My dog was attacked yesterday :(

[XtremeModder]

Yesterday my neighbour who takes my dog for a walk everyday (as do I) was walking her. Another woman was walking 2 of her golden retrievers also leashed, one of them got loose from her drip and ran over to my dog, picked her up and violently shook her until my dog got out of her collar and ran away from the other. To give an idea of the size of my dog she's a schnoodle (poodle/schnauzer mix) vs a golden retriever (much larger)

This woman was and still is devastated and heart broken that this happened, and she adopted this retriever about 4 months ago. She doesn't know if it has a past of doing this, but the dog did this that quickly I'm almost certain it did.

My dog while in alot of pain is at the toronto veterinary hospital and the other woman is taking care of the bill (most likely around $4000).

I went to see her (my dog, who is 12) last night at 9pm and she was really drugged up and slow but still happy to see me. I feel horrible for my dog and the woman cause she couldn't keep her grip on her dogs leash.

I understand these things happen, but when adopting an animal, does disclosure not have to be given if it has a past of attacking another animal(s)? In the end they think my dog will be ok, she should be ok and I hope she will be.


Has anyone had this happen to them? I don't want to force the woman to put her dog down cause if this was the other way around I wouldn't want someone to force that on me, it would be a choice, of it is a second offence then that's a different story altogether.


Added: Am I mad at the owner? Not really no, although I've never seen her walking the 2 dogs (her last one died and she got this one apparently) my neighbour and mother see her all the time and knows that she's a really nice person. Obviously this is one of those freak incidents that, although could have been prevented, thankfully didn't end in my dog being dead. (I'm guessing if my dog didn't get out of her collar and ran off then she would have been dead). (However if I was there that retriever would have gotten a few boots in the face with the steel toes)

[oranr]

I'm sorry that this happened to your dog. I wish her a speedy and healthy recovery!!

As for what should happen to the GR that attacked your dog, it's a tough call. If it happened like you said without provocation then unfortunately the GR should be held and possible put down after an evaluation to determine the nature and aggression of the dog.

If it did kill your dog, then it would be simple decision and the GR would be put down. As you said that if your dog didn't escape then it would have probably been killed. Just because your dog escaped shouldn't matter...it was an unprovoked attack and the GR needs to be evaluated.

[jaxx lite]

*****

It's the woman's fault.
She decided to walk 2 big dogs at the same time.

Maybe she's rich and can afford to pay $4000 vet bill.

[FrogPrince]

I don't get people like this, what the blank do you need two huge dogs for especially when you don't have the strength to control them.

I once got into a verbal confrontation with a woman who could barely control her two huge dogs that were trying to get at my mini schnauzer.

Let her pay the $4000.

[thrifthunter]

*****

**** the 4k. It's only money!
Unless the dogs prognosis is grim(which it isn't in this case), there is no such thing as being to expensive to treat.

[XtremeModder]

*****

My dad said the same thing.

How can you honestly say that though, if my dog was suffering alot more then I'd make the decision myself but were getting her back on Friday afternoon, going to see her tonight apparently she can move/walk around a bit now..

As for the other woman's dog I agree on the evaluation and all that. She said she can't really afford the 4k but tough lesson learned (she isn't hesitating to pay it though which is good)

[zonetbh]

Take them to the cleaners. I don't care if she just adopted the dog yesterday, its her responsibility. It makes me sick when people can't control their dogs, and their dogs go on a rampage...and then somehow people sympathise with them? BS...your dog got attacked by another dog that got off its leash. Owners responsibility. I wouldn't feel even a little bad.

[joeyjoejoe]

This woman was and still is devastated and heart broken that this happened, and she adopted this retriever about 4 months ago. She doesn't know if it has a past of doing this, but the dog did this that quickly I'm almost certain it did.


I'm guessing golden retriever is not a puppy... Unfortunately, there are no regulations in adoption. Some of the more reputable shelters will evaluate and categorize animals depending on behaviour and only allow experienced and expert pet owners to adopt difficult pets... others don't do this. Even worse if they adopted via Kijiji/Craigslist/etc, they probably were completely lied to. Medical/behavioral problems would be completely hidden to buyers.

The owner is still liable, but it's not right that people can dump their problem pets on to other people.

[jaxx lite]

It's possible that the dog will attack another dog, etc.


http://www.toronto.ca/animal_services/faq.htm

Where do I call to report a dog running at large, a public safety concern involving an animal, a dead animal, etc?
Complaints for bylaw infractions (e.g., dog running at large, dog off leash, failure to stoop & scoop, etc.) may be reported during normal business hours by calling 416-338-PAWS (7297).

Dog bites
What should I do if I have been bitten by a dog?
Immediately seek medical attention if required.

Report the dog bite to Toronto Animal Services during our normal business hours

(Monday to Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.).

If you have an immediate public safety concern (e.g., dog is at large) an operator is available 24 hours per day at 416-338-PAWS (7297).


What do I do if a dog has bitten my pet (dog or cat)?
Report the dog bite to Toronto Animal Services during our normal business hours by calling 416-338-PAWS (7297).

=

[Ballroomblitz]

Things happen in life get your dog healed move on, everything else is just a big giant waste of everyone's time. If she didn't pay up for medical bills then it would be a big issue, you would have to make a decision to pay out of pocket or if you didn't have the money put the dog down. If that was the route then small claims court is about what you would get, and wouldn't be any further ahead. I also doubt very highly her dog would be put down, first offence with no prior I figure most is perhaps a muzzle. Small claims you wouldn't come out with more than you are getting with the medical covered.

So get the little guy healed and move on, I do hope your pet recovers & gets well soon.

[rockthecasbah]

What injuries does your dog have? I imagine being violently shaken could lead to broken bones, wounds, etc?

I feel bad for both dogs in this scenario. I'm all for adopting dogs from shelters or rescues and giving them a second chance. At the same time, it's terrible when they have an aggression problem like this that is hidden beneath the surface. I myself adopted a dog who was previously abused and went to a rescue, and I have no idea if she is capable of becoming aggressive like that (though she is a tiny 5 lb dog so it's not the same as a 100 lb dog suddenly going psycho) so I can put myself in that woman's shoes as well.

Also, with myself also having a small dog, I also worry about other dogs attacking her so I can put myself in your shoes too.


Well I hope your dog has a speedy recovery and back to her normal self.

[shaolinmonk]

sad... she has to be held responsible even if she is a nice lady..owners have to control their dogs..

last year i was walking my dog.. he's tiny 15-20 lbs after work and i see a old dude walking his golden retriver in the snow.. dog is literally dragging the man around.. i walk the other way and a few mins later i feel like something is coming at me.. old guy lost his dog and it's coming for mine.. i swung my dog into my arms and yelled "no" to the golden retriver and luckily the dog calmed down, sat and wagged his tail... my dog started yapping at him it from my arms lol

i look back and if that dog was aggressive he would have bowled me over taking a chomp outta me and my dog.

[Steevie977]

My dog (a west highland white terrier) attacked a chicken once. So the farmer who's chicken got attacked ran out of the farm with an iron rod and struck my dog 2 times. She wasn't that badly hurt but luckily neither was the chicken so... no harm no foul. Sometimes the dogs act instinctively however a tough lesson is the best lesson since Nicky never attacked anything ever again after that incident. Granted, she never attacked anything before that either... the thing is owning a dog is a big responsibility and since we have higher intelect we are held responsible for their actions even though it's not necessairly our fault.

[XtremeModder]

My dog is home today. She's a little slow but she's happy :)

[EmperorOfCanada]

My dog is home today. She's a little slow but she's happy :)

Very happy for you :) Make sure you spoil her a little at least until she is better :)

[Psubs]

My dog (a west highland white terrier) attacked a chicken once. So the farmer who's chicken got attacked ran out of the farm with an iron rod and struck my dog 2 times. She wasn't that badly hurt but luckily neither was the chicken so... no harm no fowl. Sometimes the dogs act instinctively however a tough lesson is the best lesson since Nicky never attacked anything ever again after that incident. Granted, she never attacked anything before that either... the thing is owning a dog is a big responsibility and since we have higher intelect we are held responsible for their actions even though it's not necessairly our fault.

Fixed :D

[peanut4fido]

Get a very detailed list from the Vet regarding what they are doing. The $4,000 is astronomically higher than this should cost you. We had a similar situation happen where our dog was near death. She had been bitten over 40 times and had too many puncture wounds to count. She required a 3 or 4 day stay in the hospital in an incubator and the cost including all the tests wasn't nearly that high and our situation as the Vet put it was one of the worst she had seen.

For an attack it shouldn't be that expensive though. Even if it was severe.

As for putting your dog down, never let money sway you when it comes to an Animal. Literally ask yourself if the dog will be in too much pain after she gets better. That's the important question. It's not that fair to end an animals life just because she got attacked.

As for the other dog. I would find out if the dog has a previous history of agressions towards humans or other animals. There are places that will take animals like that, rehab them and then put them into a home where they wont ever do it again. I think people often jump to the "put the dog down" way too fast.

[XtremeModder]

Get a very detailed list from the Vet regarding what they are doing. The $4,000 is astronomically higher than this should cost you. We had a similar situation happen where our dog was near death. She had been bitten over 40 times and had too many puncture wounds to count. She required a 3 or 4 day stay in the hospital in an incubator and the cost including all the tests wasn't nearly that high and our situation as the Vet put it was one of the worst she had seen.

For an attack it shouldn't be that expensive though. Even if it was severe.

As for putting your dog down, never let money sway you when it comes to an Animal. Literally ask yourself if the dog will be in too much pain after she gets better. That's the important question. It's not that fair to end an animals life just because she got attacked.

As for the other dog. I would find out if the dog has a previous history of agressions towards humans or other animals. There are places that will take animals like that, rehab them and then put them into a home where they wont ever do it again. I think people often jump to the "put the dog down" way too fast.

The final bill was $2900.

That $4000 was just an estimate.

I agree with what you say about people saying out the dog down way too fast. Like I said earlier, I would never want to force that on someone just like i wouldn't want it forced on me.

As for the $. My gf's dads cat had some kind of problem that was gonna cost him $2000 to fix and he had no choice but to put him down due to the $ situation he was in. Mind you that operation had a 50/50 chance of working or not. No one wants to put one of their pets down but sometimes you have to do it if it means saving the animal from excruciating pain all the time right?


Btw, my dog has been sleeping all day and ate a little bit, shes probably out of it from all the meds and being in a place she doesn't know, but she was barking at other dogs outside earlier like she always does (not in a bad way, just what they all do) so I'm sure she'll be fine.

[teleguitar]

Get a very detailed list from the Vet regarding what they are doing. The $4,000 is astronomically higher than this should cost you. We had a similar situation happen where our dog was near death. She had been bitten over 40 times and had too many puncture wounds to count. She required a 3 or 4 day stay in the hospital in an incubator and the cost including all the tests wasn't nearly that high and our situation as the Vet put it was one of the worst she had seen.

For an attack it shouldn't be that expensive though. Even if it was severe.

As for putting your dog down, never let money sway you when it comes to an Animal. Literally ask yourself if the dog will be in too much pain after she gets better. That's the important question. It's not that fair to end an animals life just because she got attacked.

As for the other dog. I would find out if the dog has a previous history of agressions towards humans or other animals. There are places that will take animals like that, rehab them and then put them into a home where they wont ever do it again. I think people often jump to the "put the dog down" way too fast.How come dog owners don't pressure the Government to do something about this? The BS media claims that we perceive our dogs as family members but when they're attacked they don't do anything about it.... looking at whether the attacking dog should be put down or not or muzzled is not doing anything. It's the owner who is at fault. In many cases, it was not on a leash and has an aggression problem because the owner is an idiot and almost certainly encouraged or influenced the dog's behavior. Maybe the owner even beats the dog, who knows.

But, how come an innocent dog that gets attacked must suffer the consequences of an idiotic owner who faces NO consequences?!? The only time the owner has anything happen to him/her is if the attacking dog attacks a person. It's the only time Government acts. Dog owners should figure out a way to collaborate or bond together and pressure Government to act. The other problem is if the owner of the attacking dog is not known to the victim's owner. If the owner of the dog that was attacked is not familiar with the dog or the owner, what then?

I think it's best to arm yourself with something in anticipation of some idiot who has a dog that is aggressive and who doesn't care about it. Always assume you are encountering jerks (putting it mildly). It's all you can do to protect your dog and to deal with a society who doesn't care about it either.

[yiddishkeit]

My dog is home today. She's a little slow but she's happy :)

yay! :) glad your dog is feeling better :)

[Steevie977]

Fixed :D

Hehe that's pretty punny! xD

[CouponKindaGuy]

All around gr would need to be evaluated with honest answers from new owner. its not the dogs fault.
If this dog was that violent she should have seen signs of aggression towards other dogs. She was irresponsible taking two big dogs at the same time with a new dog who must likely showed signs of aggression towards other dogs.
When I had my two dobes, it took quite a bit of training before I could graduate to walking both with confidence that they were discipline to react to different situations because of pact mentality. I once had a ****** dog come at one of them full tilt, and immediately commanded both dogs to sit, the male sat promptly but the female who was in immediate danger heeled to my side. I had a friend who said I should have dropped both leashes and let them go but that would have allowed aggression in both dogs which I am totally against instilling aggression in dogs.. I have a dog because he is my best friend and If i the master is ever feeling fear most dogs will protect their master. No matter if the dog is a small breed or large breed.

I can almost bet you, that dog was aggressive towards other dogs and the owner knew it and showed fear upon seeing your dog because of having to control both dogs. I don't know your dog either maybe he barked at the dogs and the gr took this as danger and reacted like he did.
Either way the owner was irresponsible not knowing the signs. If she was that dippy, its a costly lesson for her now because us humans learn lessons quick when it involves the pocketbook or bank account.
Really sorry about your dog...hope he does well and give him a treat for all the replies to your thread.

[AMXZaku]

Is she liable to pay the $4000 vet bill?

[JessicaBAustin]

poor baby:(