Dog bite

Wow, that didn't go well.
I don't think she wanted advice, just to vent about the situation but didn't realize that she was going to get an earful on taking responsibility for animal behavior.  She isn't listening, and I really do believe she is gonna get herself sued because she thinks you have to have a good reason to enter someone's private property and if your reason isn't valid, then you deserve to get bit?  What if it had been some lost kid instead of that man? Doesn't matter if anything is posted or not, with a known history of biting she and her homeowner's policy are at risk even if the dog is not on it.  She really needs to consult a lawyer but I don't think she is going to do the right thing about it.  That's a bummer.  While one poster was a little 'rude', it was honest and heartfelt and yeah, pretty blunt.  Who knows, maybe that poster out of all of us will sink in and this gal will re-think things down the road.  Rude? Yeah, but she really needs to hear some hard words before someone is seriously hurt.  It's better to not have hard feelings, but sometimes that's all that works.  I really hope she comes back and sticks it out with all of us.  Well that's my two cents a few times over, love to all!   Jules

I to live in the country too so country that farmers ride their garden equipment on the main roads. Even have cattle crossing signs. But that still doesn't make it right for leaving a pet run loose in the yard (if not fenced) that is known to be a biter. I have no trespassing signs up and beware of dog signs. Their are people that pull up my driveway all the time from the ups, fedex, and mailman. And the last time I looked this was a pet forum not a legal forum.

luv4gsds, the whole point was that this person came here either to vent about her legal problems or to ask for advice and I'm not sure which from the tone of the first post.
 
I don't know what State the OP is in so I don't know what the laws are there regarding posting your property.
 
I agree that it's not OK to let any dog run loose unfenced that is a KNOWN biter, but I take that a bit further and don't let any of mine run loose.  ANY dog can bite and any dog can tangle with wildlife.

I wasn't meaning to be rude with my post, just honest.  I sincerely feel sorry for this womans dogs, or any dog she might own in the future.  When you keep dogs, sh*% is going to happen, but you learn from that and become a better dog owner for it.  That's what makes living with dogs such a rewarding experience.

She says this dog has bitten in the past and in another thread, she talked about TWO of her dogs being runover within seven months of each other.  If these things happen once it's a horrible tragedy, but if it happens repeatedly, you've got someone who doesn't deserve the companionship of a dog.  

Trevell, I don't disagree with what you had to say...not in the least.  But you might have said it a little more nicely is all.

If you'll re-read my original post, you'll notice I did say please.[]

I don't have the energy to argue today.....but saying please didn't change the tone of the post.  Again, I didn't disagree with ANYTHING that you said.....just the way you said it.
 
That said, this thread probably needs to go off into the archives and be forgotten.....

geez, I'm not arguing with you.  I thought the little wink at the end of my post would let you know I was kidding around with you...   

See, that's what happens when I'm tired, stressed and overworked! []

i believe you should have had the shots done.

iv'e been nipped by dogs and scratched and bitten by cats many times....it's easy to deal with, buy some anasthetic (sp?) and cover it with a bandaid, i don't want to advocate dogs biting in any way but i do think some people just overreact a little.

it also depends on where the guy was when he was bitten?

was he on your property? if that's the case then it's easy, he needs to keep off. 

it is the owners responsibility to look after their dogs but some people imo just worry a little too much.

sorry if i have it wrong lol, it just seemed trival in the post....if a dog actually drew blood...well, that's a different story, personally i still wouldn't sue though, i'd try to educate the person on training their dog.....it will cause less hasstle and help the dog out too because it is never the dogs fault, they only act in accordance to how they were raised.

*just reread the post and must have missed the rabies thing....i have never heard of rabies vaccinations in Australia?? is it just some country's? thanks


felicity

In the US rabies MUST be administered, either every year or up to every three years depending on the State law.
 
In the US, trespassing doesn't excuse a biting dog.  I sometimes think that it should but this man wasn't trying to break into her house, he was standing in her driveway.  The dog, with a known bite history, was allowed to be loose.  It shouldn't matter if this was someone who grew up in the house, a lost child, or someone stopping to ask for directions, dogs shouldn't be running around loose, even in the country period, and most especially if they have a known bite history.
 
The man says he had medical expenses and missed work because of the bite.  It doesn't HAVE to break the skin to cause muscle damage.  My son got between two of my younger gsds when they were "posturing" and took a bite to the leg.  No blood, no broken skin, but by golly his leg was horrendously bruised and painful, he had trouble walking on it for a couple days and almost a year later, it still bothers him from time to time.  So the guy may have a valid claim or he might just be trying to make a fast buck.  The OP's attitude towards him is NOT going to keep her out of court.
 
 
 

Thankyou for explaining this better for me,
 
i had no idea about the rabies thing, probably because we don't have it in Australia.
 
also, if the dog has a biting history then something should be done by the owner, she should have taken it to tarining or something...
 
thanks again
 
felicity

Sadly this does not seem to be one of our more responsible owners.  Her son has gotten two puppies in a period of 7 months and both have met their maker under the wheels of cars.  Plus, she made the comment that she was going to have the biter put down in the fall, because she certainly couldn't survive another winter......HELL would freeze over before I put down one of my dogs that had nothing wrong with it other than age......the dog isn't sick, just older.  I'm thinking all this gals dogs live outside ALL the time and are free to roam where ever and whenever they choose because she is in the country.

I too am in the country and my dogs have a nice fenced yard.  It's the dog yard, period.
 
By the way, welcome or welcome back to idog.

ORIGINAL: glenmar

Sadly this does not seem to be one of our more responsible owners.  Her son has gotten two puppies in a period of 7 months and both have met their maker under the wheels of cars.  Plus, she made the comment that she was going to have the biter put down in the fall, because she certainly couldn't survive another winter......HELL would freeze over before I put down one of my dogs that had nothing wrong with it other than age......the dog isn't sick, just older.  I'm thinking all this gals dogs live outside ALL the time and are free to roam where ever and whenever they choose because she is in the country.

I too am in the country and my dogs have a nice fenced yard.  It's the dog yard, period.

By the way, welcome or welcome back to idog.

 
after a bit of a read over the other responses i realise she wasn't that responsible, i think i should have read more reply's before replying myself.
 
i'm the same, i would never have nass put to sleep....unless she was in extreme pain and it was unfixable....even then it would break my heart.
 
she does seem to lack responsibility when it comes to dogs...especially with the puppy incident aswell.
 
i used to live in the country and was actually even more cautious of nass getting out...too many people around who don't like dogs...people who own guns.
 
 
felicity
 
 

Not to perpetuate this, but.... OP says she's in Minnesota:

IN MN ITS EXPENSIVE TO PUT YOUR DOG ON THE HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE

[blockquote]Minn. Stat. Ann. sec. 347.22: Damages, owner liable. 
If a dog, without provocation, attacks or injures any person who is acting peaceably in any place where the person may lawfully be, the owner of the dog is liable in damages to the person so attacked or injured to the full amount of the injury sustained.  The term "owner" includes any person harboring or keeping a dog but the owner shall be primarily liable.  The term "dog" includes both male and female of the canine species. [/blockquote]
[linkhttp://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/Minnesota.html#Top][/link]