this, if you need another reason to encourage your parents to report these dogs, what if the next time it's a small CHILD instead of a small DOG. Too often we hear about little kids getting mauled. Some poor kid walks down the street and these dogs take out after it, or worse yet, what if a kid is PLAYING with the owner's kid and it bites them. You need to report. Not just for you puppy, but for everyone else.

[EeyoresButterfly]

I'm going to be honest- it's getting pretty frustrating to have everybody implying that we are somehow bad people for not reporting this. Maybe I am taking this too personaly, but this is not an easy thing for my family. I agree, but I cannot control my parents, I am not the one who has to live across the street from these people. There is also a good reason to not report it, which you will see in the following post.

[EeyoresButterfly]

I'm at my parents' now and got to see Schnitzel, the poor thing looks kind of like a clown. He had his drains out today, and now he has a soft blue collar to keep from tearing at his stitches, and a red mesh shirt thing that protects the stitches. He is shaved all around his back and chest, and on part of his paws. I'l attach a picture sometime tonight or tomorrow.

He does seem to be doing well. He is wagging his tail, has a spring to his step, honestly he looks better than he has in awhile (well, energy wise). And the best news....

Drum roll please...

We think the neighbors got rid of the dog! My parents haven't seen or heard it in three or four days now, which never happens. All I can say is good riddance!

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Eb I don't think that anyone that posted was implying that you did something wrong. Its just that many people believe, and I am one of them, that you simply can't let things like this slide. Sure, you havn't seen the dog for a while, so they are at a friends house for a week or so.

Since you or your parents havn't said or done anything outside of posting here, please don't be suprised if they bring the dog back.

I also see a pattern emerging on the neighbors. They had a dog bark at your father when he went by on the sidewalk, no formal complaint.

THEN

another dog at the same place attacks your dog. No formal complaint..

THEN

whats next? attacking a kid playing, riding a bike, skateboarding?

If that happens, and the authorties go around to get info about what will then be a criminal case, and you or your parents tell of the two prior incidents, it will then be nothing but hearsay, as there is no offical complaint on file and no record of prior problems, which in some cases, can put the investigation by the authorties into a whole different perspective.

Give them the "tools" to be able to handle the problem.

And no offense, but if you don't, you really shouldn't complain about it if something else happens to you, your dog, your parents, or anyone else.

Don't enable their bad behaviour.

[EeyoresButterfly]

I feel like a broken record: Yes, I agree with you BUT:

I cannot control my parents, they are adults to make their own decisions for good or for ill. They know how I feel, I have made it abundantly clear, there is nothing more I can do. I am not in a position to report it myself for the reasons outlined in a previous post. I would not be surprised if they really did get rid of the dog since they have gotten rid of their two previous dogs after they cornered somebody.

I'll confess to being disappointed. This has been hard on my family, and it is frustrating to me that I can't get my parents to take my advice and report it. I was hoping for a little moral support, but instead I feel jumped on. I get it, you all want me to report it and if the dog does come back and attack a child the blood will be on my hands and the hands of my family. Believe me, I have already thought about all of this. Again, I realize I am probably taking this too personally, but I honestly feel like it is my neighbors who caused the situation but I am the one being made to feel like a criminal just because I can't control the actions of my parents.

[joanna71985]

I don't know what else to say. But I just want to send *HUGS* to you and your family (and the doggy). I'm sure everything will work out.