Dog attack - Ellie dislocated toe - me, broken bones UPDATE

[tellynpeep]

Here it is, the NJ laws pertaining to dogs.
http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusnjst4_19_1_4_19A_17.htm

The law specifically states that the dog owner is liable for any damages done to you or your livestock.
It also says that AC is OBLIGATED to seize and IMPOUND the dog pending decision of disposition of the animal.

Since local authorities are not taking you seriously, you may also have a case against them. You really have to call a lawyer. If you don't have one or can't afford one, I bet there is a free Legal Aid in your state, or a law school who will take your case on.

Please do this. I deal with bad dogs and bad dog owners (as well as good ones!) all the time, and can't stand the though of you being treated this way (as well as dealing with your own and your chicken's injuries.)

Take a look at the NJ laws in the link above. Obviously the police don't know their job, or there is a "good ole boy" network involved. Please don't let them get away with it. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!
And take care of yourself.

 

[lickskillet]

tellynpeep

Here it is, the NJ laws pertaining to dogs.
http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusnjst4_19_1_4_19A_17.htm

The law specifically states that the dog owner is liable for any damages done to you or your livestock.
It also says that AC is OBLIGATED to seize and IMPOUND the dog pending decision of disposition of the animal.

Since local authorities are not taking you seriously, you may also have a case against them. You really have to call a lawyer. If you don't have one or can't afford one, I bet there is a free Legal Aid in your state, or a law school who will take your case on.

Please do this. I deal with bad dogs and bad dog owners (as well as good ones!) all the time, and can't stand the though of you being treated this way (as well as dealing with your own and your chicken's injuries.)

Take a look at the NJ laws in the link above. Obviously the police don't know their job, or there is a "good ole boy" network involved. Please don't let them get away with it. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!
And take care of yourself.

GREAT POST!!!​

 

[Chicken Fruit]

I would file suit against them. Seriously. I cant believe some rogue dog broke your arm and fingers!

They'd better at least pay your medical bills!

You should take all the advice on here and get a lawyer and take it to court. Its not right for a dog to be unsupervised, unleashed, and destroying property and hurting people.

To the best of my knowledge NJ is like NY and has state wide leash laws. Did you check to see if it does?

 

[wyo-helpmeet]

Quote:
If your state or county doesn't have specific leash laws, check into what's called a good behaviour law or a verbal command law. It basically means the animal doesn't have to be leashed physically but MUST be contained by verbal command. So if my dog is off her lead, and she responds to either the boundaries of my own property or my command, we are within our code (it was this way when we lived in both Gainesville, GA & Dahlonega GA).

I keep reading this and cannot believe the LEO out there. And they are OUT THERE!!

Have said a prayer for some justice in this matter!

ETA- I didn't mean that the dog was within code at all, just be sure to check all aspects of your municipal code.

 

[zippy11455]

Insurance premiums increase drastically if there is a dog on the property that has caused a claim to be filed. The insurance co may even force the owners to get rid of the dog or be dropped from coverage. That happened to a friend of mine. Her dog hadn't even bitten anyone but was threatening and aggressive towards strangers (not a dog I would keep). If these people own their home, but have a mortgage then they have to carry some kind of insurance. If they are tenants then the landlord has to carry insurance. File a claim and let the insurance co put the screws to the dogs owners.

 

[arlee453]

Find a personal injury lawyer. They are very easy to find. Heck, if you are in a minor fender bender they find YOU the very next day. Do a yellowpages search for 'personal injury attorney CITYNAME NJ' and you'll get tons of hits, I'm sure.

They LOVE to take cases like this where there is clear cut blame and the law is on their client's side = $$$ They will typically take your case on a settlement basis - you don't pay unless you win.

You will have MAJOR bills due to this - my daughter just had a simple broken bone in her arm that wasn't lined up well and had to be set in the OR. The medical bills were over $15,000 total. My son who had a very slight greenstick fracture and didn't have to have his set? Over $4,000 for the trip to urgent care and the follow up with orthopedics.

Your medical insurance won't want to pay your bills if they can get someone else to pay it. Every time my kids are injured and we have to go to doc or ER we get the letter from medical insurance asking if the injury is due to someone else's negligence.

I think you have to pursue an attorney just because of the major medical bills/vet bills you are going to rack up because of this one, and I'm not usually one to say 'sue'...

 

[Summerlin]

Quote:
Yep.
If HOI policies didn't cover dog incidents, then HOI companies wouldn't question at application if you own a dog, and if yes, what breed of dog. It's in their best interest to refuse to write you, quote you a premium so high that you can't afford the dog AND the HOI or give you x-number of days to rehome the dog before they'll write you (or cancel you if they have come to find out that you have gotten the dog since you signed).
Thanks to <insert unflattering adjective here> people, more breeds end up on the list of unacceptables each year, which is obviously based more on the amount of damage possible by x-breed rather than on the propensity for incident with x-breed..otherwise Chihuahuas and Toy Poodles would be blacklisted..

 

[montcapu]

wow... Ijust sat down and read the entire post and totally agree with what everone has been saying, you need to see a lawyer b/c that dog owner is TOTALLY responsible for all your injuries and all medical bills.... that dog should be at least 10 days in quarinteen and that is the very least, the owner should be fined (is there no Leash law in your state)
as for the cops and AC, they need to do something about that, ac should of took the dog and not given it back to the owner, it attacked someone and their animal, it needs to be put away until further notice, and the cops should site the owner for her/his inability to control the animal.... at the very least

go speak with a lawyer, dog bites are not taken lightly and there is no excuse for that

 

[flakey chick]

Ditto on the demand proof of vaccinations IMMEDIATELY. That cannot wait. Take care of yourself first. You do not want to get rabies on top of everything else.

 

[vnploveschickens]

Oh JJ, I just read what happened to you and Ellie.

I can't believe that both the police and animal control are taking what happened so lightly.

I was happy that Ellie seems to be ok. But I am very worried about you, physically, emotionally. Please take care of yourself. I hope and pray that your broken bones will heal simply and quickly.

I agree with everyone re: getting legal help. But get yourself on the healing road too.

Val