PatricksMom Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I'd take an office in the first place, if you call they'll probably be happy to come with Justin. Poor Bernie, sending him good thoughts. I still hope you're taking care of your own wounds and seeing a doctor? Quote Beth, Petey (8 September 2018- ), and Faith (22 March 2019). Godspeed Patrick (28 April 1999 - 5 August 2012), Murphy (23 June 2004 - 27 July 2013), Leo (1 May 2009 - 27 January 2020), and Henry (10 August 2010 - 7 August 2020), you were loved more than you can know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lillypad Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I am just finding this thread. First I would like to say I am SO SORRY this happened to you, Bernie and your family. It is a very rough time to be going through. I can confidently, as well as emphatically, say this because I experienced everything you have described and more. I am here to tell you to hang in there. It will truly become a distant memory one day. You can, however, (believe it or not) become a better dog owner because of this horrible ordeal. While my dog healed perfectly on the outside, we were both emotional wrecks for some time. I realized to hold on to those fears was not going to help either of us. So I enrolled in a basic dog obedience class, with the goal more to experience socialization rather than training. With the aid of a very great dog trainer, we both gained our confidence back and learned to move forward. What I personally learned from this ordeal was a clearer understanding of dog communication clues, stress cues and a better understanding of dog behaviors in general, as well as pro-active ways to protect my dog in the future. It is so important that you learn the proper ways to move forward, any ill and hesitant feelings you express will be picked up by your dog. So I guess what I am saying is, hang in there, brighter days are ahead and you will be a wiser, stronger and better dog owner in spite of all of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatricksMom Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I'd take an office in the first place, if you call they'll probably be happy to come with Justin. Poor Bernie, sending him good thoughts. I still hope you're taking care of your own wounds and seeing a doctor? Sorry I can't type, I'd take a police officer in the first place. Actually, I'd send a certified letter, outlining the situation and the current bills, including that the situation is far from resolved, but that's me, not you. Quote Beth, Petey (8 September 2018- ), and Faith (22 March 2019). Godspeed Patrick (28 April 1999 - 5 August 2012), Murphy (23 June 2004 - 27 July 2013), Leo (1 May 2009 - 27 January 2020), and Henry (10 August 2010 - 7 August 2020), you were loved more than you can know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeedlenoseJake Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Poor Bennie! It sounds like that wound is a nasty one! Also, I feel for you guys having to make this your life for the next little while- twice daily trips to the vet is no fun! Quote Photographer in Phoenix, AZ www.northmountainphoto.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carronstar Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I am so sorry you are having to go through this. Lots of gentle hugs for Bernie and his worried people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliemac Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 How's Bernie today? And how are YOU? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinggreysslp Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Keeping Bernie in my prayers. How are you? Quote Cosmo (Fuzz Face Cosmos), Holmes (He's a Dream), Boomer (USS Baby Boomer), Ella and missing our angels Clay (Red Clay), Train (Nite Train), Trip (Bock's Teddy Bear),Larry (Bohemian Frigid) and Jimmy (Bohemian Raw) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurenbiz Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 (edited) Hi everyone! Here is the most recent update. You knew about the e-vet surgeon going in and cutting out the dead/black skin on Bernie's leg (which died because of an infection in his leg; the infection developed due to the dog bite) on Sunday 7/19 and recommending twice-daily bandage changes for that open wound. We've taken him to the e-vet and/or our own vet so far twice a day for the changes. It's a deep wound, and the vets want to change the bandage instead of just us as pet owners who have no medical experience. They do have to give Bernie a small amount of sedatives with each bandage change, but then they give him a reversal. Again, the sedation is just because it's a deep wound, and he has a crater in his skin! (Anne, I am planning on asking our vet about the laser therapy for skin healing as you suggested via Facebook!) GOOD NEWS: My mom actually drove up to Wisconsin from Missouri this week. Justin and I have worked round the clock with Bernie since his initial attack, and she wanted to help. So she is taking him to the vet twice today and tomorrow for his bandage changes. A third person in all of this is an extremely huge help. OTHER GOOD NEWS: Bernie is pretty much acting like himself! When I grabbed the car keys last night to go to the vet for his bandage change, he jumped a little, acting exited for a ride. But I still had to scold him since he is not supposed to be jumping right now. His appetite is back to normal. (He was not eating well the first few days after his attack.) OTHER OWNER NEWS: You may recall that the police provided me with the other dog owner's contact information last week after they located him. We've been waiting and deciding on the next step to take. Justin finally called him and had a conversation in which the other owner agreed to cover half of the bills. Justin also told me that this man said the local police have been threatening him since the attack. (I am simply relaying what Justin said; the man used the word "threatening.") Justin and I are still going to discuss this more. No decision yet on the whole financial side of things. More updates later! Edited July 21, 2015 by Laurenbiz Quote Lauren the Human, along with Justin the Human, Kay the Cat and Bernie the Greyhound! (Registered Barney Koppe, 10/30/2006) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schultzlc Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Lauren, I have been following this, and am so sorry that this happened to you. I'm glad to hear that Bernie is on the mend. It's great that your mom is there to lend a hand. Best wishes to you all! Quote Laura, mom to Luna (Boc's Duchess) and Nova (Atascocita Venus).Forever in my heart, Phantom (Tequila Nights) and Zippy (Iruska Monte). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MurphysMom Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 This whole situation is just so upsetting! I am so so sorry it happened to you. The amount of stress this must have caused you and poor Bernie is unthinkable. I was attacked by a dog once but not to this extent and I was much too young to deal with any bills or legal issues... but in my untrained opinion, the other dog owner should be paying 100% of your bills. You have (probably?) had to take time away from work to cart poor Bernie back and forth to the vet, and I can't imagine how expensive it's becoming. The other dog owner sounds like he's grasping at straws to try to get out of it. I think about it this way.. if he hadn't been there, or if he'd had control over his dog, it wouldn't have happened. Plain and simple. You had control over your dog. You weren't walking through his property or anything. I'm sorry, I'm just so mad for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MnMDogs Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I'm glad Bernie is doing so well! But why is the owner only agreeing to pay half the bills? The attack and Bernie's injuries are completely 100% his fault, and he should pay 100% of the bills. I see that you and Justin will be talking more about this, but I hope you can get him to cover them fully. Also, your mom is awesome, what a generous and kind thing for her to do This whole situation is just so upsetting! I am so so sorry it happened to you. The amount of stress this must have caused you and poor Bernie is unthinkable. I was attacked by a dog once but not to this extent and I was much too young to deal with any bills or legal issues... but in my untrained opinion, the other dog owner should be paying 100% of your bills. You have (probably?) had to take time away from work to cart poor Bernie back and forth to the vet, and I can't imagine how expensive it's becoming. The other dog owner sounds like he's grasping at straws to try to get out of it. I think about it this way.. if he hadn't been there, or if he'd had control over his dog, it wouldn't have happened. Plain and simple. You had control over your dog. You weren't walking through his property or anything. I'm sorry, I'm just so mad for you! We were posting at the same time I agree fully with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Don't accept 1/2 nor don't cash any checks he may give you without consulting with a lawyer. By doing so you are agreeing to his terms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racindog Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Don't accept 1/2 nor don't cash any checks he may give you without consulting with a lawyer. By doing so you are agreeing to his terms. This. You have them dead to rights. Don't be afraid to sue. Get a lawyer. No surprise to me that the type of person that would have a dog cause this due to their ignorance is also too sorry to be responsible for the hurt they have caused. Get a lawyer. Its no biggie. You and Bernie have been hurt so bad I hate to see you getting slammed AGAIN because the stupid jerk is also irresponsible. Tell ya something. People like that- even if you would agree to the 50% you'd probably never see it. They will just jerk you around. The law is on your side, please consider using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreytNut Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Agreed. And what about YOUR medical bills? His dog bit you too. Quote Kristen with Penguin (L the Penguin) Flying Penske x L Alysana Costarring The Fabulous Felines: Squeak, Merlin, Bailey & Mystic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP_the4pack Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Don't settle for half. Maybe if he was a nice person, very apologetic, willing from the start to pay, you could be nice and settle. But he's being a real jerk (I could use stronger language but I don't want to lock your thread). Go for the full vet and human medical bills. And add some pain and suffering to boot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MurphysMom Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Tell ya something. People like that- even if you would agree to the 50% you'd probably never see it. I would absolutely agree with this!! What a crappy situation all around. Dudebro needs to own up and write you a big check. I rarely, rarely condone suing anybody, but in this case I think you need to; I think I would if I were thrown into the same horrid situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gracegirl Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 UGH. What a PITA. I can't believe he's only agreeing to cover half. When Grace was attacked they owners of the dog that attacked her paid for the initial surgery. The wound got infected, and they refused to pay for her follow up care saying that it must have been my fault that it became infected. I was so pissed off. The woman was an attorney who threatened to sue ME. Unbelievable. I ended up writing a letter to the bar association letting them know how lovely it was of her to use her position as an attorney to threaten me. I hear they don't take too kindly to that. Get well soon, both of you! Quote Poppy the lurcher 11/24/23 Gabby the Airedale 7/1/18 Forever missing Grace (RT's Grace), Fenway (not registered, def a greyhound), Jackson (airedale terrier, honorary greyhound), and Tessie (PK's Cat Island) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTRAWLD Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I've been reading this since it happened and my thoughts go out to you. Hope you are Bernie are healing up better than ever. How are your boo boos? Quote Proudly owned by:10 year old "Ryder" CR Redman Gotcha May 201012.5 year old Angel "Kasey" Goodbye Kasey Gotcha July 2005-Aug 1, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carronstar Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Don't accept 1/2 nor don't cash any checks he may give you without consulting with a lawyer. By doing so you are agreeing to his terms. Ditto. When Aquitaine was attacked, the owner agreed to pay $200 of a $1,500 bill because he thought the cost was too high. Well, that was the ER cost in NYC. Thankfully, I had insurance and I just wanted to put it behind me. He was reported by both the Vet/ER and my doctor who treated me for the bite I got. He was not at all happy that his dog had been reported. Well, his dog ripped my dog's throat open, what did he expect? He is probably feeling harassed because the police are following through. He knows he is in the wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Why would you accept anything less than payment in full? I would be telling him I expect payment in full for existing bills, as well as any still in the works, plus my own medical bills. If he didn't agree in one phone call, certified letter with copies of all bills, photos of the wound progression (up close and detailed) and information on how he can send payment. Whatever consequences he's suffering as a result of his own carelessness (at best) is his problem, not yours. Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurenbiz Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 (edited) Hi everyone, thank you for your responses so far! I can't argue with you that this guy needs to be held fully responsible. This. You have them dead to rights. Don't be afraid to sue. Get a lawyer. No surprise to me that the type of person that would have a dog cause this due to their ignorance is also too sorry to be responsible for the hurt they have caused. Get a lawyer. Its no biggie. You and Bernie have been hurt so bad I hate to see you getting slammed AGAIN because the stupid jerk is also irresponsible. Tell ya something. People like that- even if you would agree to the 50% you'd probably never see it. They will just jerk you around. The law is on your side, please consider using it. The fact of not seeing money is a concern of mine. I totally love my DH, but he does not have the same mentality of "get it in writing" like I do! Justin works in sales and loves talking to people over the phone and in person. Written communication just isn't his thing. I am not comfortable with just a verbal agreement. Ditto. When Aquitaine was attacked, the owner agreed to pay $200 of a $1,500 bill because he thought the cost was too high. Well, that was the ER cost in NYC. Thankfully, I had insurance and I just wanted to put it behind me. He was reported by both the Vet/ER and my doctor who treated me for the bite I got. He was not at all happy that his dog had been reported. Well, his dog ripped my dog's throat open, what did he expect? He is probably feeling harassed because the police are following through. He knows he is in the wrong. I was happy to learn that the police keep talking to him daily. We only spoke with the police on two occasions last week, and the police have been quiet since. I assumed they had bigger fish to fry, and that's why we hadn't heard from them. So I'm happy that the police are taking this seriously! Thanks! Edited July 21, 2015 by Laurenbiz Quote Lauren the Human, along with Justin the Human, Kay the Cat and Bernie the Greyhound! (Registered Barney Koppe, 10/30/2006) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houndtime Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 We anticipated taking the owner of the dog who bit Paul to small claims court. We called for the court for information and they were very helpful in letting us know what we needed (5 copies, the filing fee, photos, vet statement, etc.). They directed us to the website pages of legal documents that we needed to fill out. When we dropped off the papers for filing, I thought they would be returned as imcomplete. I felt, for sure, that I had missed something. The papers were perfect. I was told serving of the papers could take two weeks or longer. I told the county clerk that the people had a for sale sign up, and, I didn't know when they anticipated moving. So, they served them two days later. They start process serving at 7:30 AM. At 8:30 AM, we had a check in our hands. My DH, like yours, shook the neighbor's hand and thanked him for the check. I am not so nice and would have no part of conversation with him. This was the same person, who said a week or so earlier that he wasn't going to pay us anything, and that our dog started with his dog first. Our dogs were on leash, his was not; our dog had only two teeth and his had a full set. And so on and so on. Quote Irene Ullmann w/Flying Odin and Mama Mia in Lower Delaware Angels Brandy, John E, American Idol, Paul, Fuzzy and Shine Handcrafted Greyhound and Custom Clocks http://www.houndtime.com Zoom Doggies-Racing Coats for Racing Greyhounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lukasmom Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I agree with everyone- do not accept half. What you and especially Bernie have been thru you deserve extra compensation. Anybody know would the Lexis Project be able to advise her on this matter? I would not let the owner get away without accepting full responsibilty for what his dog did to you both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Lauren-please remember this is a public board and comments about your health should not be posted esp if there's a pending litigation ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurenbiz Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 (edited) Lauren-please remember this is a public board and comments about your health should not be posted esp if there's a pending litigation ;-) Got it, thank you. Edited July 21, 2015 by Laurenbiz Quote Lauren the Human, along with Justin the Human, Kay the Cat and Bernie the Greyhound! (Registered Barney Koppe, 10/30/2006) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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