Dog bites dog. Humans get upset.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’m not really sure what I can do about this, other than be supportive. It’s really upsetting and ugly.

On Monday, my girlfriend took her kids on a mini-vacation. She got a woman to look after her dog Daisy. Daisy is a very sweet, if rambunctious, yellow lab.

On Tuesday night, the dog sitter took Daisy for a walk. Just about when they returned home, Tessa, an 9-month-old poodle, was being walked up the street. Daisy has never liked little dogs, but has never done anything other than barking at them. Until now. She took off, ripping the leash out of the dogsitter’s hand. (The dogsitter has theburn marks to prove it.) Daisy attacked, and both the dogsitter and Tessa’s owner pulled her off. But not before damage was done.

This is where stories conflict. According to the dogsitter, Tessa walked and her owner walked away. According to Tessa’s owner, she had to be carried. According to the animal control guy, Tessa’s stomach was ripped out, and it’s a tossup whether she’ll live or die. We haven’t gotten word back yet. And according to Tessa’s owner, Daisy was covered in blood. The dogsitter denies that.

Daisy is back at home, and was not taken away. According to the animal control guy, “If we had to put down every dog that ever attacked another dog, there’d be no dogs left.” Daisy will stay home, but is now restricted to backyard pooping. No more street for her.

Needless to say, GF is very upset over the whole thing. So is Tessa’s family, which includes three small children. GF, of course, is willing to pay the $3000+ vet bill, though she doesn’t know where she’ll come up with the money.

The whole thing makes me sick.

2

Well, the damage has been done, and if the animal control guys says the poodle’s stomach was torn out, then it doesn’t really matter if the lab was covered in blood or not.

It sounds like the dog-walker took the normal necessary precautions, but you can’t trust that this was a one time event. If you and your girlfriend can pay out of pocket for the vet bills (and possibly some therapy for the daughter if the dog dies), do so. You might also consider making some sort of good will gesture to her neighbors. If you can’t pay out of pocket, that’s what homeowner’s insurance is for.

The lab, however, needs to be taken to the vet and checked over for any health problem that might have caused its attack. After that, it and the girlfriend should go to an obedience trainer, and the lab never, ever leaves the backyard without every precaution taken.

3

Anything payment other than the vet bill, should come about by a civil lawsuit. This should not be discussed with the plaintiffs any more.

Heck if they are going to sue, she shouldn’t even pay the vet bill right now.
She should probably go to the vet and get a look at the bill and ask the vet what the damage to the poodle was and what the outlook for the poodle is.
It sounds like she should be consulting an lawyer now.

4

As it turns out, her homeowner’s insurance will cover the vet bill.

Therapy for the daughter seems way over the top.

5

Especially if the daughter did not witness the attack, and if the dog survives the attack.

(like the damage was more like what you GF describes).

6

I would venture to guess that “stomach ripped out” means “abdomen ripped open” because it’s hard to rip the actual stomach out, but the abdomen can be ripped open and intestines eviscerated rather quickly in a Big Dog/Little Dog situation. If the intestines were damaged then the prognosis may be critical because of the danger of infection and adhesions. Additional surgeries may be needed if that happens. But usually in most of these BD/LD cases the first few days are the most critical.

I am not going to comment on the lab’s aggression to other animals, other than to say your gf needs to realize that her dog may do this again and she needs to take the precautions necessary to prevent it. If her insurance company is getting involved they may insist on certain precautions.