To give the money back for my mauled dog's vet bill?

[Hullygully]

About three weeks ago my dog was set on by an Akita that had slipped its lead and a Rottweiler, that was on a lead, but managed to get to my dog while the owner was pulling the Akita off.

My dog had four puncture wounds and needed staples, antibiotics and painkillers.

The man was apologetic and offered to pay the vet bill, I screamed at him that the dogs should be securely on leads and be muzzled, got his number, but didn't manage to save it on my phone.

My dog was extremely traumatised for a week or so (we had to cancel a holiday), but is ok now, just responds more aggressively to any aggression shown.

I went to the police because I wanted the man to take it seriously and muzzle the dogs. A very nice policeman went to see him (I had found out where he lived), and then came to see me. He told the man the dogs had to be controlled.

I put a copy of the vet bill through his door, plus a letter asking him to PLEASE take it seriously and harness and muzzle the dogs. He turned up on my doorstep and gave me cash, and said he was sorry and loved dogs. I said, you are going to muzzle them, aren't you? And he said the police had said it wasn't necessary, and that he had a more secure collar...He also said the dog had attacked two other dogs before.

I was so stunned I just said, well, I think you are being very irresponsible etc.

He left. Now I want to go and put the money back through his door as it feels like he thinks he's bought his way out of his responsibility.

I am so enraged.

I am amazed that no one thinks I should give the money back. I am even weirder than I knew. I want to tear it into tiny pieces and put it in an envelope with a letter explaining exactly why he is a TOTAL CUNT

Yes, but it's this whole "next time" that worries me. I don't want there to be a next time. And there will be.

Hully. Keep the money, by him some muzzles. Point out he can't afford to keep paying peoples vet bills forever.

My lovely lab was attacked when with us a show . The dog was wearing a strong collar. He still attacked and ripped her face and nose.

The guys was apologetic. My dh was there and annoyed but said to the man no hard feelings. till the man went on to explain they couldn't leave the dog in a cage on the campsite as children might approach and they were worried about Gypsys stealing it . When dh said why no muzzle if your dog attacks, the bloke said

"c'mon, I don't want people thinking I can't control my dog"

I'd call the police back, tell them he is refusing the muzzle the dogs and that he admitted to you that they've attacked two other dogs.

I think the problem may be that the police can't force him to muzzle the dogs - they would need a court order for that. However, the fact that he has ignored their advice will hopefully piss them off and may make them be a bit more heavy handed with him. Even if you ignore the fact that no human was harmed, dogs are property in the eyes of the law and this man's actions are causing damage to your property and threatening to cause damage to other peoples'. Plus, who is to say that the dogs won't turn on a person.

If the police threaten to refer the matter to the CPS he'll face a charge of having a dog dangerously out of control in public (which is pretty much impossible to defend against) and he'll end up with a criminal record and a massive fine. Maybe that will make him take this more seriously.

If you give it back though, he has gotten away with it totally though, hasn't he?

It's not like he was paying you off to not report him to the police or anything, it is money you are LEGALLY entitled to.

I am going to write a great long letter to the policeman.

I'd keep it if I were you Hully

If he hasn't the decency to muzzle his dogs because they can, and have, attacked other dogs, maybe he will do it just to avoid paying out for the damage they cause.

If you can't bear using his money, you could give to charity.

I like the dog charity idea

X-posted with loads of people!

If you do decide to give it back wipe each note in your dog's poo before you do

do that with the envelope..just with no money in it

every time you want to give the money back , just think of him thinking he has got away with it AND not even had to pay, and spending the money on fancy dog collars or something

Hully an irresonsible dog owner is an irresponsible dog owner, no matter what.

I get how you feel about the money, but really, even if you give it back, he wont care. You may feel better, but he wont give two shits. He doesn't think it is an issue, so why should he do anything about it.

If you really feel you don't want this money then how about donating it to a rescue / organisation that cares for dogs who dont have the loving home that you give your dog? Or dogs that could have a new lease of life after cataract surgery (for eg), but rescues cannot afford to offer it?

I DO think you ought to talk to the police again, maybe in a "slightly puzzled, but the man said he didn't have to muzzle them and I wanted to be sure that was what you said" kind of way.

Much love to HullyDog

keep it and buy Hullydog something lovely with some of it like a new fluffy dog bed or a massive bone and then.

its not blood money, its money you are owed for what happened to your dog.

Hully if you hadn't taken him up of his offer to pay the vet bill, the dog owner would probably have forgotten about the whole incident by now.

You're dealing with an idiot. If you post it back he'll just think "Great I got my money back"

I know Mary. He had the police round before, apparently, to tell him to keep them on leads all the time.

I think I'll write to the lovely policeman and suggest the gets the dog warden to go round. Which I vaguely remember him mentioning.

And yes, I guess I'll spend the money on hullydog or give it to a charity.

Well I would spend it on a dog charity and write arsehole dog man a very arsey letter telling him that you have forwarded the money to a dog charity on his behalf (satisfyingly pompous) and that you hope that the money won't have to be used to treat a dog injured by his unmuzzled dog.

Good one, Buppy.

Why won't he muzzle them tho? What is his thinking?

I think it is one of two things:

1. He just wanted to save face and didn't want to admit to you that the police have told him to muzzle his dog. He may decide to muzzle, especially if he thinks he is going to have to fork out in the future, he just didn't want to admit that because people are twatty like this.

1. He is just a cunt.

1. he is stupid and doesn't understand his dog and thinks a secure collar will make all the difference

He says he loves his dogs.

That's just his then, everyone else's can get mauled.

I meant, he says he loves dogs, not HIS dogs