To sue or forgive? (attorney, pitbull, fence)

[cdrmike]

My daughter was bitten by an idiot neighbor's dog today. This is a nuisance dog and we have often commented on how the owner is barely able to control it. Well, today the pit-mix mongrel bastard pulled its leash away from him, chased and bit my kid. I saw the entire thing. The kid did absolutely nothing to antagonize the dog, except ride by on a bike, with 6 feet of clearance. The damage was minimal, just a bloody nasty tooth scraping and a scared kid. Reports have been filed with animal control, kid has been checked out by docs but I am still mad as hell. Should I search the yellow pages for Jackie Chiles or seek the peace of Buddha?

[marie5v]

If the dog bit your kid, then the dog is also capable of attacking and seriously hurting a child under different circumstances. What if you hadn't been there? The animal is just not safe and the owner is irresponsible. It is surprising to me that animal control has not taken action after a child was attacked and bitten. Did you actually contact them this time or do you just know of other reports? I would not let it go until the owner built a sturdy fence around the yard and did not let the dog outside it on a leash or otherwise anymore. I cannot understand what compels these idiots to keep aggressive dogs in the first place.

[persnicketygal]

I would call Animal Control (again) to figure out what kind of legal restrictions you may be able to seek for this dog -- requiring that the dog be muzzled when outside, for example? It might seem extreme for some, but this might have been a "warning" bite, and I wouldn't wait until skin is pierced. Then you can seek the peace. (Did the dog have a county license and rabies shot? Has it bitten or been aggressive toward other neighbors?)

[ACWhite]

If you were to go on Judge Judy, she would give you only the medical expenses and possibly pain and suffering $. I would approach the owner and ask for those--or just the medical bills. You don't need to escalate this into a war.

I don't know where you are, but I hope animal control can/will take action if this dog has a pattern.

[BT Lover]

Why not just get the owner to agree to obedience training (they have trainers they can send the dog to and then work with them later and if they don't have control over the dog as you claim, that would be a good option, and to reimburse for any and all medical bills? It doesn't seem like they are denying anything, so why not take the more responsible route where you will actually get something out of it? I can't imagine that anyone who had their child bit by a dog would not call them an idiot, but animal control does very little about things, and the result will be a euthanized dog if they do.

Getting an Attorney is only going to cost you something, time and money. If you have extra of both, go for it, but your child was not seriously injured and for all you know, the dog hasn't been properly socialized and was just playing with your kid. It is important to note that a dog isn't about the breed, it is about the owner, so for all those who judge pitbull breeds, you are sorely mistaken that they are all violent dogs. Most are not.

Why not work with the owner first, and then go from there. If you find yourself becoming too emotional about it, please get someone else to be the spokesperson that can be neutral and not escalate things. I am glad that your son is okay, and hopefully with your openness to not take this to a level that may be unnecessary will end up being a much better thing for everyone involved.

[hunterseat]

The owner's an idiot. I totally agree. Control thy dog.

[hunterseat]

Originally Posted by hunterseat

The owner's an idiot. I totally agree. Control thy dog.

eta: forgot to say I'm not in favor of a law suit. Wish they'd just surrender the dog to a rescue or re-home it. It could be so much worse next time. I'm surprised they didn't take the dog.

[Bigfoot424]

This is VA and civil laws will not allow for huge awards if that's what you are hoping to receive. You can be awarded for actual damages only. Doesn't sound like much damage occurred. I'd stay on top of the animal control situation. Call and ask to speak to the supervisors if you don't get a satisfactory answer from the person answering the phone.

[VRE332]

Arm your kid with some pepper spray and the next time it happens the dog will think twice about it.

[DrRuthie]

Has the dog bitten someone previously? If so, the owner is 'on notice' that the dog is 'vicious'. (I use vicious in quotes b/c I feel it's the owner's fault and not the dog's, but that's the term used by animal control.)

If the dog has not bitten before, the animal control report will cover the 'on notice' I believe. However if the owner moves to another area, then there won't be a record of the bite in the new area. A lawsuit would be more likely traceable than a animal control report (in my opinion). I'm not in favor of lawsuits, but my concern would be to get the owner to fix the problem so it doesn't occur again.