maybe contact these people, they deal with all dog related situations.

justice_for_dogs_charity

Mo

You need to be asking a qualified legal professional. Much may depend on your 'prior agreement' with the neighbours. Guessing this was a verbal and not written agreement. Probably kicking yourself that you did not report the first incident. Understandable as many of us are willing to give people a chance.

Explain the situation to your insurers as they may fund your legal representation.

You need to pursue this as a matter of principle. Good Luck.

Personally if it were me, I wouldn't bother going for compensation and wondering what the other dogs were up to.

I am very sorry to hear what has happened and it is annoying that you will be left out of pocket.

I don't blame the dogs, as you said they were not walked (prob not neutered) and are full of frustrated energy. It is not the dogs fault, it is the owners.

If you have reported it to the police, then let them do their job with regards to the human bite.

I would concentrate on re-socialisng your dog and getting him better. It is never straightforward taking legal action and will just take up a lot of your time and money.

Hope the dog gets well soon

__________________


Lilly, Max, Henry and Sammy. The joys of my life!

www.rescueremedies.co.uk
www.staffierescue.co.uk

Firstly thank you for all of your kind wishes and advice.

[QUOTE=dodigna;1134259]

Most insurances will have third party cover, that would pay for the whole of your vet fees.
By the sound of the way these two dogs were kept the owners probably never bothered with insurance and if they fit the picture in my mind they probbaly are on some sort of benefit and get freeish vet from the rspca, blue cross, etc. One of the reasons so many idiots own and damage dogs, which ultimately pay the price for their owners' neglect.
[QUOTE]

Unfortunately this sums up the dogs owners to a tea. I know for a fact they are both unemployed and on benefits. They don't have any pet insurance and when their dogs incur expensive vets bills they rely on PDSA. This I find particularly annoying because they only got the second dog last year, knowing full well they did not have the means to properly care for it.

Thank you Mo for recommending the Justice For Dogs charity, I shall contact them and see if they can offer any advice. I know the police also informed the dog warden and I intend to contact them on Monday. I will also speak with Citizens Advice...another good idea. The dogs are no longer at the address but this is due to the owner moving them onto another family member. This was after the council stepped in and said if they were not removed from the address they would be evicted. They have not been seized.

On a happier not I am pleased to report my wife's hand is looking a lot better. Still sore and bruised but the swelling is down. Elvis has been incredible He really has been the perfect dog. And a constant reminder of why we chose a Pug. It is like he is made of rubber and just bounced right back. He is my brave little soldier and within a day of coming home was up and about and not that far from his usual self. He is still not very playful but is coping admirably and is happy to see family members. He has been on two long walks this weekend and meeting other dogs. Remarkably his personality has not changed one bit, he is still as fearless and inquisitive as before. Happy to go upto dogs and say "Hello". Staffies included.
My wife and I are both incredibly proud at how he is doing. On the other hand my wife and I still feel the even is really upsetting and understandably my wife has come across quite tearful at times this weekend.

I am still keen to hear of anybody elses experiences of either their dog or themselves being attacked by another dog, what they did and how it was resolved.

We really must do everything we can. We would hate another dog owner to go through the distress and upset we have been through and we certainly could not forgive ourselves if these dogs attacked a child. Obviously we are dog lovers but feel that should justice take its course and the dogs were PTS then this would be a satisfactory outcome. I know a lot of a dogs behaviour is determined by the owner but even our local vet has described one of the dogs as viscious and aggressive after it tried to bit her. I also know for a fact the dog was bred by an amateur with not thought for producing a good dog, just making a quick £.

as the dog bite your wife's hand, couldn't the police come out as they have attacked and bitten a human? If it is proven that the dogs did the bite, then they'll likely be seized and PTS. I agree with you that the dogs need to be PTS for surrounding children's sakes and also anyone or any dog in the neighbourhood.

__________________

I OWN A CHOCOLATE ROAN COCKER SPANIEL
RIP David xx Run free at the bridge. Love you always xx 19th February 2011
RIP Jack and Mickey xx Run free at the bridge. Love you forever xx 20th June 2011

Have the neighbours been round to apologise?

[QUOTE=bishy;1135623]Firstly thank you for all of your kind wishes and advice.

[QUOTE=dodigna;1134259]

Most insurances will have third party cover, that would pay for the whole of your vet fees.
By the sound of the way these two dogs were kept the owners probably never bothered with insurance and if they fit the picture in my mind they probbaly are on some sort of benefit and get freeish vet from the rspca, blue cross, etc. One of the reasons so many idiots own and damage dogs, which ultimately pay the price for their owners' neglect.
Sorry, I have to disagree with the dogs being PTS. The owners certainly need to be held to account, but it is not the dogs fault.

Given the right environment and the correct training and maybe these dogs will be ok.

One of my dogs has bitten and also tried to attack other dogs. Now, thanks to a lot of hard work, he is no longer a problem.

the solution is not to put down the dog, but to hold the people accountable!

__________________


Lilly, Max, Henry and Sammy. The joys of my life!

www.rescueremedies.co.uk
www.staffierescue.co.uk

[QUOTE=goodvic2;1135691][QUOTE=bishy;1135623]Firstly thank you for all of your kind wishes and advice.

Maybe these dogs could be rehabilitated into being OK, and maybe they will always be vicious or unpredictable. These dogs bit a human in this incident, maimed a dog and have bitten a vet. It's their owners' fault, not theirs, and of course it's unfair for them to have to pay the ultimate price, but while perfectly nice dogs are being pts every day because they are unwanted, I know which ones I'd rather see being killed.

The vet is agreeing the dog was vicious and tried to bite him, but vets get bitten a lot by dogs, ferrets, etc and also gets numerous scratches by cats.. Animals in distress will lash out, humans too, have a look at a&e on a sat night...

Your wife has been bitten, but can you put your hand of your heart and say it was meant for her? Was her hand in the middle of the dogs going for you boy, who by the way sounds like such an amazing fellow!

I was bitten once because I put my arm in between dogs having not even a fight, just a snarling... I would do it again and I would expect to be bitten again. Your wife is still in shock and I hope she recovers, seeing you back to his old self is the best therapy.

I must agree with goodvic here, this is not the dogs fault and dogs often fight, if you intervene you get caught in the cross fire. The dogs should not be pts for biting your wife as I strongly believe they didn't mean it, but then I was not there.

Dogs can be rehabilitated, through caring for them properly. It was not their fault their owners are the scum they are. The owners should be liable, should be made not ever be allowed to own dogs of any breed. If you are willing to fight and can achieve that you will save more dogs from being attacked in the future rather then having these two killed now.

If people like these was forbidden to own dogs, the intense breeding conditions many dogs are suffering will diminish and many problems would be solved.

I have to say, many cases where dogs are having a fight with another dog will bite someone and not actually know it was a human they were biting, so it may be that the dogs are other dog aggressive and not human? but if I am right the dogs have bitten someone before this incident? so it is possible that the dog(if it was the same dog) is human agressive and that is a totally different matter.

mo