dog attack - what will happen?

Soooooo glad your puppy is ok.

Not sure about the law in the VI but in most states if your dog is outside you must have it on a leash, if you did not you would bear a portion of the responsibility. Not sure what the law is here, I'm sure we have some legal eagles who will be able to tell you.

Everywhere we have lived here(rented or bought) we have put up a fence because there are simply to many wild dogs and animal owners who let there pets run wild. No dog should be allowed to run wild you just don't know what it could do. And so many people love to sue here that we have never wanted to take the risk of our dogs hurting someone OR being hurt. It was worth the cost of putting up a fence every time. If you don't think you can afford it, its relatively cheap to put up a cattle or chicken wire fence (couple hundred dollars or less), till you can afford the real deal.

Thanks, Hiya! We have an underground (invisible) dog fence here, and usually that's what we use. But since I put up the shutters, the whole house is covered except the front door, and THAT yard isn't fenced. He came over into the driveway in our front yard and just pounced. The neighborhood association here does have a "leash at all times" law, so I notified the president that this had happened.

I just heard from the vet that she had many more wounds than we thought, some deep into the muscle which required drains. I'm just so angry! And I have to live right next door to this guy and see him all the time!

Good luck. Dogs cannot legally run free, but there is no enforcement of the laws on the books. There has been some success in civil action against owners of loose dogs that attack people. If your neighbor doesn't at minimum cover the vet bill then you should consider legal action. I hope nothing like this ever happens again, but if it does the be sure to document the incident as best you can. Pictures of a neighbor's dog in your driveway attacking your dog would be as close to a legal slam dunk as you might ever hope to get. Bear in mind though that there is a big double standard where animal welfare and cruelty are concerned in this culture.

take him to court!!!!!!

I took pictures of the injuries that I saw, and I plan to take more of the stitched areas, drains and e-collar. All I really want is for this not to happen again, but it doesn't seem like that will be the case.

So sorry to hear about your pup, popflops. What a horrific thing to watch.

You've gotten some good advice. Hiya! is correct. If your dog was running free, both you and your neighbor could be cited. I have no idea how the law here weighs in on an invisible fence. As long as your dog doesn't bolt through the fence, I would think that you'd be in compliance with your association rules. Your neighbor clearly is not.

I agree with taking legal action if your neighbor doesn't pay the vet bill. Putting up a fence may be in your best interest. There are lots of strays on this island and, yup, huge cultural differences when it comes to dogs.

As billd says, "take him to court!!!!!!"

Regardless of what statutes may apply, you always have the opportunity to sue in civil court.

You can sue for actual damages (e.g., vet bill) and punitive damages (also called exemplary damages).

You may have more success with small claims court than waiting for the police to take action - and the police won't pay your vet bill.

Might even make on 'Judge Judy'!

Sorry to hear about your dog. That must have been terrifying. I don't know if you are going to get the police to do anything about it. Since this guy is your next door neighbor, and you see, and continue to see, him on a regular basis, I would suggest you start with him. Take your vet bills over to his house and talk to him about it. Express your concern for the safety of your dog, other dogs, and people. Ask him to please, please, keep the dog restrained. Give him the chance to make right on the vet bills. If he shows resistance, put everything in writing and mail it to him in a certified letter, with a clear deadline on when the bills need to be paid. If he doesn't make good, then file suit in small claims. As bad as the actual attack was/is....you could be living next door to this guy for a long time, and if you can handle the situation out of court civilly, it would probably be the best in the long run.

I would also keep a calendar handy so you can jot down the date/time that you see the dog running loose. The better records you keep, the better argument you can make. I would take the info to the "association" if you see that he isn't keeping the dog under control so they can force him to do so. Good luck! I hope your dog makes a speedy recovery!

Thank you everyone for your support! My little pup is doing amazingly well... was actually up and about the day after we took her to Dr. Hess, acting almost like nothing had happened! We've since made contact with the neighbor and worked it out amicably.

Thanks again! 🙂

It's great to hear that your pup is doing so well.

Does "amicably" include future restraint of that dog?

aussie -- That's what was promised, and his fence is even being repaired today. I certainly hope that this will be the end of any further attacks!

Wonderful news, popflops!

Hmmmm I just posted a ? about bringing my 2 cats with me when we move next month. Wild dogs all over the island? Even tho my cats are indoor cats 90% of the time, the idea of them being prey for wild dogs for 10% of the time is not good... Any other "crazy cat ladies" around who understand my need for a pet cat?

M&K -- If it makes you feel any better, we also have another dog and an indoor/outdoor cat which have never been bothered by this particular dog. That being said, there is a bit of a feral cat problem on STX, although it does seem to be getting better. Good luck!

Thanks popflops. That is a bit reassuring. *-)
Now the issue of finding a pet friendly place. My hubby is making the PMV in a couple of weeks so we're ever hopeful and thinking positively! Seems there is sooooo much to consider, plus the million loose ends around here!

I've been working on the feral cat issue. Who wants to come over for some scratch rabbit BBQ,It tastes just like chicken.Feral cats are a problem. They affect us cat lovers who care for our cats.They kill the birds and bats who are native to StX.The dog issue has gotten much better than ten years ago, but still plenty of bad dogs about. We fenced our yard for stray dogs and feed our cat inside.

I'm so glad to hear your dog is doing well! And it is so great that you and the neighbor could work something out. Good job on getting it done! I know it's hard when there is so much emotion involved.

That dog would have a 4 ft spear through its chest if it attacked my pets. Pictures may be hard to get in the heat of the moment. Your best bet is to go with the fence if possible, and always be ready with "attack dog repellant" of some sort. Spearguns, baseball bats, golf club, machettes etc. Mind you....a 150lb rottweiler in attack mode wont be easy to stop.