Quote: john stopps

Unfortunately, my experience with vets has been the same. The one's I've been to tack on a whole bunch of things, seemingly just to make some more moola. It's also not just a matter of money, but also that they very frequently recommend vaccinations or drugs that the dog does not need and could potentially cause harm.

We need a list of "good" vets in each state or major metro area.

What we need is people who will educate themselves and not be intimidated by their vet. We can't always trust others not to take advantage of us.

 Quote: john stopps

As for you're $600 bill. I would probably agree that it was your fault for letting your dog off leash. However, I do think you would win in small claims court if you chose to go.

So if it was the OPs fault and she was the one who let the vet charge $600 the other owner should not be the one to pay the extortion, let the OP deal with the crooked vet. Don't pass the buck.
It boils down to: Do people take responsibility for their own problems or do they make someone else pay for their mistakes just because they can get away with it?
While I'm at... it this falls into "let the government/doctors/etc, etc run our lives and get us out of trouble because we are too lazy or complacent to do it ourselves" mindset.

When you bring your off-leash animal into an environment that is known to have other off-leash animals then it should be understood that you're taking a risk. To me, that's basic common sense. And I'm not a lawyer or anything close, but it wouldn't surprise me if a judge felt the same way.

I don't allow my dog off-leash because I don't trust most other dog owners ON leash, let alone off leash!

But, for arguement's sake, if I was in this situation I would probably suck up the cost and not persue the woman with the other dog because, as I said...there is an inherent risk in taking your dog to these places. I would consider it an expensive lesson learned. You never know what kind of dog (or owner) you're going to run into until it's too late, unfortunately.

However, I would check the local PD or animal control to make sure that this dog doesn't have a history. If it does have a bite history then that's a dog that shouldn't be off-leash anywhere, anytime...regardless of whether it's allowed or not.

Also, regardless of whether there is a history or not, I would file a report of the incident in case the dog is involved with a bite in the future.

Perhaps you can talk the woman into paying half the bill since her dog did inflict the damage...but I wouldn't hold my breath. You might have had a case if the dog bit you instead of your dog but I just haven't seen many cases like this result in much more than a stalemate.

I'm sorry your dog (and your wallet) got nailed. This is an example of one of the many reasons I don't go to these places. Hope your dog heals quickly.

Hi Polly,

I'm horrified to read your story about what happened to your husband:-(

After calming down, b/c I was so upset to see my dog hurt I'm just going to eat the cost and chalk it up to an expensive lesson learned. It's the first time in the four years I've owned her she was outright attacked totally unprovoked(well, from what I could see) and yes, I know it is my job to protect my job, but man did it all happen in a flash. I think the yelping noises she made when the dog latched on unhinged me than her actual injury...it took a bit to pry the dog off and I think it's eye got injured in the process as its owner was hitting it on the head to release my dog.

I live on the UWS in Manhattan, near the Natural History Museum, and the incident happened in Central Park around the reservoir.

Gloria,

I certainly understand. I once saw a pretty serious fight between my older GSD and another dog in Riverside Park, where I walk them. She was not blamless in this case. The other dog had her head in his mouth and she was screaming. It was very upsetting. The other owner was able to pull his dog away, and Rusty "helped" by taking the man's hand in his mouth and pulling. My older dog had two puncture wounds on her eyebrows, and another on the ear. We did not go to the vet. They healed perfectly. The other owner had a small cut in his hand from Rusty, and his dog had one puncture wound from my dog. That owner and I have been friendly for a number of years, we both agreed that dogs will be dogs, and that our dogs need to be kept apart in the future.

To make sure there are no other fights, I have never walked her off lead during morning hours again. I still walk her late at night when no-one else is around. If I see a dog in the distance, I call her in and leash her.

By the way, when I finally met the women who caused my husband's accident, she not only did not take resposibility, she actually mentioned her own dog's vet bill ($300). In the fight, someone punctured her dog, but as there were 2 GSDs and 2 terriers involved, I wasn't going to take responsibility. Also, my husband's lost income for the two days he was home was worth a lot more then $300. When I say she caused the accident, she made him fall when she grabbed his leg as she tried to collect her terrier. She was still holding his leg for a while as he was lying on the ground, bleeding profusely. She left before the ambulance came, but others took care of Brian, who took it all very well. Not exactly a great neighbor. I did make sure everyone in the entire park knew the story, so everyone is very leary of her since then. Her dogs started the fight, by the way.

I live near Riverside Park further north from you, near Columbia University. I know everyone in the park in the time slot I use, and know the few to avoid. I don't like to walk the dog outside of the usual time, because I won't know the dogs, and I do not let Rusty interact with strange dogs. And the vets are just as bad in my neighborhood, their true occupation seems to be bill-padding at times.

Hey neighbor,

If you know of a vet in our hood that doesn't rape on charges then let me know. I take my dog to Animal General on 88th and Columbus where the office visit fee is $90 for NOTHING, but just setting your foot in their building.

The problem also with the lower cost places like the human society, ASPCA, etc is that if you want to make a stupid appointment it is impossible to get in and they give a date WEEKS later and if your dog is having an immediate problem then it doesn't work. I'm not going to have my dog suffer to save money...I wish I had a good alternative to the crazy rates and the "padding" that I know that goes on in the city, but I don't know of any vet that is reasonable that doesn't do this and I know I know a lot of dog people...

People should be accountable for no matter where a dog attacks another Dog
I was walikng 9 month Old Goran along the Pathway of a main road which is about 400m from my house
We passed a Farm entrance and the big double doors was open the Farmer had workmen repointing his wall to the house
Anyway i know he has three Jack Russels and another Cross bred Dog
One jack Russel came out of the entrance along with the cross bred
The Cross bred went for Gorans rear leg and the Jack Russel for his neck, i could not let go of the leash because of a stream of Cars and Lorries passing by
I grabbed at the Jack Russel which had a go at my forearm just grazing it but i got hold of it by the back of the head behind the ears and it let go of the Pup and i threw it against the wall of the house, and i kicked the Crossbred but it started to come back then thought better of it
The Dogs ran back inside, but i was furious
The workmen were around the other side of the house and i went over and told them to tell the Farmer that if the gate was ever left open again and his Dogs attack mine again i will kill the Dogs then i will be coming for him. and do not forgwet to give him the message
That night i went round and told the Farmer myself and he got the point of my vist
Goran was okay, not cut but it was a close call

Yes Steve,
You however was not allowing your dog to run free in a known 'dog park'. You, were not assuming any liability walking down the road. Contrast that with the op.

If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy

There is no Dog Park to walk in over here, or let a Dog run free to mix with other Dogs
And on the Schutzhund Training field they are not allowed to mix and mingle that is forbidden