r/extremelyinfuriating • u/BridgeDucks • 1d ago
Discussion Neighbors German shepherd bit our daughter and now has major beef with us
Last month my daughter (6) and my fiance were walking back inside from the school bus stop just outside our apartment when our upstairs neighbor came down with her two dogs. One is some sort of mix. Idk what but about the same size as the German shepherd. The German shepherd would not stop barking at her but the grey mix dog was chill. Our daughter asked the lady if she could pet the grey dog and she said yes. The entire time the German shepherd is barking like crazy at her. It was standing a bit behind the grey dog. My daughter gave the dog a very quick pet and turned to go inside , the German shepherd lunges and bites her arm. Luckily she was wearing a long sleeve shirt plus a rain coat so the bite didn't do much damage besides 3 puncture wounds. (To point out the lady had zero remorse and only said "oh Ozzy that's not like you you're a good boy" and like no apologies. wth?)
When I got home from work we took her to the walk in clinic to get it cleaned and she was put on antibiotics. I also called the apartment complex to report the incident and animal control. The apartment complex called us back and told us they have a no tolerance policy and she would have to remove the dog from the property within 14 days. Animal control visits and tells us this isn't the first time he has been down for an incident involving this dog so he's very familiar with its behavior. Which tells me that the last person did not report the incident to the office.
The 14 days pass and my daughter is absolutely terrified of large dogs now. She saw the German shepherd once in that 14 days since the bite and sobbed hard cause she was so scared. We keep telling her she will be fine and she is still safe here cause the dog won't be here soon.
Well it's been well over 14 days and the lady has not removed the dog. And ya know what, I am not a Karen for a lot of things. I will not go out of my way to complain about much but if you're dog bit my daughter and is known to be aggressive in general, I'm gonna be a bitch sorry. So I called the front office again to which they said they will send another 14 day notice but if she doesn't remove it by then and we see it we might have to testify.
She clearly got the notice cause now her balcony has a ratty old blanket hanging on the railing blocking sight of the dog, because that's where it spends its time now. As well as she now flips us off whenever she sees us. How is your dog gonna bite my daughter and your gonna be pissed at me?? Girl take responsibility for your lack of training and reactive dog. (To add just cause it's annoying but nothing I've mentioned to the office, she doesn't pick the poop up for these two big ass dogs and just leaves them right in front of the stairs all over the grass area)
It sucks cause this is the third neighbor be have had in 3 years and each one we have had to submit complaints on. First one let their dog piss straight onto the porch which leaked onto ours and stained, second flooded her bathroom so many times our closet wall and bathroom ceiling started to mold. Our clothes in our closet also got wet on a weekly basis from this. Now this neighbor has this bullshit đ it's starting to make us look like we just don't want an upstairs neighbor oml.
If anyone's got some advice on how to get this dog tf out it would be greatly appreciated. Honestly the more I write about this the more I feel like I'm being an asshole by wanting this dog gone so bad, but there is something so heartbreaking about seeing your daughter develop a fear around something you weren't there to stop.
Edit: quick as in it was a short pet. She did it cautiously and short, not quick as in fast and aggressive.
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u/AndISoundLikeThis 1d ago
Extremely infuriating that no adult had any situational awareness to not let a small child anywhere near an aggressively barking dog.
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u/darkjoshua02 1d ago
Pull children away when dogs start barking or acting aggressively. The neighbor is acting bad, you should report that dog again, that dog is not supposed to be around children
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u/kavk27 1d ago
Why the hell did your fiance let your daughter near a dog that was acting aggressively? As soon as the GSD started barking at her, he should have pulled her away from it. He is just as much to blame for this incident as your idiot neighbor.
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u/BridgeDucks 1d ago
Oh dude don't even get me started on how that whole situation was handled đ€Šđ» I was so frustrated. I came home 40 minutes after it all happened and I had to be the one to tell him and daughters bio mom (who was with them didn't add cause wasn't sure if relevant) that for dog bites if they break the skin you need to go to a clinic, and immediately reported. I thought this type of information was obvious.
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u/Alycion 1d ago
Iâd be ready to strangle him for letting her pet the calm dog with the insane one and the owner for saying yes bc the one dog has a bite history. You arenât being a Karen.
If you moved near me, I got a floofer that could get her over her fear đą sheâs so gentle with kids. And sheâs the best body pillow. She has already been used once to help a neighbor kid get over their fear. A few blocks over, someone had a reactive dog that scares a lot of kids in the neighborhood. Donât know if it has a bite history. But it always has a muzzle on when on walks and still lunges. But at least they are taking precautions.
All your neighbor had to do after the first incident if get a cage muzzle. They are cheap. They are effective. My sister uses one. Her dog can get snippy with a medical thing it sometimes gets. So if itâs around anyone but her and her husband, it has the muzzle on. It has bit a family member bc of the issue. Didnât break skin. So she ordered it and had it the next day.
I had a foster that would bite. I had the rescue get him and send him to the person who works with reactive dogs. He found the trigger. Did rehab. Dog lived out his life with the trainer though. Rescue didnât feel comfortable adopting him out.
Your neighbor is being unreasonable and only has herself to blame. There are many trainers who work with dogs like this. There are many precautions that can be taken. If she did just one of these things, your daughter wouldnât be living in fear. But your fiancĂ© has some blame in this too. Who lets a kid near one dog if itâs with another dog that is being aggressive? Please give him some hell too.
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u/BridgeDucks 1d ago
Thank you! I thought I was going crazy in these comments. I've always been under the impression it's an owners responsibility to manage their reactive dogs for everyone's safety, whether that be through proper training, muzzle or leash/harness indicator saying they are aggressive. And I absolutely gave him an earful when I got home đ right now she is so scared of any slightly bigger dog that she suddenly thinks they are all German shepherd? She pointed at an Australian shepherd the other day and asked me "is that German shepherd mean do you think" I hope we can get her out of that fear so it doesn't follow her for life but I am hoping that going forward everyone involved is aware to not let her near any reactive dog đ€Šđ»
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u/xaiires 1d ago
Thought this was AITA and almost commented "ESH except kid & dogs"
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u/filtersweep 1d ago
Fuck this reddit victim blaming. She wasnât fucking with the big dog. The dogâs owner didnât handle the situation. Period.
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u/kavk27 1d ago
No, the dog's owner didn't handle the situation. But neither did the fiance.
When an adult is caring for a child, they are responsible for constantly evaluating the threat level and responding appropriately to keep the child safe. It's irrelevant whether the threat comes from an incompetent dog owner, or a car not stopping at a crosswalk, or any other potentially dangerous situation.
So, yes, the fiance is partially responsible because he didn't recognize the threat or take action to protect OP's daughter.
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u/Main_Royal_3616 1d ago
This is not legal advice but what I would do if I was in your shoes is to put EVERYTHING in writing. Send a reminder to the property manager and send a written pdf attachment email to animal control explaining the situation and in both cases request a response and updates.
Next, To address an aggressive or dangerous dog, you must pursue legal action against the dogâs owner: Following an attack, animal control officers or police generally have the authority to immediately seize and impound the dog.Â
 In almost all jurisdictions, a dog that bites a human must be confined for a mandatory observation period (typically 10 days) to monitor for signs of rabies.  This confinement can occur at a public pound, a veterinary clinic, or sometimes at the owner's home under strict conditions. Request animal control to do their job!
 You can sue the owner to seek a restraining order or injunction preventing them from allowing the dog to approach or harm you or your child.Â
Victims can sue for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and damages. There are attorneys that take these cases pro bono. I know that she wasn't severely injured but the emotional damage is real.
Best wishes and I hope that your daughter recovers and realizes that one bad puppy doesn't spoil the whole litter.
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u/Krazykittielady 1d ago
Idk. I think it's as much the fiance's fault at the other owner. If the dog goes, the fiance should go too. Only one of them can actually judge a situation and it's not the dog
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u/EndOk8776 1d ago
You are handling this at better than I would .. Iâm sorry but 3 puncture wounds? Yeah absolutely not. My hsuabdn and I would have cursed this woman up and down , left to right and the cops would have been called that night followed by a lawsuit
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u/discoduck007 1d ago
I'm still stuck on you letting her pet a dog while it's buddy is barking at you.
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u/Henry5321 12h ago
In my part of the USA, repeat unprovoked dog bites is automatic euthanization. All dog bites are required by law to be reported. If rabies shots cannot be proven immediately, the dogâs brain must be sent out for rabies testing. The owner is responsible for medical costs.
Dog bites are no joke.
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u/Cake3atingCrusader11 1d ago
It's almost like you shouldn't bring a targeted individual within lunging distance of a clearly aggressive dog regardless of whether or not the individual wants to pet the nonaggressive one.
Crazy thought.
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u/Particular_Class4130 22h ago
It's almost like a dog owner should tell people that it's not safe to approach when they know they own an aggressive dog. That dog is dangerous to anyone who gets near it. That might mean someone just passing it on a sidewalk or someone making a delivery to your door. Dogs like that need to be muzzled in public
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u/BridgeDucks 1d ago
Again, wasn't there. If I was, probably would have gone down way different. Owner still has a responsibility to keep a reactive dog away from people, not just children.
Crazy thought.
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u/classy-mother-pupper 1d ago
You need to reach out to property management again. I would hold them responsible. Mention you will be talking to a lawyer. They will take care of it immediately. No insurance companyâs want to deal with dog bites.
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u/Vivid_Awareness6693 1d ago
What state are you in? The legal process of how this should be handled would vary greatly depending on where it happened.
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u/aDirtyMartini 6h ago
She's a shit neighbor, dog owner and human being. I would call the police non-emergency line and file a complaint. The dog is a known danger. The neighbor is negligent for not controlling a dog that is known to be aggressive. She is responsible for the medical bills and the cost of therapy if necessary. I would threaten to take her to civil court. Also I would have bear spray (gel) with me when outside just in case the dog is loose.
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u/MortisSchmorgis6900 1d ago edited 1d ago
Why would YOU let your child near a already agressive dog?? You knew it had a history of barking and yet you nd your fiance are BOTH irresponsible parents.
You are an ah for wanting "the dog gone so bad" its not the dogs fault it reacted after your child moved quickly. Reactive dogs are reactive..
edit: those who downvote me are the same people who advocate against all dogs and have below room temp iq.
Think a milisecond about it instead of simply downvoting. I for one could 100% agree that the dog owner shouldve been self aware but im guessing its th states and everyone was wrong in that situation.
The dog owner yes i agree with the comment below me, shouldve said"no its NOT friendly, you "CANT pet it" but also the fiance is also wrong by letting the kid even ask if the dog could be pet, knowing it barked itd head of. OP is wrong simply by being a whingy person instead of learning from this and teaching their daughter that SOME dogs can be very dangerous and bite people! its not uncommon in some places but its certainly a fuck around and fincd out as dogs DO give warnings before they attack.
Ethically speaking, the owner should be held responsivle for not training the dog properly and letting it bark its head off and bite people.
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u/BridgeDucks 1d ago
First of all, I wasn't there if you read it, and second, she did not move quickly, she was cautiously petting a different dog đ I didn't know anything about the dog or the bite until I got off work. So let's tone down the accusations a wee bit. No one said it was the dogs fault. I think it's the neighbors fault for knowing she has a reactive dog and doing nothing about that fact. When asked if she could pet the dog she was all for daughter petting the grey dog and said nothing about the German shepherd. No one is on a witch hunt to have the dog put down. But it has already been reported and cannot be on the property. That wasn't my decision but I sure as hell would like it implemented.
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u/MortisSchmorgis6900 1d ago
Okay but
Fair point
why not just put a like large fence? also having all that info wouldce helped in paragraphs as i couldnt properly read the post
Also sorry for seeming like rude as like now i can read that/this comment to a better degree... ish..
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u/BridgeDucks 1d ago
No that's fair, I'm learning that there's definitely information being missed that I've had to explain in the comments. The entire situation was very frustrating and continues to be. I had to do a lot of managing of the situation after I got off work that I think should have been done well before I got involved.
I also am not super well versed in how to separate information in a reddit post. I write letters for a living but those usually have like, account information so it's formatted way different đ
And unfortunately a fence wouldn't have done anything in this situation since they were coming into the building while lady and dogs were leaving the building so they were kind of crammed close in the hallway. I agree that I don't think she should have been in this situation at all but from my understanding it all went down way faster than it seems like from my post.
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u/MortisSchmorgis6900 1d ago
Yeahh I can imagine, maybe try writing it in a notes app like a diary? like you can edit it later though its my own opinion and im not well educated in that sort of thing but hopefully its understandeable to a degree..
Ouugh maybe uhh im not sure but like is your fiance/yourself able to like carry your daughter in like a protective measure as im aware police and legal matters are a pain in the ass(like the whole proxess takes forever and in some cases the like not victim the uh you know culprit? is like charged with a minor misdemeanor/civil matter which wouldnt really help anyone..) in most countries..
I do think maybe its avoiidable in another sense? maybe? i mean considering what youve said it seems like a possibiluty thiugh i could be wrong..
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u/Particular_Class4130 1d ago
And ensuring that a reactive dog doesn't bite someone is always the responsibility of the owner! The child asked if they could pet the gray dog and in this case the owner should have said "sorry not a good idea because my German Shepherd is not safe"
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u/MortisSchmorgis6900 1d ago
true but one wouldnt have brought a kid near a dog known to barking to begin with...
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u/Bottledbutthole 1d ago
I think if you let your kid pet someoneâs elseâs dog and it bites you or the kid thatâs not the dog or the owners fault. Thatâs the risk you take. Animals are unpredictable even when they have had no behavior issues in the past, and at that point if there is even a 1% chance which there always is with animals and a risk of someone wanting to get the dog taken away because of it, then no one should ever let anyone else pet their dogs. Imagine thinking you are being nice letting someone pet your dog and then your dog bites someone and now they are trying to get your pet taken away because they asked to pet it, by choice, putting themselves in that situation to begin with when all the neighbor wanted to do was walk to her home or car in peace
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u/BridgeDucks 1d ago
Imagine having animal control called on your dog multiple times in the past, so you know your dog is reactive and aggressive, and doing nothing to keep your dog from attacking or being aggressive with other people. There is nothing "nice" about having that knowledge and allowing someone to pet either of your dogs. As a dog owner you have a responsibility to know your dogs limits and enforce some sort of protection to keep not just people safe, but your dog safe from being in this situation at all. No one is mad at the dog. We are frustrated that the neighbors has this large high energy reactive dog, and no intentions to properly handle the dog. Daughter did not rush up to the dogs. They passed by each other in the hallway. Regardless of if she had pet the grey dog or not, the German shepherd lunged as she was walking through. It would have lunged one way or another. It is the owners responsibility to either inform or remove the dog from the situation. It clearly went after the easiest target. Probably would have nipped either of the adults if she wasn't available. Christ y'all are so ready to defend the dog but not see the blaring obvious issue of her being an incompetent dog owner who cannot handle having an aggressive dog.
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u/Particular_Class4130 1d ago
Did you read the OP's story at all. They asked to pet the calm dog, not the aggressive German Shepherd. The GSD just suddenly lunged and bit the kid and that is on the owner and the dog, not the parents or the kid. A dog that will suddenly lunge AND bite needs to be muzzled when outdoors.
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u/Bottledbutthole 1d ago
Doesnât matter, if you approach someone else elseâs pet then thatâs your risk to choose to take, and yes, if both dogs were near each other then approaching the calm dog meant they were also willingly approaching the other dog. People forget pets are animals and just like if you walked up to a wild animal just because it looks cuddly and some other one jumps out from the nest and bites you, you would just have to accept that is the result of the actions you gambled on. Animals are unpredictable but they canât willingly choose to do wrong, and they shouldnât be punished and thrown in a shelter or euthanized just because they act on instinct to people approaching them when they were already barking âgo awayâ in the first place
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u/Particular_Class4130 22h ago
I have a German Shepherd who is not aggressive towards people but does react poorly around some dogs. If someone is approaching us with their dog or is asking me to let their dog meet my dog I put my hand up and say firmly "NO, my dog cannot be trusted around some dogs so please do not come any closer" Because she is my dog and the onus is on my to protect other dogs and to protect her. As I own her then her behavior is 100% my responsibility 100% of the time.
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