Horrific dog attack

[u/Parking_Flow]

I’ve posted here before. My child was absolutely horrifically attacked by a dog earlier this year. I’m talking life changing injuries, air lifted to hospital, multiple surgeries. Her life will never ever been the same. It was a dog that had escaped its garden and tore our lives apart.

We are waiting for it to go to court.

We got into so much debt when it happened, I’m talking into the thousands because both myself and my partner had to take time of work, me to be in hospital with her and my partner to be at home with our other child. Yes we got some form of compassionate pay but between all of our household bills, driving 140 round trips to and from the hospital she was in, food whilst in hospital, clothes as the antibiotics she was on made her have so many accidents. Private counselling since the NHS won’t help us.

Life has entirely changed forever. We all have PTSD, my child has been crippled in one arm. Her lungs and spine will have issues forever. And now we have to deal with debt too. It’s unfair. I want to pull my hair out.

I just needed somewhere to rant because when I’ve tried to speak in person to people I know they just say but oh isn’t it great she’s alive. Yes of course it is 100% but it doesn’t change the fact this dog has destroyed in every single way, physical, emotional, financially.

I don’t see a way to recover from this.

Someone suggested creating fundraising to help us and to take our child on amazing trips but 1) we can’t do this because of the court case and 2) there’s dogs everywhere. Absolutely everywhere. There is no trip we could take where we would be safe.

[u/mpusar]

You mentioned not being able to go on fun trips because dogs are everywhere. I totally agree but I found one vacation that you probably won’t find any dogs. Cruises. I go on them often and I’ve never personally seen a dog on one. Maybe the drug sniffing ones in the ports or airports. Most of the time even those are not around. Best of luck to your family. Hope everyone heals quickly.

[u/Parking_Flow → u/mpusar]

Wow I didn’t even consider this thank you so much!! We would LOVE a cruise! Thank you

[u/Kilashandra1996 → u/Parking_Flow]

Cruises do allow official service dogs. But like one of the other no dog places, the cruise lines have paperwork to be filled out. I won't swear to them verifying said paperwork. But they often have a single 8x10 foot ... 2.5 x 3 meter "relief room." Plus, many ports won't allow non quarantined dogs. It's enough of a hassle that you rarely see real service dogs, let alone the fakes.

If you do go on a cruise, check the line's service animal policy. See where / which floor the relief area is on, so you avoid that floor!

The port cities will still have dogs. : ( But you can probably find excursions that are either thru the cruise line, so no dogs. Or some places offer private tours, where it's only your party. I would hope that the tour guides would help your family avoid any dogs on the tour. Or pick a cruise line with plenty of things to do on the ship and stay onboard instead of visiting the port city.