Family dog bit a kid on our property?

Question

A kid who previously broke his leg on our trampoline and was in a wheelchair for three months (we were not home and there were over 10 kids on the 20' tramp) got bitten by my sisters dog the other day.

The dog is a 15 pound welsh terrier who only displays aggression to teenagers and young kids who get very close to her. We believe she was abused by her previous owner (s). The dog was on a makeshift show halter (she is a purebred AKC showdog) when she broke the knot and took off after the kid as he ran down our yard screaming (for no reason).

The bite was about 2" by 1", and only drew a drop of blood (most of it was just bruised). The child went to the doctor, and the doctor called the county. We have to have the dog in a 10 day quarantine however she shows no signs of rabies and for the 6 months we have had her has always been this way (mildly aggresive towards people she doesn't know or that make loud noises).

Does anyone have tips to help save our dog. Help plz.

Oh, by the way my sister is devastated. And we have not had any contact with the child or his family.

By the way this dog is super meek, she never barks, and is not overprotective in any way she cowers if she sees a newspaper for gods sakes..

She does have all her shots. The only reason she is under observation is that we just purchased her and as such have only verbal confirmation of her rabies vaccination (from the breeder).

Answer 1

You should make a call to apologize. That may help them not to think that you are just evil people. The nicer you are, the nicer they'll be. You may be responsible for the hospital bill that they incurred. If they want to be nasty about it, they could also sue you for punitive damages.

I don't know the laws where you live, but there may not be anything you can do. I do know most cities do have a "free bite" law, providing it's not a life threatening maul. This is a small dog you have and they may give you a second chance with her, but will render her a "dangerous animal" and you'll probably have strict rules to follow.

One thing to ALWAYS do is get your pets rabies shots. It's the law.

Answer 2

I don't think you need to worry about saving the dog, as long as it doesn't have a long sheet showing multiple unprovoked bites I don't think anyone will give you any problems. The 10 day quarantine is pretty standard everywhere in a dog bite incident, some times even if the animal has always been current on shots.

Call your home owners insurance and ask them if it would be OK to call and apologize for the bite. Even though you and I both know it was the kids fault for being in your yard uninvited. I'd make sure that it won't cause any stupid legal problems like "admission of guilt" first though, plus if you get sued for medical the home owners insurance would handle this. Then see if you can smooth out the problem with the family. Tell them you are sorry the kid got bit, and in the future to make sure it won't happen again to make sure the kid stays out of your yard or you will have to press trespassing charges to protect him and the dog. :)

Answer 3

My first advice to you would be to call the family to see how the child is doing and tell them how sorry you are that this happen.

One dog bite can make you lose everything you own. No matter weather it was the dog fault or child fault. This could have been far worse than it was .. Maybe next time you won't be so lucky.

I had to put down two of my dogs because they attacked one of my customers. Hardest thing I had to do. He was nice about it, but when you have to go to a hospital over a dog bite it is always reported. I couldn't give my dogs away because they said I would still be responsible if they should bite someone. I couldn't put up a beware of dog sign because it is admitting that I knew my dogs would bite.

I don't know what to tell you, All I know maybe next time this dog could kill someone or take a kid eye out. There is no way that you can always make sure your dog will not bite anyone.. I thought I had that under control too. It only takes one time.

Answer 4

Do you really believe the dog needs to be saved? Aggressive dogs are a menace, and one that has bitten someone without provocation is considered aggressive. In order to keep the dog, you would have to always have it on-leash and not let it be around company and guests. Do you really want to only have your dog locked up in the house while your guests play outside?

You'll probably get your dog back, depending on what the bylaws are where you live. Most places don't require that you put your dog down after one bite, although some people choose to out of principle.

If the dog did it once, it could do it again. It sounds like the bite was out of predatory behavior. If for some reason a child in your own family or a beloved relative goes running and screaming through your yard just for fun, the dog might bite them, too. I think you should consider letting your dog go.

Answer 5

I would suggest you seek some serious behavioral training if you plan to keep this dog It is entirely unacceptable for a dog to bite when not provoked. The fact that it has a tendancy to go after children is even worse in my opinion. Children don't always know what to do in this type of situation as most adults would.

My brother in law adopted a dog that turned out to be excessively protective in their home. He and his wife feared that this aggressive nature might some day be turned to a child. Rather than return the dog to the shelter, where it could be possibly adopted out again and risk another possible bite to someone, they decided the best thing was to put the dog down.

It's a tough call, but seek some professional help to see if this can be worked on. This is what I would do and if that did not seem to be effective, I would consider putting the dog down. If the dog has more bite situations in the future, local law may require it anyway.

Answer 6

I guess my first reaction would be to say, Control Your Dog!! There are many reasons why a dog will display aggressive behavior, but the reason "why" isn't necessarily a needed answer. Terriers aren't known to be widley tollerant of children to begin with, however, it's up to you to rehabilitate this dog before it has the chance to hurt anyone else, and in a more serious manner. Normally the two causes for this type of behavior are lack of proper excercise and lack of an authority figure. A dog with no rules and no boundaries will make and follow their own. Ultimately, it makes no difference if the dog was abused by the previous owner. It is the current living situation that is the basis for the dogs mentality. (Especially where you've had this dog for 6 months now.) [ I say you, I understand this is your sisters dog, it's just easier on the typing. ] The first thing I would suggest would be to show this dog that that type of behavior is unacceptable and that you are no longer going to allow it to take place. It is up to the owner of an aggressive dog to always, Always keep an eye on what the animal is doing, regardless of whether its tied up, on a leash, roaming around the house, or roaming outside. The moment it starts to act up, correct the behavior before it escalates to something that is more difficult to control. Otherwise, you will lead that dog to its death.

Answer 7

I would suggest you reconsider the shelter dog. IMO, puppies are a lot of work, chew, pee, and are not predictable as far as dispostion goes. If you get an adult dog, you can judge the disposition more easily, and you may even find a dog who has already been been proven to be good with kids. There are a lot of mixed breeds that would fit the bill. And with all the foreclosures, there are a lot of good dogs who have lost their homes, and are looking for new ones. A mastiff wouldnt be my choice - too big, short lived, and expensive to maintain, but if that is what you really want, try the breed rescues, as well.

Answer 8

Chances are, after the 10 day quarantine, the dog will be released back to you. I don't think they'd put her down unless she's bitten more than once - or more viciously than this instance. You may simply be liable for the child's doctor visit.

I'd recommend a fence. Sounds like the kids in your neighborhood aren't very respectful!

Answer 9

This is why especially with this dog and in your circumstances you really need a rabies certificate from a vet, but we are past that now, also I suggest a fence if/when you get her back. Is there any record of her having bitten before? What state town is this in and what are the local ordinances?

More might be answered by posing this question to Pet-Law.com's Yahoo email list. I suggest you join ASAP

Answer 10

Don't let the dog and kids be in the same area together? Also, as backup..talk to the parents of the kids that come onto your property and tell them that the dogs may bite. Basically, enter at your own risk. I'd also suggest getting the dog into some sort of training..talk to the vet.