What should i do

MaryAndLittleTina · 01-21-2007, 11:42 PM

I have a problem. My neighbors dog is a pit/lab mix. A girl came to her house and they were arguing. Her dog was in the house. Another girl came out of her car and flung my neighbors screen door open and Breezy (her dog) bit the girl who flung the door open and was also screaming. I looked up laws in my state and it only talks about 'dangerous dogs' and i dont think that her dog is one. (that the D.A. will decide) I cant find any laws that protect the owner and the dog. This lady was tresspassing and i want to help my neighbor i have no clue where to look or who to call. Can anyone help??? -Mary

***Rivsky*** · 01-21-2007, 11:46 PM

I don't know about US law at all - but in SA we have something called the Dog and Cat Management Act - maybe try looking for something like that in your area. Our Act provides that a dog shall not be deemed to be dangerous if it is taking steps to protect either its owner or property in the face of a threat (or something similar along those lines) - which sound to me like they apply in the case of your neighbour.

Hopefully someone in your area knows something - if not maybe try ringing a shelter or council or something - they should be able to tell you what the relevant Act is for governing the keeping of domestic animals.

Good luck and I hope it works out for your neighbour.

TinyAlbinoDancer · 01-22-2007, 12:51 AM

Have you talked to your neighbor and explained that you'd like to help by offering your eyewitness report? Otherwise I would phone your local police and explain the situation and ask what you can do.

Kudos to you for being willing to get involved!

misdemeanorsmom · 01-22-2007, 12:06 PM

Is there much media coverage over this? (It would be very unlike the media to miss a chance to lampoon a pit, and make a 3-ring circus out of the incident.) If it's already a big public deal, I might want to find some support - PETA (I know! They can be scary, but they serve their purpose, and maybe they could help), your local HAWS, any animal experts that would speak out. If it's escaped media attention, she may want to approach it differently, to keep it low-key. Do you have anything like LegalAid in your area? She'll probably want to speak to an attorney, and there must be some type of organization (state-funded or private) that can provide legal assistance. Kudos to you for stepping forward!!

Do the police have your report as an eyewitness? Can she get family/friends/neighbors to sign an affadavit attesting to the dog's history of good behavior? Are the police pursuing this aggressively, or is there a chance the DA will not prosecute because the girls were trespassing? Is EVERYTHING current with the dog (all shots, all licensing)?

MaryAndLittleTina · 01-22-2007, 01:12 PM

Ok, thank you very much misdemeanorsmom. No she is lucky so far to not have the media all over this yet and im supprised cause that seems like just the type of thing that is all over the news in a small town like this. Ill have to check out legal aid here. We all want this low profile as long as possible. And all our neighbors said they would sign affidavids for her. I have been scared of dogs all my life untill i moved here. I was bit when i was younger, and once i moved here and met all my neighbors dogs i now am going to my local shelter to adopt one tomorrow. I was kinda silly to let what one dog did set the fate for all dogs in my future. Ok back to my neighbor i will check out all i can for her and keep helping her till she gets her 'baby' back. Thanks ill keep an update.

misdemeanorsmom · 01-22-2007, 06:49 PM

It's not silly at all. It's a traumatic and frightening thing for an adult, let alone a child, to go through. If the dog never left the house, or even stayed on the porch after the girl/woman threw the door open, I would hope this would provide some justification for the dog. If he chased her into the street biting her, he'd most likely be put down as dangerous. But protecting/defending their home and person is right up there with gotta eat, gotta breathe. Please let me know what happens.

01-21-2007, 11:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
MaryAndLittleTina Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	What should i do I have a problem. My neighbors dog is a pit/lab mix. A girl came to her house and they were arguing. Her dog was in the house. Another girl came out of her car and flung my neighbors screen door open and Breezy (her dog) bit the girl who flung the door open and was also screaming. I looked up laws in my state and it only talks about 'dangerous dogs' and i dont think that her dog is one. (that the D.A. will decide) I cant find any laws that protect the owner and the dog. This lady was tresspassing and i want to help my neighbor i have no clue where to look or who to call. Can anyone help??? -Mary

01-21-2007, 11:46 PM	#2 (permalink)
*Rivsky* Super Moderator Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: South Australia Posts: 3,705 Blog Entries: 6 Rep Power: 137	I don't know about US law at all - but in SA we have something called the Dog and Cat Management Act - maybe try looking for something like that in your area. Our Act provides that a dog shall not be deemed to be dangerous if it is taking steps to protect either its owner or property in the face of a threat (or something similar along those lines) - which sound to me like they apply in the case of your neighbour. Hopefully someone in your area knows something - if not maybe try ringing a shelter or council or something - they should be able to tell you what the relevant Act is for governing the keeping of domestic animals. Good luck and I hope it works out for your neighbour.
	__________________ As a member of Global paw staff my opinions are not necessarily those of the website or the owner.

01-22-2007, 12:51 AM	#3 (permalink)
TinyAlbinoDancer Always room for one more Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: CA Posts: 2,536 Rep Power: 162	Have you talked to your neighbor and explained that you'd like to help by offering your eyewitness report? Otherwise I would phone your local police and explain the situation and ask what you can do. Kudos to you for being willing to get involved!
	__________________ ~Karen Missie~Trixie~Little Guy~Ollie

01-22-2007, 12:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
misdemeanorsmom Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 124 Rep Power: 37	Is there much media coverage over this? (It would be very unlike the media to miss a chance to lampoon a pit, and make a 3-ring circus out of the incident.) If it's already a big public deal, I might want to find some support - PETA (I know! They can be scary, but they serve their purpose, and maybe they could help), your local HAWS, any animal experts that would speak out. If it's escaped media attention, she may want to approach it differently, to keep it low-key. Do you have anything like LegalAid in your area? She'll probably want to speak to an attorney, and there must be some type of organization (state-funded or private) that can provide legal assistance. Kudos to you for stepping forward!! Do the police have your report as an eyewitness? Can she get family/friends/neighbors to sign an affadavit attesting to the dog's history of good behavior? Are the police pursuing this aggressively, or is there a chance the DA will not prosecute because the girls were trespassing? Is EVERYTHING current with the dog (all shots, all licensing)?

01-22-2007, 01:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
MaryAndLittleTina Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	Ok, thank you very much misdemeanorsmom. No she is lucky so far to not have the media all over this yet and im supprised cause that seems like just the type of thing that is all over the news in a small town like this. Ill have to check out legal aid here. We all want this low profile as long as possible. And all our neighbors said they would sign affidavids for her. I have been scared of dogs all my life untill i moved here. I was bit when i was younger, and once i moved here and met all my neighbors dogs i now am going to my local shelter to adopt one tomorrow. I was kinda silly to let what one dog did set the fate for all dogs in my future. Ok back to my neighbor i will check out all i can for her and keep helping her till she gets her 'baby' back. Thanks ill keep an update.

01-22-2007, 06:49 PM	#6 (permalink)
misdemeanorsmom Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 124 Rep Power: 37	It's not silly at all. It's a traumatic and frightening thing for an adult, let alone a child, to go through. If the dog never left the house, or even stayed on the porch after the girl/woman threw the door open, I would hope this would provide some justification for the dog. If he chased her into the street biting her, he'd most likely be put down as dangerous. But protecting/defending their home and person is right up there with gotta eat, gotta breathe. Please let me know what happens.

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