Best friend threatening legal action against my neighbour

[jazzy0710]

On New Year’s Eve my husband and I as well as my best friend went to a get together that was being hosted by my next door neighbours; a same sex couple (women) with a 6 year old Rottweiler.

The Rottweiler does have a history of aggressive behavior.

Before they got posted here Woman A had a nephew with special needs. He was often rough with the dog and she would often growl and bark at him. The dog is also very nervous of people she doesn’t know. Especially men.

The day I first met the dog I gently put out my hand but didn’t touch her. She jumped right up, paws on my chest growling at me. They were very quick to pull her back and gave her heck for it.

The also had 2 cats when they moved here too. Both female cats. Before they moved here the dog would often fight with Cat A. Once they moved here the fighting got much worse. One night the dog bit Cat A’s eye and it bled. Woman B came over to my house as she was home alone because Woman A was working a back shift. I went over there and cleaned the cat’s eye as best as I could with warm water and put some polysporin on it.

This past September tradgedy struck one evening. Woman A once again was working working a back shift so Woman B was home alone. My hubby was home with our son and I was out having dinner with some other friends. When I was on my way home my husband called my phone and told me to get home as quick as I could. When I got home Woman B was on her deck crying hysterically. I ent in their house and there was that poor cat barely conscious on the floor. The dog was in the kennel. Woman B was using the washroom and heard a loud commotion between the dog and the cat. When she came out of the washroom the dog had the cat by her head in her mouth flying her around like a rag doll. The cat couldn’t move at all.

I drove her with the cat to the after hours emergency vet clinic. Sadly the cat had to be put down because her injuries were too severe. The dog basically clamped down on the cat’s head crushing her skull.

Woman A and B had a very hard time deciding what to do. Woman A had that dog long before she and Woman B even began dating. It seemed that Woman B was all for the dog being put down especially since she was worried about her possibly attacking their other cat. However Woman A couldn’t seem to bring herself to do it.

They ended up getting a kitten who happened to be male. Why they’d do that I don’t know but they did.

Anyway on New Years Eve as I said they had a small get together. The 2 of them,my other next door neighbour, my husband, me, and my best friend who has been my best friend since we were 12 and are now 30.

They had the dog roaming free through the house. We all told my best friend that she is nervous of people she doesn’t know so don’t go right up to her to just let her sniff her and get used to her. Of course my best friend ending up getting extremely drunk and really wanted to pet the dog. So Woman A says “I’ll give you a treat to give her hold it between your thumb and index finger and tell her to be gentle”. So my best friend did and the dog was gentle and then sniffed her so my best friend figured she’d be ok and tried to pet her back and of course, the dog bit her arm just below her elbow. It didn’t look like she broke the skin even though there was a little scratch type thing. It didn’t bleed but she claimed that it hurt. She and Woman B went to go clean it and put polysporin on it while Woman A dealt with the dog and scolded her for her actions.

I just recieved a text message from my best friend about an hour ago now and she told me that the spot was still very bruised and thought that it may be infected because it is extremely itchy. She told me that she is going to the Doctor tomorrow morning and that if she’s told that it is infected that she is going to contact Animal Control and put in for the dog to be dealt with.

Don’t get me wrong now. I would want to do the same thing. I really honestly thought that they should have put the dog down when it killed the cat. The thought did cross my mind what if the dog bites or attacks my 2 yr old son?

However, I do have to live next door to these ladies and share a driveway with them. I just fear that this will create tension between them and me. I also fear that it will create tension between me and my other neighbour because he’s quite close to the ladies too and he already doesn’t like my best friend because she wanted to be in a relationship with him and he didn’t and found her too aggressive.

If this bite is indeed infected how would you deal with this?

 

[1ke]

It’s not yours to deal with. Stay out of it.

It’s between the dog owner, the person the dog bit, and the animal control agency.

 

[jazzy0710]

It’s not yours to deal with. Stay out of it.

It’s between the dog owner, the person the dog bit, and the animal control agency.

I have every intention of staying out of it if it should happen. I’m just wondering what to do if neither of my neighbours who I live next door to and share a driveway with; create problems for me.

 

[heidi_storage]

I have every intention of staying out of it if it should happen. I’m just wondering what to do if neither of my neighbours who I live next door to and share a driveway with; create problems for me.

Be civil, but decline to get involved. This isn’t your fault. You cannot, of course, control your neighbors’ reaction.

 

[Allegra]

I have every intention of staying out of it if it should happen. I’m just wondering what to do if neither of my neighbours who I live next door to and share a driveway with; create problems for me.

That depends on what problems they make. I wouldn’t borrow trouble.

 

[pianistclare]

I agree with the other posters.
There are considerations more important than whether your neighbors like you.
Safety.
Full stop.

 

[Anglewannabe]

Honestly, this sounds quite like a soap opera to me. But since you posted, I will give my 2 cents. I think better boundaries are in order. If I was concerned about my neighbou’rs dog attacking my 2 year old son, I would quit going over and helping everytime the dog creates problems. Sure it is nice to be helpful, but to help them keep a dog alive you would rather see put down is not sending out the message you want

Also, I have to wonder about your friend who complains about a dog bitting her when
a-) she was told the dog was viscious and still went into the dog owners home
b-) got drunk
c-) was the one who insisted on petting the dog
I honestly don’t have much sympathy for your friend

 

[PaulfromIowa]

Learn appropriate boundaries. None of these many things you related really have anything to do with you, do they?

 

[angell1]

Honestly, this sounds quite like a soap opera to me. But since you posted, I will give my 2 cents. I think better boundaries are in order. If I was concerned about my neighbou’rs dog attacking my 2 year old son, I would quit going over and helping everytime the dog creates problems. Sure it is nice to be helpful, but to help them keep a dog alive you would rather see put down is not sending out the message you want

Also, I have to wonder about your friend who complains about a dog bitting her when
a-) she was told the dog was viscious and still went into the dog owners home
b-) got drunk
c-) was the one who insisted on petting the dog
I honestly don’t have much sympathy for your friend

exactly, she was told the dog was nervous around strangers and tried to get too friendly too fast.

also, people have animals and are just unaware of their behaviour, certain dog breeds have a much harder time living with smaller animals such as cats than other dog breeds.

it’s not about putting down the dog, but it doesn’t sound like it has proper training or socialization, muzzle around strangers if need be.

anyways, unless you get angry people on your doorstep, don’t get involved. if you are worried about your son and the dog, don’t let him go over to the neighbor’s house. if you friend tries to whine to you about it, say you told her not to pet the dog

 

[Rosebud77]

Coming from a different angle… do you not have restricted breed legislation there? We and the UK do and I wonder at anyone letting a breed like a rottie roam the house like that without even a muzzle?

Not the dog’s fault…

If that had happened here in ireland probably no more dog sadly

But yes, do not borrow trouble Stay clear and pray,

 

[ConfusedLucy]

They do sound a bit daft, if they know that the dog is aggressive and nervous around strangers it shouldn’t have been roaming and they certainly shouldn’t be getting more cats. They don’t sound responsible enough for a dog.

I’d stay out of it and don’t let the dog have any access to your child.

 

[Rosebud77]

They do sound a bit daft, if they know that the dog is aggressive and nervous around strangers it shouldn’t have been roaming and they certainly shouldn’t be getting more cats. They don’t sound responsible enough for a dog.

I’d stay out of it and don’t let the dog have any access to your child.

and it is the dog who will suffer and pay the price sadly

 

[jazzy0710]

and it is the dog who will suffer and pay the price sadly

Honestly, if animal control told them that the dog had to be put down i’d be really surprised. We’re in Canada and where we are, it has to take something very drastic in order for animal control to order that like if the dog killed a person or killed another dog or bit someone hard enough to do some very serious damage.

My bff’s bite wasn’t a very big bite. In fact, it atcually looked more like a scratch. The dog’s 2 front teeth basically skinned the area of her arm just below her elbow. There was no blood at any time. Bruising yes but would make sense as the dog is very large. Likely from the force probably. I haven’t seen my bff since that night but she tells me that the area around it is red and itchy.

My personal feeling is simply this;

My bff was told by myself, my husband, by both woman A and woman B along with my other neighbour, don’t try to pet the dog that she’s nervous of people she doesn’t know and it takes time for her to get used to them (it atcually took the dog 2 weeks to get used to me and a month for her to get used to my husband). My bff did get stupid drunk and tried to pet her and even stated herself that since the dog was distracted that she’d give it a try. Not a smart thing to do when you’ve been warned.

Woman A and B, A especially, knows how nervous this dog can get. Why they didn’t put her in their bedroom I don’t know. They never specified but maybe they’re trying to slowly get her more used to being around different people. Who knows.

It is my hope that between her and them and animal control that something can be worked out.

Thank you to everyone for your feedback and prayer, I greatly appreciate it. Have a blessed day

 

[Anglewannabe]

. We’re in Canada

That statement totally changes my perspective. I am Canadian and I know we have medical coverage. When I first read your post, I thought you were American and being Canadian, thought the reason such law suits existed in the states is because they don’t have the same affordable access to medicare. Now I think your BBF is just being a little cry baby. What is there to gain from a law suit?

My bff did get stupid drunk

If you are 30 I am going to assume she is the same age. Honestly, it is not healthy at that age to get stupid drunk and I think it would be best to reconsider the friendship

Woman A and B, A especially, knows how nervous this dog can get. Why they didn’t put her in their bedroom I don’t know.

Having been a pet owner, I can say that nothing bothered me more than people coming into MY home and disrupting my cats. That is why people announce they have pets, to let people know if it is too much of a problem to not come over

It is my hope that between her and them and animal control that something can be worked out.

Again, as a Canadian, I really don’t know what there is to be worked out. We have medical coverage so what point is there in bringing in the authorities. BBF should just quit going over to their place. At the end of the day, it does seem like these neighbours do a good job of keeping the dog on their property

 

[heidi_storage]

It’s a good thing that this bite wasn’t serious. The next one could be. I wouldn’t discourage your friend from reporting the incident.

 

[Exiled_Child]

It really does seem like it’s your friend’s fault, Jazzy. She knew the dog was sketchy, and she took a tipsy chance trying to befriend it, which didn’t work out. If it were me I would just let it go, because I would feel so, so terrible for a dog to be put down for something I clearly instigated. Part of protecting and caring for a pet is realizing that, yes, your dog is in fact a dog, and will behave like a dog, and so of course the owner does bear some responsibility. But it’s not the owner that’s going to get a lethal injection, it’s the dog. If it were me, that would be uppermost in my mind.

 

[EnglishTeacher]

Owning a huge dog that bites is an accident or even a tragedy waiting to happen. Especially if you don’t secure said dog when you have guests over to the house, it’s only a matter of time until something worse happens. The OP’s neighbors demonstrate a major lack of responsibility, common sense, and consideration for others in this.

Perhaps some legal action will wake them up and compel them to remedy the situation.

 

[exnihilo]

All I know is you don’t keep a pet that bites guests who try to pet it. You don’t go to a house that has a pet that bites you if you try to pet it. Also you should have extreme caution about people who have a pet that bites guests who try to pet it. That demonstrates a lack of due care. There is a lot of irresponsibility going on. People have far too much tolerance for poorly disciplined animals.

 

[pianistclare]

All I know is you don’t keep a pet that bites guests who try to pet it. You don’t go to a house that has a pet that bites you if you try to pet it. Also you should have extreme caution about people who have a pet that bites guests who try to pet it. That demonstrates a lack of due care. There is a lot of irresponsibility going on. People have far too much tolerance for poorly disciplined animals.

+1

The dog clearly is a problem if even one of her owners can’t handle her.
This dog should have had obedience training as a pup.
There’s no excuse, especially in light of drunken party guests.
Even worse If they know the dog is prone to attacking, they should have kept her in a crate for the party.
Animal control should investigate. They are NOT taking good care of that dog, and they are definitely putting others at risk. You couldn’t pay me to go over there, and NEVER with a child of any age.

 

[ConfusedLucy]

I think a lot of people get dogs without actually thinking about what owning a dog actually involves.