I need some help!
Tonight I was out in my backyard in the dark with my dogs.
We live on a golf course - but of course it was after dark - course is closed.
Dogs are hanging out on patio with me.
Suddenly in the dark - a teenage boy goes running by - I don't see him but the dogs do! I have Collies - they are the sweetest dogs on earth.
Well - they are young dogs so they ran out there barking %26 jumping around - not touching the runner. I ran after them - didn't have time to catch them first cuz it was dark %26 I didn't see him coming. Anyway - the kid started running FAST - and I called out - as I was running - "If you please stop I can catch them!" He keeps running %26 then trips on falls - apparently scratching himself on the concrete of the cart path.
20 minutes later - he shows up at my front door with his mom - saying my dogs attacked %26 bit him! They never touched him %26 my neighbor was out there with me. The kid even called me a b#tch when I tried to catch the dogs!
Answers:
From personal experience, I know that the doctors can tell a dog bite from some other type of injury. A few years ago my chocolate lab (125 lbs) jumped on my niece (she was 7 and about 70lbs). When he jumped down, her face was bleeding profusely. We thought he had bitten her, but she wasn't talking (lots of crying and screaming) and no one saw it happen; we took her to the emergency room and the doctor stitched her up and said it was probably from his claws when he jumped. It was not a bite mark. Bite marks leave puncture wounds.
My guess is that kids was doing something he wasn't supposed to and when he got "caught" he had to tell his mother something.
Just as an after thought, you might want to think about leashes or fences. Try an electric fence if your HOA doesn't allow privacy fences. If they are trained on the fence properly, the dogs won't leave the yard even when someone is running past. Good luck.
If the dr. says she found dog bites then they do have a lawsuit. That is why their is a leash law in most states.
If your neighbor was the witness, they can't do anything. The kid is probably lieing to his parents about the situation so he doesn't get into trouble for being on the course when he shouldn't be. Sound like he is a bit of a problem child to begin with considering he cursed at you.
You won't have anything to worry about unless the hospital says he was hurt by a dog bite. Even then he would have to prove that it was your dog that bit him. He may have been bit by another dog and maybe he didn't know who the other dog belonged to so he thought it would be easier just to say your dog did it. I wouldn't talk to the boy or mother any more and try to get some legal advice. As the first responder said also, your dogs should have been on a leash. Talk to a lawyer. Have the neighbor make a statement that he saw the whole thing and your dogs did not bite the kid
Yeah, people can be terrible...I went to the dog park once with my Boxer pup and my Lab X, and this woman's Schnauzer went after my puppy. She started to fight back, and my Lab is really protective of her, and bit the dog on the back and would let go...the woman then screamed that her "poor baby" had been attacked by a puppy.
Since your neighbor was out there, I would recommend asking him/her to be a witness if anything serious happens. Also, make sure your dogs have all their vacs, and good luck. Nice dog owners shouldn't have to deal with ppl like that.
That is sad! Its kinda what happened to my best freinds dog! He is a black lab/rottie,greyhound mix! He is SUPER FRIENDLY! but he LOVES to get out and chase cars! And 2 of thier neighbors said that they are gonna shoot him if he gets out! And the pound said they will take him away if he gets out! they cant help it this dog is a master mind who ALWAYS slips his collar somehow(choker)!!
But your story is WOW! I felt like going over there and saying Yeah well, you wouldn't get HURT if you werent on PRIVATE PROBERTY AFTER IT WAS CLOSED! And my dogs didnt touch you boy! you see any tooth insions!?! NO so how did they bite u huh? answer me thAT BOY! U are a liar who should watch your mouth!
HATE PPL LIKE THAT!
Well, as long as the doctor doesn't find any bite marks on the kid you should be safe from any real legal action. You're dogs might have to go through a temperment test which shouldn't be too bad, plus if they pass they'll be certified nonaggressive which means you have more proof of safe dogs if the kid ever tries a stunt like that again.
And this might help for the future too, if you can maybe have an invisible fence installed. You don't have to have it turned on all the time or at all really. But that way if this happens again instead of trying to catch your dogs you can just run inside and turn on the fence. I'm sorry to hear you live next to such unreasonable neighbors, it's really sad when stuff like this happens.
Are people allowed to be running at the golf couse after dark? Where exactly was he running? A cart path, etc? The reason I ask is maybe he shouldn't have been there in the first place. I don't know. If I were you, I'd maybe call the local Animal Control office and file a report as to what happened. [Ideally, you are up to date on their licensing] Ask them what they think you should do in this situation. The real concern here is this: you want to avoid a bite report. When a bite report is filed, Animal Control by law has to come out and take the dogs for a 30 day quarantine if there are no shot records confirming their rabies vaccines. People suck for the most part. Sounds like they may think they can get a buck or two out of this. Sorry.
I would be nervous if I were you too. In this crazy, sue happy, society we live in, people look for anything they possibly can to sue someone. Our court rooms have been turned into a sort of cassino. It costs less to sue someone than it does to play craps, and they have better odds of winning than they get in Vegas. I guess the only way for a dog owner to be safe is if they keep the dogs chained in the back yard with a 10 foot fense.
I don't know where you live but I think there is a first bite rule. your dog will not be taken from you if he had never bite before, eventhough he didn't bite this time. they will have to produce the proof of a actual bite. the most that will happen is you will pay a doctors bill or county fine or a few hundred dollars. look up the leash laws in your state or county online. dogs arn't usually taken away unless it was malicious intent. you might want to pose this question in the legal category. or speak to your lawyer. in any case always keep your dog on a leash especially if they are not trained to follow you comand to come, sit and stay! my dog will follow my command when he is on the leash or in the house but let him run free and he's gone! good luck.
you have proof that he fell and didn't get bit. You go al the way! you now your dogs didnt even touch that boy.he needs to watch his mouth. dont be afraid to stand up for the truth.what can they do to you? that boy is a liar who needs to stayoff of your property and have some thankfullness to someone whos trying to help him. He needs to just shut up. STAND UP FOR WHATS RIGHT!
If
1) the doctor can't find any bite marks
2) you have a witness saying the dogs didn't bite the kid
3) the kid was trespassing on private property
he doesn't have much of a case. In fact, charges could be brought against him for trespassing. Sorry, it may still be a pain to deal with. Make sure his "bites" are documented with photographs as soon as possible. If there is any blood or fabric where he fell and skinned himself, pictures of that may also be good. Some people are just jerks. The kid probably lied to his mom and she believes him. He has some serious explaining to do.
Fact is, if the dogs are outside of your house and the yard is not fenced - YOU are at fault - your dogs should have been leashed. They're young and have not yet been trained to be under voice control by you. The kid running by might had dogs chasing after him that he didn't know - so naturally he's going to run from them. Maybe he's been attacked before? And the fact you're saying the dogs didn't injure him - "he fell". Well why did he fall? BECAUSE HE WAS RUNNING FROM YOUR DOGS!
Sorry - you're completely at fault. What if your dogs had been hit by a car while running after this kid? Would it have been HIS fault for running by? Instead of acting like the "victim" in this incident how about instead realize YOU are the only one at fault.
PS: what does your dogs being "champions" mean or have anything to do with what happened? They're obviously not "champions" in training - they're out of control dogs.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment