My husband was bitten by a dog

[Texasgal]

on Thursday. He works for the city and had to talk to a resident in her home.

When the resident came to the door a small breed dog lunged and bit my husband in his inner thigh, he brushed the dog off while the owner was trying to control the dog and he bit his ankle too. The dog bite drew blood.

Finally, the owner was able to corral the dog and my husband finished his visit.

Since this was a city issue, he was forced to go to the doctor, submit to drug and alcohol testing and a written report from the doctor. He is fine, although sore and the bite is in a tender place. He is on antibiotics and medicated ointment. His blood results came back fine. IE: No rabies.

The issue is what is happening now. Since hubs works for the city they have required the owners shot records, and an official "bite" report. Turns out the dog has not been updated on shots. In this case the city is requiring that the dog be quarantined for 10 days at the expense of the owner! We just found out today that they sent animal control out.

We are dog lovers and hubs realizes that this was a mistake and is not angry nor upset at all. The dog owner was an older woman living in a home in a low income area.

I guess I am not asking for advice, just more support. We are just sick about this.

[applegrove]

1. That is such a tough situation to be in.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. I think I understand what you're feeling.

That's unfortunate on all fronts. Since your husband is okay with all this, I guess I feeling bad for the woman and for her dog.

Yeah. Sucks all around.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. I understand.

I was bit by a dog a few weeks ago while I was taking a walk in the neighborhood, and I also believe that the dog did not have an intent to hurt me.....he was just too excitable and big for the owner to handle, so it broke loose, jumped on me, and its open mouth hit my lips. I was a mess, but they were not too deep. I refused to go to the doctor, because I knew that they would give problems to the owner and possibly the dog.

I am fine now, with just one spot that may be a scar on my upper lip. But....one of the other dogs owned by these people (they have four pit bulls) did attack another old woman who was taking a walk. It really mangled her arm. I am now sorry that I did not alert the authorities to my incident. It is doubtful that it would have mattered, but it may have made them more aware of the problems they have with these dogs, which are uncontrollable by them.

It may seem like it is a rotten thing to happen for this woman, but there are so many other issues involved. First, she should have had the dog rabies vaccine up to date. I am sorry to say, but if you are unable to afford the most rudimentary care, you should not have a dog. Secondly, she is now aware that her dog can be dangerous to strangers, and she will hopefully confine the dog before she opens the door. This could protect someone else. And finally, your husband had no option here. He had to be treated, and the authorities had to be notified. None of this is his fault.

[Texasgal]

4. yes, I agree.

It's important to keep updated on dog shots. Had she done so this situation may have turned out different.

When this happened I immediately went and looked up our dogs records. Turns out we are a month behind on Quincy for one of his annuals! I have an appointment tomorrow! YIKES!

The lady was very apologetic and surprised that her dog lunged at hubs. She said that this dog was quite loving and never displayed that type of behavior. She said her dog is all she has.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. I have no doubt that the dog is all she has.

And that is what is so sad. If you really believe that she needs help with the dog, or low-cost rabies clinics, or the fee for the quarantine, you can always try to do something to help her. But that is iffy, since I thought that I was helping these women with the pits, but they really did not take that help to heart. Always do what you feel you have to do. (And sometimes that would be to do nothing and let her learn....it is up to you.)

[Texasgal]

7. I wanted to offer some help

with getting her dog up to date but I am afraid because the city is involved. I do not want to involve Jess's job.

[jtuck004]

9. Get someone else to do it for you. n/t

[TexasBushwhacker]

18. I had a similar experience

My cousin's dog jumped up and bit me in the butt one time as I was leaving her house. It was totally unprovoked. I went to the doctor the next day and they called my cousin to get the dog's shot records. My cousin was shocked that I had gone to the doctor and let them know it was her dog that bit me. She said she didn't think it was that big a deal. I didn't ask her to pay for the office visit and shot ($100) nor did she ask. I confess, I didn't report the bite to animal control. I wish I had. The dog went on to bite her daughter's teacher, who had come over for a visit. It wasn't that bad of a bite, but at that point, they knew this dog was a biter and still kept it. Well, their next door neighbor was chatting with them one day. The dog ran out and mauled the neighbor. It was serious this time, and the woman had to have plastic surgery. They finally got rid of the dog.

While I sympathize with the old owner, rabies vaccinations cost next to nothing and there are programs to pay for the vaccines for the pets of poor owners. I get aggravated when I see someone posting on Craigslist that they want free puppies or kittens (even asking for purebreds!). If you can't afford an adoption fee, you can't afford vet bills, etc.

[Curmudgeoness]

19. Having animals, I am amazed at the cost

to keep them well-fed and healthy.....some much more than others, like this defective cat I have now.

I did finally go to the doctor yesterday for a tetanus shot, probably too late to do any good, but I was so far past due that this did scare me. Since the bite was healed with just some scarring, the doctor did not give me a hard time. He did ask if it was a vicious dog and I just said it was overly excited, so he told me that it would not be reported. I think if I had gone right away, it was bad enough to put up red flags. Three weeks was long enough to heal----isn't the body so cool!

[glinda]

6. As a matter of conscience, you could find out if the dog has been put down and if not make

sure that funds can be raised and the dog bailed out in time. It might be that you have to call every single day to make sure. I feel very bad about this. You might try a fund raiser to help out the situation? Sad story.

[Texasgal]

8. Treading lightly here..

Only because my husband works for the city. It was mandatory for him to go through all of this, otherwise he probably wouldn't have!

[Sunlei]

29. good point. If the owner can't pay the pound fees, they won't give the dog back after 10 days.

[TorchTheWitch]

10. It's medical protocol - same as in PA

The whole reason for the protocol is to see if the dog has any dangerous diseases specifically rabies. I had to go through the same thing once with Boo even though his shots were up to date. In PA the protocol overrides proof of up to date shots. I think that's pretty stupid, but that's how they do it here. Boo accidentally bit one of my fingers once when we were out in the yard playing with a tug toy. He went to bite the toy but got one of my fingers as well by mistake. The nosy old lady that used to live here that hated dogs, cats and every other animal in the world called the police because she saw it happen. Actually, I think she still does live here, but she's gotten so old I don't think she's ever left the house in years. She has a couple of tenants that she lets rooms to (which I don't think is legal here but nobody seems to care) so at least she isn't alone in the house. I haven't actually seen her in years though so I'm not really sure if she's still there or not. I'm just guessing she probably is since I still see the tenants coming and going from the house.

The police came to my house, and apparently she gave them a story that was nothing at all like what happened which was easily confirmed with my showing my ever so slightly injured finger. The officer was very apologetic (they were long accustomed to this lady calling in all the time making animal complaints that don't pan out as she says). But since it was a bite that broke the skin, mistake or no we had to go through the protocol anyway. Since Boo had his own fenced yard and I lived alone he was allowed to be quarantined for the 10 days at home. Nobody but me was allowed contact with him during that time. Other than that there wasn't anything different about it than how he normally lived except the neighbors couldn't pet him over the fence, he couldn't have contact with the neighborhood dogs (but he didn't care for the neighborhood dogs much anyway and ignored them), and we couldn't go on our nightly walks (not being able to do our walks did suck a bit though).

The same day we had to make an emergency appointment at the vet for an exam at my expense. The vet said the whole protocol was stupid since they knew he was up to date on his shots (they were the ones that gave them and recorded them after all) and the 10 day quarantine was really stupid since if the dog did have rabies it would be dead long before the end of the 10 days.

Oh, I forgot to mention that while I was talking to the officer an officer that was from whatever the dog control dept. is (I think it's called Animal Control) also came over to take a report. They have their offices in the same place as the police department but they come under the umbrella of the agricultural dept. (I didn't even know that we had an agricultural dept.!). He was also very nice and apologetic about what we had to go through because of this tiny little accidental bite, but they had to do it because that's the state's protocol. They were really great at putting my mind at ease about what would happen to Boo... I was afraid he'd get a "strike" against him because of this (PA generally goes by a "three strike" rule when it comes to dog bites). They said that with every incident and every dog the facts of the matter are really important to them. They understand that dogs do bite for legitimate reasons like if they're defending themselves or their territory or their people, being teased or put into a fear situation like a dog that's scared of the vet or the groomer, if someone gets too close to them while they're eating, etc. So they only are concerned with a dog that bit on purpose for some non-legitimate reason. But every dog bite incident that breaks the skin has to be reported no matter the circumstances and it's the dog/animal control dept. that does an investigation and makes a report. Mostly they just look at the injury themselves if the injured person didn't need to go to the hospital or read the doctor's report if they did and make sure that the dog goes through the state's silly protocol of the emergency exam and the 10 day quarantine. They said that they try to have the dog do the quarantine at home as much as they can. They also said that all the vets that practice in the state are required to make room in their schedule to do the emergency exam since the protocol says it has to be done the same day.

I was fortunate that when this happened I was working and making good money and had savings and a manager that was understanding that I couldn't go to work that night because of having to take the dog in for this same day exam rubbish. I do feel bad for this older lady that she's going to have to come up with the money for an exam but I'm pretty sure since she lives alone they'll let her have the dog do the 10 day quarantine at home. It's a lot cheaper for the state, and there is no state that has enough funds to house and feed quarantined dogs unless the incident is really severe, so they'll likely do everything they can to see that the dog does the quarantine at home. I also think that in the circumstances they won't give the dog a strike and decide that it bit for a legitimate dog-reason that being that your husband was a stranger in the dog's territory. If they haven't already they'll probably want to talk to him about the incident and it will matter that your husband believes that the dog bit for a legitimate reason and he's understanding. My state is even more strict with the protocol since they don't care if the dog is up to date on their shots and still have to go through the exam and quarantine anyway. That's really stupid and unnecessary, but some bureaucrat somewhere made the decision to do it this way as dumb as it is, so everyone in the state is now stuck with complying with this foolishness.

Once they determine that the dog doesn't have rabies or any other dangerous diseases as long as the lady follows up with the protocol they'll likely just file a report that will get lost somewhere in the bowels of the state's record room where ever that is (probably in the capitol) and that will be the end of it. That's mostly the reason for the emergency exam... to draw blood to examine for any rabies or other dangerous diseases. They'll also require that the dog gets caught up for it's rabies shot or any other state required shots (I don't think any state requires any shots other than rabies though).

I don't want to tell you what you should do, but if you're concerned about the old lady's low income it would be a nice gesture if you offered to help out with any expenses she'll need to comply with the protocol. My vet only charged I think it was around $80 for the exam and blood work, and had Boo needed a rabies shot I think that's something that's relatively cheap, like around $40 or so. If they let the dog quarantine at home that should be the only expenses.

They aren't going to take the dog away or put him to sleep. It was a minor bite, the dog bit for a dog-legitimate reason (stranger danger) and though the protocol still has to be adhered to it's only because of rabies. The only issue I think is if the lady can afford to pay for what needs to be payed for to comply with the protocol. I'm not seeing that the dog would be taken away to do the quarantine and will let the quarantine be at home. Other than that, the only thing I can think of that could be a problem is if the dog already has a bad bite history with the state. The only reason that this protocol exists and they're doing this quarantine and all that is because it's a rabies protocol the state has, not because they think this is a dangerous dog.

[kestrel91316]

15. There's no blood test for rabies in animals or humans. Not sure what that nonsense is about unless

they are doing a rabies antibody titer in the biter. They may do that given the really outrageous incidence of raccoon rabies in the area.

A blood test for rabies titer in a bitee makes no sense at all unless it's someone with prior rabies immunizations and no documented titer - that would affect the protocol only if the biter actually HAD rabies.

Silly overkill, IMHO.

[TorchTheWitch]

16. it is silly overkill

My vet had his documentation that he was up to date on his rabies vaccine, he had the collar tag, and we still had to go through that nonsense because of a bureaucratic idiot protocol at my expense. Of course I knew he didn't have rabies - he was my own dog, and if it wasn't for that nosy old lady calling the police we wouldn't have had to go through any of that garbage. She saw that we were playing and that he got me by accident but goes and calls the police for something so ridiculous as an accidental bitty little tooth scrape on my finger. It's bizarre to make people go through that nonsense when they have proof of up to date rabies vaccine.

[kestrel91316]

17. What is really annoying is that your bite was not what's called an

unprovoked bite. There was a reason for it in your interaction, and that almost always means that rabies had nothing to do with it.

Idiotic bureaucrats who don't know a thing about rabies wrote that protocol, and it goes against the Compendium of Animal Rabies Control guidelines, lol.

[Curmudgeoness]

20. What is really interesting about your experience

is that I also live in PA, and a neighborhood dog just attacked a woman taking a walk. The woman had to go to the emergency room, and the police were called. But the police just looked at the rabies certification to see that it was up-to-date and warned them not to leave the dogs run loose. No animal control. No quarantine, unless it is at home, but with 4 dogs in that house, I am not sure how that would work. I do not know if they had to go to a vet with the dog. I wonder why you had such a horrible ritual to go through, when a dangerous attack did not seem to cause them any inconvenience.

[TorchTheWitch]

21. maybe it's township rules?

I think not all townships even have an animal control department. But I definitely remember calling the head of the state for animal control in Harrisburg and talking to him. Very nice guy. We chatted for nearly two hours just about dogs in general. You could tell he was a huge animal and specifically dog lover. Very knowledgeable about dogs and all kinds of wild critters. I remember him saying that it was state protocol, but now that I think about it, not all townships in the state have their own animal control departments.

Do you know what township this was and if they have their own animal control department or if the police handle animal problems and then report directly to the state in Harrisburg? If this was such a bad attack I'm not seeing how the dog was just given back to the owners and that was that. If I was that lady that got attacked I'd be PISSED. But I've also heard a lot here that people say their animal control dept. is useless. I know ours is really on the ball what with their trapping, treating and releasing the foxes with mange years ago and trying to catch that loose husky dog that follows and annoys people and dogs out walking so they can find out who owns him (after years nobody has been able to get close enough to that nuisance to check his collar tags - at least he's only annoying and not vicious).

I think I might call that guy in Harrisburg again and ask him about this. If I went through that stupid protocol when I didn't have to I'll be soooo mad! But even my vet was familiar with it since they did a lot of grumbling about it when I took Boo in for the exam. I don't know, maybe it's just our township that doesn't care if the dog is current on their rabies vaccination. I still have the paperwork somewhere that they gave me about the protocol and what had to be done to comply, and I definitely remember being annoyed about his having his current rabies vaccine not making a spit's bit of difference... that will never make any sense to me. I'm going to look for it and see if it's from the state or the township and what it all says. I remember that it was a copy of government letterhead but I don't remember if it was state or local government. At the time I read it, and it just described the protocol and basically told me everything that the animal control officer already did, but I know I would have kept it. There where a couple of things with check boxes that the officer marked off... one of them was something to do with the quarantine (like his being quarantined at home) and there was another about their telling me about what vet I could go to for the exam but since I already had a regular vet that one I think he wrote "n/a", and I don't remember what other checked things there were. I just don't really remember what I did with Boo's whole file after he passed away. I wouldn't have thrown it out (I can't seem to throw out anything, and it's hard enough just to take one of my dog's files out of the file cabinet after they die). It's probably in a box down in the basement somewhere. Now I really want to look at that paper again and see what it says about his being current on his rabies vaccine. And see which government it came from - state or local.

This better be a local government thing or something or I'm going to pitch a fit. If I had to go through all that crap for no reason I want my money back. But my vet was familiar with the routine as well, and they're saintly, so I know they wouldn't have made me go through all that nonsense for no reason, and they wouldn't have put themselves through it either.

Holy crap, I just noticed there's a mouse in my house again! Damn thing just ran right passed me and under the printer table! Eeeeeeeeeeek! OMG he just ran back out of the room again! WTF? I'm not moving off this chair and keeping my feet off the ground. What the hell is he doing in my house in August??? And why on earth is he running around right in front of me???

[Curmudgeoness]

22. LOL, oh no, not a mouse in the house!

You sidetracked me there---but I suppose it sidetracked you too. I had two mice in here over the summer, and that isn't usual. I get a lot of mice in the fall. Maybe they think it is fall since the nights have been so cool.

Anyways, my incident happened in the City of Sharon. We don't have a city animal control officer, but there is a regional one...I think. I say I think because I am one of those people who will say they are useless. We also have a Humane Society that has people certified for animal control, but they usually do rescues when an animal is in unsafe conditions. It was a city policeman who went to the house to check the rabies records.

I am wondering if there has been a law change since the time you had the problems. PA is always weakening laws. How long ago did this happen? The situation here was only a week or two ago. The dog never was taken, and I know that because the owners are still letting it out without a leash and not in an enclosed area. And they are threatening the neighbors who have called the police to report that the dog is still not being controlled. So that dog is not quarantined. Who knows. It might be a change in law, or it may be a nonchalant attitude by our police officers.

I am sorry that you went through so much for such an insignificant issue. But at this point, I would not get myself worked up about it. When I have some time, I will see if I can find out whether that law is still in effect and if it is a PA state law. It is something that our whole neighborhood needs to know.

[TorchTheWitch]

23. this was a number of years ago

Boo died two years ago this month, and he was six then. He was fairly young when the incident happened though I can't remember exactly how young. He was full grown but still really puppyish, and that was when I was doing really well at work and had a good amount of savings, so I'm guessing like maybe 2005 or 2006? Ack, I'd have to find his file. I would also have the bill from the vet in there with the exact date on it, too.

I got the live trap set up for the mouse right where he ran under the printer table. He better not be under there chewing on my computer cords. Last year was the first year I got mice in this house and it was only in the fall. I got around 9 or 10 of the creepers one after the other, and I still can't figure out how the hell they were getting in. Once that it started getting really cold for winter I never got another one. I thought they only came in when it was cold out? Our nights have been pretty cool recently, but the last 3 or so have been warm and humid as hell. He might have come in one of those chilly nights before I closed the back door though and taken a few days to make his way upstairs. I never did figure out how they climbed the stairs. Or how neither me or Yoshi noticed them doing it. I caught them all last fall in this room though. This one is damn bold running around right in front of me. I'm terrified he'll run right over top of my foot. Ewww.

[IrishAyes]

25. Here's my natural/cheap way of rodent and bug control

I used to live way out in the boonies but never had a problem because I've always tossed bars of original Irish Spring deodorant soap in out of the way corners of the house. They hate that. Dryer sheets help too.

Most people wouldn't want my other method, though, regardless of its effectiveness: There were plenty of king snakes around, and I encouraged them to live under the house. But then I love snakes!

[Curmudgeoness]

30. Has it already been two years?

I remember when it happened. Never a good day when you see that someone has lost a friend.

As to the mice, I also cannot figure out how they get into my house, but they do. I rarely have then in my upstairs, but I would bet that your mouse didn't climb the stairs. It probably got up there in the walls. My only mouse in the upstairs was under the sink, and it probably came up the pipes. I live beside a field, so this is just something that I have to put up with, I suppose (although maybe I will try IrishAyes' suggestions....well, some of them. I think that they come in when fall gets here because they are looking for a good place to survive winter. Once the really cold weather gets here, they have all already found those places. Sadly, the ones that get in here do not survive. I do not have a live trap.

[Curmudgeoness]

31. I did some research on PA laws regarding dog bites,

and it seems that your experience is what is supposed to happen....but it is not what happened here. I will have to talk to the woman who was bit to see if she has any more information about the incident (like did the dog owners pay her medical bills). Apparently, in the situation here, the policeman chose to ignore the law. Or they are allowing the dog to be "confined" at home.

§ 459-502. Dog bites; detention and isolation of dogs

(a) Confinement.--Any dog which bites or attacks a human being shall be confined in quarters approved by a designated employee of the Department of Health, a State dog warden or employee of the Department of Agriculture, an animal control officer or a police officer. The dog may be detained and isolated in an approved kennel or at the dog owner's property or at another [FN1] location approved by the investigating officer. Where the dog is detained is at the discretion of the investigating officer. All dogs so detained must be isolated for a minimum of ten days. Any costs incurred in the detaining and isolation of the dog shall be paid by the offending dog's owner or keeper or both. If the dog's owner or keeper is not known, the Commonwealth is responsible for all reasonable costs for holding and detaining the dog.

(b) Bite victims.--The following shall apply:

(1) The investigating officer shall be responsible for notifying the bite victim of the medical results of the offending dog's confinement. Any cost to the victim for medical treatment resulting from an attacking or biting dog must be paid fully by the owner or keeper of the dog. The Commonwealth shall not be liable for medical treatment costs to the victim.

(2)(i) For the purpose of this subsection, the term “medical results of the offending dog's confinement” shall mean, except as provided in subparagraph (ii), information as to whether the quarantined dog is still alive and whether it is exhibiting any signs of being infected with the rabies virus.

(ii) If a nonlethal test for rabies is developed, the term shall mean the results of the test and not the meaning given in subparagraph (i).

(c) Exception.--When a dog that bites or attacks a human being is a service dog or a police work dog in the performance of duties, the dog need not be confined if it is under the active supervision of a licensed doctor of veterinary medicine.

CREDIT(S)

1982, Dec. 7, P.L. 784, No. 225, art. V, § 502, effective Jan. 1, 1983. Amended 1996, Dec. 11, P.L. 943, No. 151, § 12, effective in 60 days; 2008, Oct. 9, P.L. 1450, No. 119, § 14, effective in 60 days [Dec. 8, 2008].

[FN1] “or to another” in enrolled bill

[Phentex]

11. I'm sorry to hear it...

what a tough situation.

[hamsterjill]

12. Some advice to give to the owner...

I certainly understand that laws and rules must be followed. Your husband is the innocent victim here, and I hope the owner of the dog has learned a valuable lesson in making sure that her dog stays current on his rabies vaccinations from this point forward.

That said, the owner might check with animal control and see if quarantining the dog at a vet's office is an option. In my own city, that IS an option, although the idiots at animal control certainly aren't going to tell anyone that it is an option. In our city, the pound is a horrible place with diseases, etc., and it's best to do anything and everything you can to keep your pet out of there, even for a ten day quarantine.

If the dog is left at animal control for the full 10 days, the owner should visit often to check on her pet and the conditions in which it is being kept, and she should be there when they open on the 10th day to get her pet out with whatever paperwork she's to have, fines that have to be paid, etc. She should get copies of all paperwork back from Animal Control so that she has valid proof that she has done as they asked.

I'm sorry, but because of the Animal Control department in our city, I have a VERY VERY VERY bad view of animal control in general. It is always better to be safe than sorry, in other words, the owner needs to be very proactive in making sure her dog isn't "accidentally" euthanized or something.

[Sunlei]

27. I'm familar with Texas and their dog bite 'laws'

even a dog with current vaccines, has to have a Vet exam with a lot of expense including ticket for the bite, there are fines too.

In animal control. no one touches those dogs, they hose out the cage with the dog in it. someone throws in some food if the dogs lucky.

quarantining the dog at a vet's office is an option- usually the animal control truck comes to the house and takes the dog away, once a 'bite case is opened'.

It is an option to use your Vet, but call your Vet and price quarantining the dog. It could be 100 a day easy.

The best thing to do of course is, keep up at least with your dogs rabies shot.

AND if you have to have someone, some 'city official' in your home, put your dog up so there is no chance they will be scratched, nipped or bitten.

[hamsterjill]

28. Yeah, isn't Texas just "lovely" to animals!

Our animal control facility is to badly operated, that we have a couple of vets in town that will work with people to do the quarantines. In two instances that I know of, the animals were initially taken to animal control, but then when the owners were advised of their rights to quarantine the animals at a vet's office, they arranged to have the dogs transported to the vet's office, at the absolute and utter resistance of animal control.

There have been too many "mistakes" at our local animal control. Dogs killed by "accident", etc. Retaliation, etc. It's almost unbelievable unless you've witnessed it. It is simply not safe to have a beloved pet that an owner wants back - quarantined in the facility in my city.

Of course and absolutely, rabies shots should be kept current. I addressed that in my original comments.

[sinkingfeeling]

13. I'm sorry for all involved. Your husband, the owner, and the dog.

[kestrel91316]

14. Quarantine is an appropriate precaution. Perhaps the woman will learn to

keep her dog current on its rabies vaccinations. They are dirt cheap and most communities have low cost shot clinics.

I am puzzled by that supposed blood test to say your husband didn't have rabies, though. No such test exists.

http://www.nasphv.org/Documents/RabiesCompendium.pdf

[IrishAyes]

24. Glad Hubs is ok

Bad situation all around. Please keep us posted to future developments.

Less than a year ago, before Brigid joined us, Molly Maguire and I were out walking and some lady accidentally let her Wheatons out, and they set on us like a house on fire. I wasn't about to let loose of Molly's leash, and it got wound around my legs while I was trying to pick her up to protect her. The dogs didn't bite me, surprisingly, since I was ready to kill them. I don't know if I just fell or one of the Wheatons jumped and pushed me down, but I wound up cracking my head on the concrete when I fell in the street - where I could've been run over.

Anyway, the lady was so aplogetic and I know she's generally a nice person that I said I had no intention of suing her - which I could've done - but I made the police chief write an official report so the dogs would have an unprovoked attack on their record. I had to make sure the lady would take more effective measures to control them in the future; otherwise it would be partly my fault if they did worse damage to someone else and there was no record of their behavior.

[Sunlei]

26. because your husband "had to talk to a resident in her home" he needs to ask if there is a dog...

ask the person to put the dog away. Or he' will be bitten again and another person will have to go through this with their pet.