Dog on dog attack.

[Michael Enright]

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Good evening,

My female Akita attacked a Labrador just recently.The lab received a puncture wound which required treatment and medication for infection and pain relief.The cost of the initial treatment was £166.00, which has been paid in full.We have had our beloved pet put down as a result of the attack, so feel that we have gone well into what could be perceived as decent and reasonable, responsible behaviour.We are now being asked to pay an additional £100.00 for extra medication and a surgical shirt.Am I being incorrect in thinking we have done our bit, or do I still need to pay further, given all the angst and trauma already encountered? Anyone who can shed any light on this matter would be most appreciated.

 

[goldenbear2013]

First of all I'm so sorry that this has happened to you, and that you have had to put your dog down. What an awful time it must be for you.

I think the fact that you have paid the initial outlay and had your dog put down is enough for anyone person. You have done the decent thing by paying for the treatment but the owners of the Labrador should also understand that you have gone far beyond what any other owner would of done by letting your dog go.

If I'm honest I would not of had my dog put down it was a first attack, I just couldnt do it, so I think you are very brave in making that decision.

I'm very sorry for your loss but personally I think you have done enough. Others who reply may not agree with me.

Sophie x

 

[Raven oaktree]

HI, and welcome to the forum. Im so so sorry that you have gone through this an lost your dog. That must have been heart breaking for you .Was this the first time your dog had attacked ? If so i think you made a very difficult choice, one im not sure id have made..I would also like to applaud you for accepting your responsibilities as the owner of the dog that caused the injuries..alot of dog owners wouldnt.. As regards compensation to the injured dog, i differ from Goldenbear im afraid in my thinking. I think the owner of the injured dog should be reimbursed the cost of their dogs FULL recovery, not just the initial emergency treatment. If you had been insured , your insurance would have paid the costs for full recovery too, as the ongoing treatment is a result of the attack. Im sorry if ive upset you , that is not my intent and i know you have been through alot already, this is just my opinion. Like i say, im so sorry you have lost your beloved dog , i know that pain too well and can understand your heartbreak

I would just add that i come from a different place maybe as i have had my onlead dog attacked by an off lead dog, the owner was not like you and they couldnt be traced after the attack . Thankfully we were insured but if we hadnt been we would have struggled to pay vets bills that were not our fault. ...So i know you have lost your dog, and im truly sorry for that, but i think its fair that the full cost of recovery be paid for ...sorry

*adding a bit*

obviously i dont know what happened either..so if it was an unprovoked attack then i stand by what ive said..but if it was a mutual fight and the other dog came off worse then thats different...also if this was not your dogs first attack, or if you knew your dog was not dog friendly and didnt have a muzzle on her thats different too...so because we dont know the full story its hard to give a firm opinion. Hugs..it must have been a heartbreaking time for you x

 

[Michael Enright]

Thank you to both of you for your comments.Both well balanced and fair responses.It does help in making an informed decision about the way forward. Thank you again.

 

[eingana]

Oh Michael, you have my sympathies. I don't know whether I'd be able to take the hard decision that you took with your dog, but if you felt that it was the only responsible course of action to take then of course it was right that you took the decision you took.

Do you have home contents insurance? If you do then all of this bill will probably be covered under the public liabilities section since a dog is, in the eyes of the law, your possession and so your possession caused damage to someone else's possession (which is the whole purpose of liability insurance). If you don't have home insurance but your dog was insured then the bill would still be covered under that.

If you believe that the request to pay a further bill are genuine then although I believe that you have paid a high price already, legally the other dog's owners could take you to court for the rest of the bills and if they can show that they are genuinely related to the injury caused by your dog then they would win that money from you in court I'm afraid. If I was in their position I'd be reticent to ask you though, if only because losing your dog as a result shows that you were really finding a way to make sure that this doesn't happen again.