My Dog Bit Another Dog & Its Owner - What to Do?

Hi everyone

Long story short.

My dog was involve in a dog fight and bit their puppy and the owner, the owner is asking for $3xx for cost treatment and fuel after 15 days of the incident. But he can't provide any treatment record, receipt or transaction history.

If this happen to you what would you do?

Comments

    • +2

      I don't think you made the right call. It's the other owner's fault. He should have controlled his puppy AND he shouldn't have stuck his hand in there.

      He took advantage of you. Yes.

    • Given the circumstances, you probably made the right call, but probably not the best call.

      He has leverage over you and if I were him, I'd at least have the courtesy to send you the receipts. I'd still have the opportunity to sue you and get your dog put down anyway if you didn't pay.

      Assuming he doesn't pursue you for more $ , since you didn't get any sort of signed paperwork from him, this would be a bargain.

      I do think you were taken advantage of because he couldn't be bothered to provide receipts, essentially making the $3xx hush/blackmail money and not compensation money.

      Although you might be of good character (for trying to break up a dog fight last time), it certainly didn't pay off today.

      The lesson you should take from this is not to provide assistance or help next time. There's just absolutely no reason you can rely or trust strangers not to screw you over. Life's too short and $ harder to come by to be tangled up in someone else's problems.
      Other than in the N.T. you don't have to help anyone you see in dire straits. You don't even have to call 000. The exception is if you have a duty of care.

      Having said that, I would still call 000 since it takes the least amount of effort and I'm not that cold hearted.

    • I would take my bad dog home and cook it up for dinner

    • niggard, it's not necessary to be rude to the OP. Not everyone is well versed in English. See my recent post about acting respectfully.

    • how dare you state the obvious difficulty in reading through something filled with grammatical errors! shame on you! :)

  • -5

    Your dog should be put down. Can't have it biting people.

  • Pretty clever to stick your hands into a dog fight, I'd chalk it up to idiot tax for the other guy.

    I did the same thing when I was about 10 years old and got the end of my thumb bitten off, won't be doing that again.

  • be careful before you pay. make sure you get him to sign and accept it as full payment. it is hard to do the right thing. dogs are animals. keep them on a leash. {PS I know you have paid but just want to reinforce some constructive comments.}

  • +3

    You are getting off lightly. My dog was attacked 12 days ago,unprovoked,$1100 vet bill and my dog died of shock 27 hours later. Got council ranger involved. The attacking dog was seized as it already had history,to be assessed for rehoming or destroy. The fact that your dog also bit a human leaves you open to civil court action. So pay the bill and never mind any waiver action because this could escalate if you piss the victim off.

    • +3

      Sorry to hear about your dog.

  • An 11 year old alsakan malamute being walked on a lead with muzzel. Why was OPs dog not restrained by rope or fence. Its all about being responsible for you own actions.

    • It was the other dog that approached the OP's dog wanting to play.

  • +3

    plot twist: op is actually undercover cop, trying to bust potential hidden dog fighting rings hosted by ozbargain members.

  • I remember 2 years ago my puppy sneaked into my neighbours yard and their dog bit my puppy real bad. I was looking for my puppy and the neighbour told me that my puppy was in their yard. They gave back my puppy who was covered in blood :(
    I tried to ask them to share the cost of my pup's medical cost of 1.3K (as my puppy stayed one night at the emergency vet), they refused to pay. But yeah, that was my puppy's fault for sneaking into someone else's backyard.
    So for the OP's question, I guess it also depends on when did it happen?

  • Zeven8: Do you have contents insurance (important question)?

  • +3

    you shouldn't have paid anything. the correct procedure when your dog bites another dog and its owner is to let their dog bite you and your dog. then everyone is even

  • Let the other dog bite you and your dog back!

  • +1

    You're lucky the victim didn't kill your dog then turn on you. Pay up and train your dog.

  • What you need to think about is the next step. My dog recently bit my friend in the face. We were walking in a park for at least an hour before this happened, until she crouched down and tried to pat him (I wasnt looking but that's what she said). I have no idea why he did it, fear aggression? But I was lucky to have a friend that's understanding and there were no problems after.

    I'm trying to train my dog to use a muzzle and consult with an animal behaviorist. I think you should look into behavioral training so this doesn't happen again. You got let off easy. Worse case scenario, it bites a child, you could be paying them money until they reach 18.

    I don't agree with people thinking the dog should be put down. Just like humans, I believe dogs should also have second chances, as long as the owner is willing to help with rehab.

  • +2

    So many repetitive answers, I think the OP get it :)

  • Pay up, train your dog. You could have had much worse consequences.

  • Make your dog pay the other owner, then get it to elope with the puppy.
    Problem solved.
    ..oh, I forgot … it'll cost you $800 for a new dog + $xxx for vaccinations + $xxx for puppy training school + $xxxx to replace the furniture it chews up as it matures.
    Oh well, at least you didn't have to pay the $3xx!

  • +1

    Don't pay it. If there really were $300 in costs then the victim could always ask the vet to print them a receipt.

    Ask them to do this, if they don't provide it then in all likelihood the injuries (if any) weren't that bad and they're just trying to scam you.

  • +2

    Pay up and train your dog…..to leave no witnesses next time

  • you said the other party started the incident. How so?
    We need full context/details to help you out more.

    In the mean time you should order a Muzzle for your dog when he's in public.

  • Avoid going to court and tell him to produce at least some receipt of transaction as the court will waste both a day of work for both of you and time. Second you should get on top of training your dog as a responsible owner. Third thing is to formally pay up with written evidence so you don't get sued later on as a validity that you settled the matter in the correct manner.

  • I would say $300 is a bit below what normally vets ask for. My dog has been attacked once with a small bite on the ear lobe and vets asked $400 (3 years ago) - couple of stiches, cone, overnight care etc. So $300 is not unreasonable.
    Unless you want the council to knock on your door and/or pound your puppy I'd say just pay up and save any further troubles.

    • the $300 is cost for the owner injury. the puppy is fine.

  • Pay the money. And hope they don't sue for more $$ . And lesson learnt hopefully for u to be more aware of ur dog. Dogs are animals. If u think they harmless ur dead wrong as u found out. U should put a muzzle on the dog from now on in public. Otherwise your asking for more trouble. How would u feel if another dog bit up some1 u care about??

  • If this happen to you what would you do?

    Why didn't you go into hiding and lie low for a while (that is, to another dog park)?

    In all seriousness, I don't have a dog, but sometimes when you're at fault and the other person seems unreasonable, just bite your lip and fix the problem.

  • The answers were unreasonably reasonable. I would let the man bite you and then your dog. But like a wise man once said, a bite for a bite and the whole world gets Rabies.

  • I will be laughed out loud if $3xx can solve the problem. My friend's dog (big dog) few years ago saw 2 small dogs and went chase them, because he was so big so my friend couldn't hold the leash and let him jump over the dogs. The owner reported to the council, fined him $10,000aud plus took the dog away and put him RIP.
    it's all depends how nasty the victim is and how exaggerated he report to the council.
    $3xx for the medical is really small, i think he is being very nice to you.

    so if i am you and love your dog, i will pay whatever the money cost to keep my dog alive.
    not even to mention $3xx is piece of cake, it's not $3 millions.

    However, I do warn you, if you decide to pay him, put it in writing that the case is done and, he won't bring another case up later with the council.

    • +2

      and let him jump over the dogs.

      What?

      fined him $10,000aud plus took the dog away and put him RIP.

      Bullshit.

    • +2

      His local Council actually fined him $10,000 because his dog jumped over 2 small dogs?

      • +3

        Sure it wasn't a quick brown fox?

  • Leashing the puppy would have prevented this event from unfolding. If the OP's dog was leashed the puppy would have still wandered up to it and the chance for injury would still be present.

    I've encountered so many noob/idiotic dog owners who let their small/treasured dogs roam free only to find them running up to my GS, they run circles around him before bolting away (he's leashed but boy u can see the glimmer in his eyes of wanting to chase and set the pack order and the other dog in its place).

    Also, only an idiot will try to break up a dog fight/play via physical intervention.

    • Yea but if your dog is leashed your in the clear. It's the other owners fault.

  • The treatment would be on record, get them to get a reciept from the vet and doctors with the date of the accident… otherwise don't believe them and don't pay them.

  • If this happen to you what would you do?

    I would kill your dog, and then suggest you not keep dogs that you cannot control.

    Next question.

  • I think the compensation barely covers the pain and suffering your dog caused the other owner. That's not including any bills incurred to treat the injury. So I think you are quite lucky that this is the extent of the consequence and I urge you to control your dog before a much more serious incident occurs.

  • $300 sounds very cheap. We have public liability cover for our dog (as part of house insurance, got it in writing when we signed up) If anything ever happens hopefully we won't need to deal with the other person directly, just go through the insurer.

    Enough idiot comments about killing the dog. In most cases the owner is responsible.

  • what a bad dog! bitting a little puppy!

  • Shoot the dog.

  • Mate, you have failed miserably as a dog owner.
    Pay him any money he asks for. Remember, karma!

    3xx bucks is little.

    I can't imagine how this puppy might feel now :(

  • Once upon a time, my two dogs decided to dig the fence and killed all of my neighbours chickens.

    true story.

  • Don't blame the dog. As a responsible dog owner, you have a responsibly to train your dog and keep it under control /leashed if needed. It's not the dogs fault.

    If your dog bites, it's probably not the first time & you would have known this.

    Take yourself & your dog to obedience classes before you allow it off leash. A happy, well socialsed & trained dog is a fantastic companion.

    As for the bills,pay them/Claim on insurance. It's your fault & responsibility.

  • IMO, it was a dog fight, so let the dog settle it. if i was you, i wont pay and i simply ignored it, if you pay, you admit a fault and possible law suit at future date

  • Train your dog first and pay back for the injuries it has caused to the man and his dog provided that if he present the treatment record.

  • There was a strange funeral procession today.

    included 2 hursts, a man and a dog and followed by 200 men.

    a stranger stopped and asked the man with the dog what was going on.

    the man with the dog replied. this dog bit my wife and killed her, she is in the first hurst. the dog then bit by mother inlaw and killed her as well she is in the next hurst.

    the stranger asked if he could borrow the dog, to which the man replied get in line.

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