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I hope you mean relocate him to a responsible person and not just relocate him to where he can bite someone else. It's great to try to save animals, but one needs to be realistic as well. Is saving the dog worth having him bite a child's face off? Kill livestock? Will the dog be happy if he's relocated or just kept alive?
There are people that deserve to be bitten, but that's another issue.
Of course, this is implied, but the first thing to do is to get the dog out of there before they seize him.
Has anyone seen the wound on the man? The wife came to talk to your brother not the guy that got bit. Not to say that the bite didn't happen but someone should at least confirm it.
Why would she say insurance won't cover it? If they have medical insurance, it should be covered (unless she is referring to their deductible).
Also, be proactive and talk to your neighbor about what happened and what they are requesting from you. Don't rely on the little bit of information you got from your brother.
Has anyone seen the wound on the man? The wife came to talk to your brother not the guy that got bit. Not to say that the bite didn't happen but someone should at least confirm it.
Why would she say insurance won't cover it? If they have medical insurance, it should be covered (unless she is referring to their deductible).
Also, be proactive and talk to your neighbor about what happened and what they are requesting from you. Don't rely on the little bit of information you got from your brother.
Yes, I agree with all of this. Wow, OP is in really BIG trouble now on several fronts because this is the second time the dog has bitten someone.
I once took in an abandoned dog that I was afraid would bite someone. He was pretty aggressive. I kept him indoors and only let him into the yard if I was with him. I walked him a lead. Once, I left him in the yard whilst I went around to the side of the house for something. He did not like being left alone and climbed the fence in search of me. At that point, I took him to the animal shelter. I could not risk him escaping and possibly attacking another animal or person. It broke my heart to leave him at the shelter, but I would have both civil and criminal liability if he harmed someone, and my landlord could have been sued under the home owner's policy, and if that happened, too, I was sure I would be told to move.
I want to emphasise that this is not the dog's fault. He does not understand that what he has done is unacceptable. It is the fault of the irresponsible owners. Now, damage is done again, and it could have been even worse. Suppose the dog attacked a toddler and did a lot of damage to the child? Man oh man, it is this sort of irresponsible behaviour in people that drives me totally doolally!!! I feel sorry for the poor dog on more than one level.
I have an Australian shepherd mix breed dog who bit a neighbor today. It was around 7 am in the morning, I was still asleep. My brother is a heavy smoker/methhead and I think my brother accidentally left the gate open while he was out for a smoke. I didn't know about the bite until the neighbor's wife came and rang the doorbell angrily. My brother had a talk with her. According to my brother, she just wanted to let us know that our dog bit her husband and their insurance won't cover it.
My dog is vaccinated against rabies. However, this is the second time he bit someone. The first time he's bitten a relative, he was unvaccinated, so Animal Control quarantined him for 10 days and he was also neutered. I also got him a license.
I think the neighbors want some kind of compensation for it. I'm worried that with my pet's previous record, we may get into legal issues, and I can't afford a lawsuit. Has anyone face this kind of issue before? How can I resolve this issue before it escalate into a bigger problem? I don't know what to do.
I would also like to thank anyone in advance for their advice.
Edit: I live in Charlotte, NC.
If you have a homeowner's policy, see it if covers dog bites. If so, does it include medical payments to others? I have a policy that pays a limited amount for medical payments if someone is injured in my home or on my property.
I have been on the "bitten" side of this situation.
My daughter wandered over to the neighbors and their dog, known to be aggressive, but unpredictable, bit my daughter and did some serious damage (to her face if you must know).
I don't remember all of the details, but our medical expenses were covered by someone's homeowner's insurance. I am guessing it was the dog's owner.
We then sued the neighbor for damages and future surgery as she grew up. It was a "friendly" suit handled by the insurance companies. IIRC we settled for about $300,000
I believe the dog was allowed to stay with the family, but under very close supervision. It could be that the dog was put down. I don't really remember, but if it was, it was done by the owner and not at our insistence.
OP, that might give you some specifics on what to be aware of and what to look out for. It is not as you know a good situation, regardless of the circumstances. As a pet friendly person i would do everything i could to keep the dog (under control) and get rid of the mutt brother.
Edit: Make SURE you get pictures of the supposed bite...and maybe a statement if possible. It would help you to know if we are talking about a "nip" or a full bite which tore open the skin, required medical treatment, and created a disfigurement/disability. It could be just a pissy neighbor who got the chit scared out of himself and doesn't hardly have a red mark. Check it out before you get too overwrought.
I have been on the "bitten" side of this situation.
My daughter wandered over to the neighbors and their dog, known to be aggressive, but unpredictable, bit my daughter and did some serious damage (to her face if you must know).
I don't remember all of the details, but our medical expenses were covered by someone's homeowner's insurance. I am guessing it was the dog's owner.
We then sued the neighbor for damages and future surgery as she grew up. It was a "friendly" suit handled by the insurance companies. IIRC we settled for about $300,000
I believe the dog was allowed to stay with the family, but under very close supervision. It could be that the dog was put down. I don't really remember, but if it was, it was done by the owner and not at our insistence.
OP, that might give you some specifics on what to be aware of and what to look out for. It is not as you know a good situation, regardless of the circumstances. As a pet friendly person i would do everything i could to keep the dog (under control) and get rid of the mutt brother.
Do not hide the dog away. If the dog broke the skin, it is going to be necessary to quarantine the dog for 10 days, even when you have the rabies certificate. Animal control will want to take a look at the dog to verify that he is healthy.
Almost without exception, the dog can be quarantined at home. No one will take the dog away from you and you will absolutely not have to build a 10 foot fence around your yard. No one is going to have the dog put to sleep.
If you did not have that valid rabies certificate, life would be a lot worse, but the dog has his shot, so show his papers and keep him confined at home for 10 days and that is the end of the health departments interest..
The bite should be verified and documented for your protection.
Get that fence fixed. The dog needs training, but there is no training that will stop the dog from biting when you are not around, so get that fence fixed so the dog can't get out.
I worked as an animal control officer and did endless bite reports, verified rabies vaccination, and placed numerous dogs under quarantine at home, so I know what I am talking about.
Adding: I don't like to advise people how to skirt the law, but if your dog does not have the required county license, scoot on down to whatever office sells them. Take your rabies certificate, and buy that license before anyone comes to check on the dog. There is usually an unpleasant fine for not having the license and you can head that off if you get a license before they catch you without one.
Most states have a "one-bite rule" which essentially gives dogs a free pass for the first bite. Your dog has already had its free pass and already has a record with local authorities.
Quote:
I didn't know about the bite until the neighbor's wife came and rang the doorbell angrily. My brother had a talk with her. According to my brother, she just wanted to let us know that our dog bit her husband and their insurance won't cover it.
What was the time frame between the bite actually happening and the wife coming to your door? If she's saying that their insurance won't cover it, that indicates that they sought medical treatment. Whoever they sought medical care from had a legal duty to report the bite. I'd expect a knock on your door from Animal Control if I were you.
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