Careless Dog Owner (Page 2)

I sympathize with your situation, as I also have zero tolerance with vicious or wild dogs, and that would easily have p*ssed me off pretty bad.  I definitely think suing would be a huge hassle for you and ultimately a waste of your time.  If it was me I would probably just go back to the house and explain the trouble the owner will get into next time it happens, as well as make it clear that there would be a good chance the dog could actually be put down for something like that (repeated attacks). 

 Other than that a brick through the living room window never hurt either =)

A few years ago a friend of mine brought her dogs over to my house and let them jump out of the car unleashed.  I had a contractor over doing some work and one of her dogs nipped him on the back.  As I recall they asked her for medical expenses.  No idea if she ever paid...but I know nothing else ever came of it.  Like others have said...I doubt you would get much more than medical expenses.

To respond to a few posts....ANY dog bit no matter how minor should be treated by a physician.  Those things can get infected QUICK.

NEVER try to outrun a dog.  I have a dog aggressive dog so if I run with her I have to be EXTRA vigilant because any dog that tries to charge us is going to get its butt kicked if I don't fend them off.  The absolute MOST effective thing I have found is to STOP, STAND MY GROUND, and SHOUT in my most authoritative voice something like "GO HOME!".  Most reasonably well trained dogs will hear the authoritative shout and stop in their tracks.

I have been bitten twice, one was accidental, two dogs were rough housing, and the three of us could not ocupy the same spot.  The second, i was 13 - 14 i was out riding my bike and a beagle/terrier sized dog charged me and jumped up an bit my leg.

I first incident i was  like 8 and got scared, no skin broken, and i was in the neighbors yard.  the dog had all its shots.  The second, i was on the road, with no where to run, due to an intersection.  Again the skin was not broken and the dog had its shots, but the owner told my father that" I shouldn't be riding my bike near his house", we filed reports with the Dog Officer and Police.  The second  cost the owners some dough, The dog officer too the dog for several weeks, and they had to pay fines for the dog not leashed.

If a dog bites always file a report, period.  If any minor damage was done, try to work it out with the owner, otherwise, press charges, if the owner is an .  

Kevin

From personal experience I would approach the owner and let them know that if the behavior continues you will be forced to call the appropriate authorities.  I had a similar experience with a pit bull.  He is still a puppy and at first he would run up to me and bark and I would yell at the neighbors to get their dog.  As he got older the dog got a little more aggressive and he nipped at me.  I immediately went to the owners house and told them if it happened one more time I was going to call animal control.  I've not had a problem since but I've not run much when he is normally out.  My biggest issue is if this dog gets aggressive when me, my wife, and her daughter are simply walking through the neighborhood.

Here's my solution.  I got a can of pepper spray and I carry it with me only when I run/walk where this dog is.  The next time he comes at me and I feel threatened the dog will get sprayed.

I'm all about preventative measures. I dont carry pepper spray when I run because I dont like carrying anything when I run. I have found that my feet make a fairly good deterent. I usually run without headphones so I am aware of my surroundings. It hasnt happened yet, but here is my game plan.

1. Dog charges

2. Kick it in the jaw so hard it cant open its mouth for a month.

Its not animal cruelty, its self defense.

Now the owner is stuck paying their dog's medical bill and you can finish your run with no broken skin.

On a side note, I would also expect this if my dog was off the leash and charged a nearby runner or biker. I'm with everyone else that says talk to the owner first. Make it very clear that if he doesnt cover your medical costs you will recover them in small claims court. You will not get anything other than your medical costs though. You will probably end up paying 10X what you would have recived in lawyer fees.

I don't think i would call this dog a vicious dog. If a German Shepherd really wanted to bite you, you would end up with far worse than a minor puncture wound. Yes, the dog shouldn't have been let out of the house off leash but anyone who owns a dog knows that they can squeeze by you way too easily. You trying to run past the yard most likely made the situation worse. Based off the fact the would was so minor, he was probably trying to play with you. A dog's instinct is to chase something running. once he caught you, he tred to bump/nip at you, since again , that is how they play.

 I think filing a police report without talking to the dog owner is a little over the top. If the owner had blown me off, that is the first thing I would do, but since the dog owner had no idea that the dog actually got you, to call him cowardly as one poster did is ridiculous.

I don't do it on my runs anymore, and rarely on the bike, but I used to carry a 1" rattan stick (Escrima) with me on runs and bikes when I ran/rode in rural Colorado. Dog chases me, he gets the stick and I don't mean fetch.

I've had dogs, and will again, but a dog comes after me on a bike or a run, and I have no problem defending myself. I've had them knock me off a bike at 30+mph, and that is no fun, especially when they keep coming.

If any animal rights activists want to debate it with me, we'll grab a dog that runs after bikes/runners, and give them a 100 yd head start. Then we'll discuss my attitude :D.

John 

Speaking as someone who doesn't "get" domesticated animals and finds dogs in particular to be at best an annoying inconvenience and at worst dangerous: forget about it.

 File a report with the necessary authorities, so that in case it happens again (to you or to someone else) the dog can be dealt with.  It's important to build a history.

 Unfortunately, so often these cases are just people looking for a quick $500-1000; there's almost no chance the guy will even believe you about your injuries, even though you have a legitimate case.

If the money is a real issue, and I admit it would be for me, I would politely call or pay them a visit and ask them to reimburse you. He'll probably decline, but sometimes people surprise you by doing the right thing.  Suing, on top of being litigious and petty, would be a waste of time.  You may never see a dime, even if you win.  And then you're out for attorney fees.

kind of ot, but related:

I'm a prosecutor, and often have cases with K9s.  They are German Shepards and understand commands only in German (it's awesome).

There was a def. trying to grab the K9 ofc.'s belt, and the command was given.

dog bit down - and didn't let go until the command was given to do so.

the dog bit through the def.'s leather jacket and broke skin.

----

Wow, this sure got a lot more attention than I expected, so I would like to clarify a couple of things.

I am not going to sue for damages, I am just going to try to cover the 250 bucks my medical insurance won't cover because of the deductible. My wife was very upset that day because, even after 21 years, she still worries about me, and she has a fear of dogs related to a childhood incident. She asked me to check with my lawyer who is my good friend before he is my lawyer. He has moved to FL, but we still talk 3 or 4 times a week, so I would have talked to him anyway.

Before I made an official report, I made sure with the animal control officer that nothing would happen to the dog. The owner will get a fine because my town has a leash law, so that all works out well since I actually love dogs but I do not like bad owners.

I did not talk directly to the owner because as I said, I have known their next door neighbor for years, and she said that any conversation with the owner would have been a waste of time.

I know that what happened to me is not a big deal, but it could have been worse. It could have been a paperboy, or an elderly lady walking her dog instead of me, or whatever.

Hope that clears up a few things

Anthony

A little off but what the hey

About 10 years back there was a guy riding his bike and these dogs would chase and try to bite him daily.  Police and owners did nothing.  We live in a free state so the next time the guy on the bike stopped, pulled out his pistol and shot both dogs, then rode off.  Bummer for the kids to find the dogs shot, but he tried the whole police/owner thing.

It was in the papers for weeks.  Just sharing a extreme story, not suggestioning you go and shoot the dog. 

Thank you! The very best and fastest way to get yourself bit is to act like prey and run. Even a poodle has enough chase instinct and speed to catch up to you and bite you.

Do make sure that the dog's shots are up to date, and if you are really dedicated to going the lawsuit route, you could sue for your damages in small claims court.  That won't cost more than another day off work, court fees and some more stress.

Sorry you got bit, hope you heal quick.