To try to save this dog

June 26, 2021 10:07 AM

CW: Animal sad stuff. A couple days ago I was "attacked" by dogs that escaped through their open front door as I was strolling the neighborhood. The one dog that sunk his teeth into me must have a history of aggression because authorities are putting him down. Is there anything I can do to save him from this fate?

I'm in Oregon, and since I sought medical attention, I had to report the dog's home address at the hospital. The dog owner obviously, in my opinion, is at fault. (Dog's rabies booster was also past-due so today I get rabies shots as well! Yay!) I wish the dog could be sent to a farm or some such; some rescue-- And I'm not even sure what authorities are mandating its death (animal control..?)

I'd feel better if I didn't just idly sit by and let the dog be terminated. Anyone have experience with or insight into this? Thanks.

posted by shocks connery to Pets & Animals (15 answers total)

You could contact your local animal control office and ask- but it’s really on the owner to appeal this decision or do the legwork to find the dog an alternate home, and it sounds like the owner should have done that long ago but didn’t. At this point it is likely too late - I can’t think of many rescues that would accept a dog known for severe aggression towards humans, and their limited resources would be tied up trying to help an aggressive dog when they could be instead using their resources to help multiple adoptable dogs.

It might help to frame this as they’re not putting the dog down as punishment for biting you - they’re putting the dog down to prevent future, more severe bites that may happen to, say, a toddler. (While the dog may have “attacked” you, other victims down the line may not add the quotation marks. I would certainly consider a dog bite deep enough for medical care and rabies shots as a legit attack, no quotes needed). Sad as it is, it also builds a case to help prevent the negligent owner from acquiring additional aggressive dogs. I would view this as a “greater good” community decision and not something you as an individual can or should prevent. You could donate to an animal shelter to help dogs with a better chance than this one, if that would help ease your mind.
posted by castlebravo at 10:33 AM on June 26, 2021 [82 favorites]

Unfortunately the owners likely need a lawyer. Laws vary by state and county but typically there is a hearing to determine if the dog is dangerous and what must be done, and there is often a chance for appeal. (Unless this already happened? A couple of days seems like too short a time period) Researching & informing the owners of their rights may get the sentence reduced to being adopted out of the county, if you can find a rescue willing to take him. I used to know of an organization that helped provide information on this and helped connect with dangerous dog rescues but they may have closed down, I am still searching.
posted by muddgirl at 10:40 AM on June 26, 2021

Castlebravo is right. The next time could be a child.

Remember that no matter what happens, it's not your fault. You did the correct thing by making the authorities aware of a dangerous dog with a highly irresponsible owner.

There's limited resources for dangerous animals. It's far less expensive to care for the safe ones that need new homes and even so, many are put down for lack of resources.
posted by Candleman at 10:50 AM on June 26, 2021 [14 favorites]

A dog who escaped bit a boring walking human with no provocation. That by definition is an agreesive dog, you did nothing wrong here. This is the exact senario these laws are for. I'm sorry . Anything that could have been done should have been done by the owner a long time ago. This is not your fault . The laws are pretty straightforward usually, and out of your control. Maybe the owner could do something, but it's unclear yo me as I'm unfamiliar with your state laws .
posted by AlexiaSky at 11:20 AM on June 26, 2021 [25 favorites]

I was attacked by a dog that was then euthanized (and hadn’t had rabies shots, although they kept the dog under observation for a while rather than give me shots). It’s different because I knew the dog, but feel free to message me if you want to talk about it. My urgent care doc also made the point that the attack would likely have killed a small child. It’s not the dog’s fault, but it’s simply not safe for the dog to be around people, and the dog would have an awful life if it was confined all the time.
posted by momus_window at 11:37 AM on June 26, 2021 [14 favorites]

This is the reason the decision isn't yours to make - people feel guilty, they don't want to be responsible for an animal, maybe even a beloved family pet, being put down. People can be bribed and threatened, too, so that's why people don't make the ultimate call. You're not idly sitting by; this decision is out of your hands. And it's not really about you anymore, it's about the next person who gets hurt.

There's already not enough space for dogs who haven't bitten anybody. Animal welfare groups estimate 5500 shelter animals are euthanized a day, in the US.) If there were places on farms, those dogs should get first shot at them.

It sucks, but it's also the responsibility one accepts when deciding to have a pet. A lot of dogs freak out when they get loose, they get overstimulated and anxious and filled with adrenaline and their prey drive takes over, and if that happens there are and should be consequences. And there just aren't that many options to make sure it doesn't happen again.

I've worked in rescue, and yes there are people out there running orgs because they just don't want any doggies to die, and the problem is they either hoard these animals in terrible conditions or they re-home them and lie. Euthanasia is a much kinder end than some of the other options.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:09 PM on June 26, 2021 [23 favorites]

I'm sorry this happened to you, and that this dog is in this situation. Animal control laws and procedures vary widely from not just from state to state, but from municipality to municipality. Before my current job in veterinary medicine I worked at a large open admissions animal shelter, and in my county when animal control become involved in a dog bite case, an animal control officer would go to court and testify before a judge as to whether they believed that dog was a dangerous dog. The owners and whoever was involved in the bite could testify as to what had happened and ultimately the judge would then decide the penalty. Humane euthanasia was usually not the first penalty if it was a first bite, unless the bite was very severe.

Human aggressive dogs are difficult because they can be refractory to treatment, and because many people do not know how to handle them or treat them. Not all, but some human aggressive dogs suffer greatly from anxiety disorders. Some human aggressive dogs just come out of the womb that way. I have seen human aggressive dogs get adopted out from the shelter or a rescue to well meaning people, cause irreparable harm, and ultimately be euthanized after they and their people have suffered. Not all dogs can be saved, and not all dogs should be saved. I love dogs, I work with them everyday, and because of this I know that they are absolutely capable of maiming and killing people.

The worst bite case we ever had was a ~1 year old mixed breed dog who was around 60lbs who has been adopted by the owner from a rescue at around ~8 months of age. The rescue reported no signs of human or dog aggression. The owner had ben bit by the dog multiple times, but none of which resulted in serious injury. The owner often let the dog out in the yard unsupervised. One day she forgot to latch the gate and the dog got out and mauled a 12 year old who stopped to try and pet the dog on his way home from school. He was severely disfigured and lost sight in one eye. A mailman who was out delivering mail was also bit when he tried to stop the attack, but wasn't severely injured. The dog was euthanized.
posted by floam7 at 12:14 PM on June 26, 2021 [6 favorites]

I want to add it’s good you got treatment, too. I had rabies shots related to a raccoon that fought with my dog - dog was vaxxed! I was not! - and I had a coworker encourage me in getting the shots who had seen a family friend die of rabies abroad - it’s serious stuff.
posted by warriorqueen at 12:22 PM on June 26, 2021 [3 favorites]

My son was attacked by a dog that jumped out of a parked vehicle. There were people around and he was bitten but not too severely; he has some scars on his leg. The dog had irresponsible owners, as does the dog who attacked you. You sound like you feel responsible, but the lack of training and restraint doomed this dog, and there aren't really good homes. On a farm, the dog might attack livestock, and farms have people, too. I'm so sorry this happened to you. For every poor dog that is euthanized for behavior, there are a lot of dogs at kill shelters who need homes, and if you want to feel better, maybe look to donate or volunteer to help that happen, though, again, you are not the responsible party.
posted by theora55 at 12:44 PM on June 26, 2021 [8 favorites]

I wanted to add that looking at the Dunbar bite severity scale and prognosis for retraining the dog was helpful for me

Also, this data is older, but there have been no cases of dogs with rabies in Oregon in a long, long time. You *really* don’t want rabies, but it’s also very unlikely that you could have contracted it, do what your doctors recommend and don’t worry too much beyond that.
posted by momus_window at 5:32 PM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

I was attacked by a dog as a little kid and needed stitches on my leg. I have no idea of his history before that but I can tell you it was a terrifying experience and I still have a numb spot on that leg. I had actually played with him before, while he was chained, but this day he wasn't and I have no idea what triggered him to attack.

Dogs have predator instincts and sometimes they aren't able to control them. They also have speed, weight and sharp teeth that can make them dangerous to us. We need to accept that sometimes that makes euthanization necessary. They aren't all able to be trained out of dangerous behaviors.
posted by emjaybee at 5:43 PM on June 26, 2021 [3 favorites]

I was attacked by a unknown dog which ran into me on the street and tried to disembowel me. I reported it to animal control, and they took no action, despite trying to disembowel animal control as well while wearing it's 'usual' muzzle. It took two more reported bites - one to a vet nurse, one to an elderly person - before the dog was finally put down. I'm not sure whether the dog had been trained as a pig-dog or was just that aggressive, but it was never a dog that could live safely in a city, with it's frail or elderly owner, or should have ever been walked unmuzzled. Euthanising the dog after it's first reported bite would have prevented two other people from harm.
posted by quercus23 at 5:35 AM on June 27, 2021 [4 favorites]

quercus, the police talked to the owners of the dog who attacked my son (20+ years ago) and did nothing, even though they had young kids, who presumably have friends over. I was appalled, but there's only so many battles one can fight at a time. They explained that we could sue the family, but that wasn't of interest. My son loves dogs, as I do, but I have no tolerance for badly behaved and poorly trained dogs.
posted by theora55 at 12:52 PM on June 27, 2021

I have a reactive dog, so I'm sharing this from the perspective of someone who has worked really hard to keep my dog safe, train her in ways that help her feel calm, and keep other people safe from her. If I had to choose between her living in a home that did not keep her safe or having her euthanized, I would have her euthanized. I don't mean I'd choose that because of the risk to other humans (though that's important). I'd choose that because she would be suffering in a home where her fear/aggression was constantly being triggers. It is stressful for dogs to be in that state. If it's to a point where the dog that bit you is going to be euthanized because of its ongoing aggression, the most recent incident of which involved biting a stranger who was just out walking, that's a dog with a very stressful life. It's worth thinking about what rehabilitation would look like--best case scenario, the dog gets adopted by a patient trainer with no kids who lives alone in a rural area with plenty of land and tall fences. Realistically, that's not going to happen. So, you have a dog that has been under high stress and demonstrating aggression for some time now, and not great odds of it getting re-homed in a way that will actually improve its quality of life while keeping people safe from it. Although this could possibly have been avoided through different choices by the owners, euthanizing this dog is probably the best imperfect option for the situation as it stands now. It's not your fault, and you're not letting the dog down if you can't find an alternative.
posted by theotherdurassister at 2:37 PM on June 27, 2021 [4 favorites]

Thank you for your comment, theotherdurassister, and for helping me think about this situation from inside the mind and body of the dog. Sadly, I agree that the point is long past when the dog's euthanizing possibly could have been prevented by his owners' making different choices.

shocks connery, I imagine you might be going through some shock and grief right now. Thank you for caring about a fellow creature. But please don't turn any recriminations toward yourself. You're a kind and thoughtful person, and you've done all you can. Virtual hugs if you want them.
posted by virago at 11:09 PM on June 27, 2021 [2 favorites]