Forum for people maimed by pitbulls?

[dragonfly411]

I hope I don't give offense, but I have to admit, I'm kind of fascinated by the turn this thread has taken - I mean, it started out as a query for a human (and canine!) victim, and somehow the focus shifted from the injured party to the ... non-injured but maligned/slandered breed? It just has a faint whiff of ... look, anybody here remember the debates that went on in the 70s about whether people who'd been involved in altercations within Radical movements should report them, for fear of damaging The Cause? It sounds a lot like that.

I'm not a dog person due to allergies (though I have nothing against pits: they're gorgeous dogs, and all the ones I've ever met have been terribly sweet and well-trained), and I've never had to pursue a personal injury suit involving an animal, so I'm at a loss as to what practical advice to offer to your friend. I spent a while searching variations on "pitbull" "attack" "victim" "forum" "animal attack ...." and my two conclusions are, a) people are gross and terrible regarding other people (an appalling percentage of the results have a racist slant), and, b) people are gross and terrible regarding animals (an appalling percentage of the results featured links to videos I'm guessing everybody on this thread would collectively throw up at). My best advice would be for him or her to try to track down a lawyer with experience in similar matters, and a fellow therapist who specialized in animal phobias: I'm betting that even if they're a pain to track down online, there have to be RL support groups out there, and the specialists might know which direction to point you. Good luck to you, and to them.

Circe - I think the shift occurred because many of the posters are hopeful that there is not a specialized forum JUST for those maimed by pitt bulls. I'd totally understand a support forum for general dog attacks, and would think there would be one. The idea of a specialized forum for one breed is what puts people on the defensive I think.

 

[Circe]

I hope I don't give offense, but I have to admit, I'm kind of fascinated by the turn this thread has taken - I mean, it started out as a query for a human (and canine!) victim, and somehow the focus shifted from the injured party to the ... non-injured but maligned/slandered breed? It just has a faint whiff of ... look, anybody here remember the debates that went on in the 70s about whether people who'd been involved in altercations within Radical movements should report them, for fear of damaging The Cause? It sounds a lot like that.

I'm not a dog person due to allergies (though I have nothing against pits: they're gorgeous dogs, and all the ones I've ever met have been terribly sweet and well-trained), and I've never had to pursue a personal injury suit involving an animal, so I'm at a loss as to what practical advice to offer to your friend. I spent a while searching variations on "pitbull" "attack" "victim" "forum" "animal attack ...." and my two conclusions are, a) people are gross and terrible regarding other people (an appalling percentage of the results have a racist slant), and, b) people are gross and terrible regarding animals (an appalling percentage of the results featured links to videos I'm guessing everybody on this thread would collectively throw up at). My best advice would be for him or her to try to track down a lawyer with experience in similar matters, and a fellow therapist who specialized in animal phobias: I'm betting that even if they're a pain to track down online, there have to be RL support groups out there, and the specialists might know which direction to point you. Good luck to you, and to them.

Circe - I think the shift occurred because many of the posters are hopeful that there is not a specialized forum JUST for those maimed by pitt bulls. I'd totally understand a support forum for general dog attacks, and would think there would be one. The idea of a specialized forum for one breed is what puts people on the defensive I think.

I guess I can see that - the closest analogy I can think of is potentially offensive, and not meant as such: sort of like if someone who'd been assaulted asked for a forum for people who'd been assaulted by attackers of X background, and not just people who'd been assaulted, yes? I guess the jarring bit for me, as someone who isn't a dog person is that the identity issues seem like such a distant second to the primary concern of finding this poor person who was mauled a way to restore their face/body after the attack.

 

[sillyberry]

I hope I don't give offense, but I have to admit, I'm kind of fascinated by the turn this thread has taken - I mean, it started out as a query for a human (and canine!) victim, and somehow the focus shifted from the injured party to the ... non-injured but maligned/slandered breed? It just has a faint whiff of ... look, anybody here remember the debates that went on in the 70s about whether people who'd been involved in altercations within Radical movements should report them, for fear of damaging The Cause? It sounds a lot like that.

I'm not a dog person due to allergies (though I have nothing against pits: they're gorgeous dogs, and all the ones I've ever met have been terribly sweet and well-trained), and I've never had to pursue a personal injury suit involving an animal, so I'm at a loss as to what practical advice to offer to your friend. I spent a while searching variations on "pitbull" "attack" "victim" "forum" "animal attack ...." and my two conclusions are, a) people are gross and terrible regarding other people (an appalling percentage of the results have a racist slant), and, b) people are gross and terrible regarding animals (an appalling percentage of the results featured links to videos I'm guessing everybody on this thread would collectively throw up at). My best advice would be for him or her to try to track down a lawyer with experience in similar matters, and a fellow therapist who specialized in animal phobias: I'm betting that even if they're a pain to track down online, there have to be RL support groups out there, and the specialists might know which direction to point you. Good luck to you, and to them.

Circe - I think the shift occurred because many of the posters are hopeful that there is not a specialized forum JUST for those maimed by pitt bulls. I'd totally understand a support forum for general dog attacks, and would think there would be one. The idea of a specialized forum for one breed is what puts people on the defensive I think.

Circe, I've been totally bewildered as well. It was a mostly straightforward request from crasru that was never actually answered. I mean, it sounds like the individual was, in fact, maimed by a pitbull, so being upset about someone wanting support from others who have been maimed by pitbulls is a little strange.

To me, this really seems no different than wanting support for any other kind of traumatic event. Is it just because the focus was on pitbulls? Would people have been upset if the request was for a general dog-maiming-forum? What if the request was general and just mentioned that the dog in question was a pitbull?

 

[Circe]

I hope I don't give offense, but I have to admit, I'm kind of fascinated by the turn this thread has taken - I mean, it started out as a query for a human (and canine!) victim, and somehow the focus shifted from the injured party to the ... non-injured but maligned/slandered breed? It just has a faint whiff of ... look, anybody here remember the debates that went on in the 70s about whether people who'd been involved in altercations within Radical movements should report them, for fear of damaging The Cause? It sounds a lot like that.

I'm not a dog person due to allergies (though I have nothing against pits: they're gorgeous dogs, and all the ones I've ever met have been terribly sweet and well-trained), and I've never had to pursue a personal injury suit involving an animal, so I'm at a loss as to what practical advice to offer to your friend. I spent a while searching variations on "pitbull" "attack" "victim" "forum" "animal attack ...." and my two conclusions are, a) people are gross and terrible regarding other people (an appalling percentage of the results have a racist slant), and, b) people are gross and terrible regarding animals (an appalling percentage of the results featured links to videos I'm guessing everybody on this thread would collectively throw up at). My best advice would be for him or her to try to track down a lawyer with experience in similar matters, and a fellow therapist who specialized in animal phobias: I'm betting that even if they're a pain to track down online, there have to be RL support groups out there, and the specialists might know which direction to point you. Good luck to you, and to them.

Circe - I think the shift occurred because many of the posters are hopeful that there is not a specialized forum JUST for those maimed by pitt bulls. I'd totally understand a support forum for general dog attacks, and would think there would be one. The idea of a specialized forum for one breed is what puts people on the defensive I think.

I can see that - the closest analogy I can think of is potentially offensive, and not meant as such: sort of like if someone who'd been assaulted asked for a forum for people who'd been assaulted by attackers of X background, and not just people who'd been assaulted, yes? I guess the jarring bit for me, as someone who isn't a dog person is that the identity issues seem like such a distant second to the primary concern of finding this poor person who was mauled a way to restore their face/body after the attack.

ETA: Crasru, thinking about it a little more - it sounds like you're saying the owner of the pit bull admits the attack was there fault, but the insurance company is refusing to pay out because ... they had the wrong sort of insurance? Or they didn't take proper precautions? If that's the case, even if they're on good terms, I think the appropriate course of action might be for the victim to sue the owner for damages ....

 

[chemgirl]

It does seem very true that different breeds of dogs are suited to different kinds of owners.
I have a fantastic dog a border collie, a dog that needs lots of excercise and lots of human contact as have been bred to run and run and spend the day with their farmer/shepherd. I have had them before and these characterisitcs suit my lifestyle. If however someone had bought my dog (because he is gorgeous with silky black and white fur), who didnt run him daily, left him alone without company then my dog would be completely loopy and behaviourly disturbed. Not his fault, just not the right owner, but he would be the one in the pound facing euthanasia.
The problem I see with bullterriers type breeds that they often seem to be bought by precisely the wrong owners, at least in Australia, people who want a "macho" dog, dont train or socialise them with people and animals or discourage aggressive behaviour or even recognise it as undesirable before it is too late. This is topical in Australia as some poor 4 year old girl was mauled to death in Victoria last week , pulled from her mothers arms, by a pitbull dog that had escaped from the neighbours back yard and followed the family into their own home, the dogs owners apparently stood by.

Exactly the same issue in America. I used to be terrified to leave the house every time I visited my ex boyfriend because the neighbor bought her 12 year old son a pitbull. He was a total thug type and the police were always over. He totally wanted the dog as a status symbol, not as a loving companion. He left her on their second floor balcony, never walked her, never cleaned up after her. The poor thing was isolated, cold, and filthy. I was terrified that she would lash out (and eventually she did, killing another dog). In contrast, the guy downstairs had a doberman and took extremely good care of her. He adopted her from the rescue he volunteered at so he knew her before he took her home. She was delightful to be around. He was also knowledgeable and equipped to handle a large dog.

Dog owners need to choose their pets carefully, and unfortunately it seems that many pitbull owners don't do that.

ETA: I see the thread is back on topic, my bad for not reading until the end before commenting. I agree that the breed of the dog seems secondary to the fact that somebody was maimed and needs ongoing medical care. I hope they find a solution.

 

[dragonfly411]

I hope I don't give offense, but I have to admit, I'm kind of fascinated by the turn this thread has taken - I mean, it started out as a query for a human (and canine!) victim, and somehow the focus shifted from the injured party to the ... non-injured but maligned/slandered breed? It just has a faint whiff of ... look, anybody here remember the debates that went on in the 70s about whether people who'd been involved in altercations within Radical movements should report them, for fear of damaging The Cause? It sounds a lot like that.

I'm not a dog person due to allergies (though I have nothing against pits: they're gorgeous dogs, and all the ones I've ever met have been terribly sweet and well-trained), and I've never had to pursue a personal injury suit involving an animal, so I'm at a loss as to what practical advice to offer to your friend. I spent a while searching variations on "pitbull" "attack" "victim" "forum" "animal attack ...." and my two conclusions are, a) people are gross and terrible regarding other people (an appalling percentage of the results have a racist slant), and, b) people are gross and terrible regarding animals (an appalling percentage of the results featured links to videos I'm guessing everybody on this thread would collectively throw up at). My best advice would be for him or her to try to track down a lawyer with experience in similar matters, and a fellow therapist who specialized in animal phobias: I'm betting that even if they're a pain to track down online, there have to be RL support groups out there, and the specialists might know which direction to point you. Good luck to you, and to them.

Circe - I think the shift occurred because many of the posters are hopeful that there is not a specialized forum JUST for those maimed by pitt bulls. I'd totally understand a support forum for general dog attacks, and would think there would be one. The idea of a specialized forum for one breed is what puts people on the defensive I think.

I guess I can see that - the closest analogy I can think of is potentially offensive, and not meant as such: sort of like if someone who'd been assaulted asked for a forum for people who'd been assaulted by attackers of X background, and not just people who'd been assaulted, yes? I guess the jarring bit for me, as someone who isn't a dog person is that the identity issues seem like such a distant second to the primary concern of finding this poor person who was mauled a way to restore their face/body after the attack.

Circe - Yes, and I do agree with you, and I think it's why we've offered other outlets to look for ways to get this corrected. Unfortunately there are such odd lines drawn with the subject for insurance companies. I do think that insurance companies tend to LOOK for predisposed situations so they don't have to offer the services they are THERE to provide. For instance, many companies here in Florida are no longer going to offer coverage if a sinkhole is discovered below a house. The owner has no way of knowing that their house was placed over a sink hole, and really the builders probably didn't either, but they're SOL b/c it's there and insurance doesn't want to cover something like that. It's sad really, b/c people are already struggling as it is.

 

[Arkteia]

Here is why I said, pitbulls.

If I said "forum for people maimed by dogs", then the whole dog-owner community on the PS would be offended! It would have been worse, I think. People tend to take things personally.

Maybe I should have worded it, "forum for people robbed by insurance companies". I think I would have received far more support. When I said that "people agreed", I mean only that the owner of the dog agreed that keeping a large and potentially dangerous dog behind a small, non-solid fence, and allowing it to run all over the yard without having any ways to restrain it was negligence on his behalf. Admitted his fault. This is what I mean by "people have agreed".

The scariest thing? There was a school bus stop several yards away from that house, and since the pitbull escaped and was running unrestrained down the street, he could have attacked a child. The bus was due to arrive in 6 minutes. The owner of the dog was in the yard but did not notice since he was taking care of his roses. The person attacked sees it as God's provision that she, and not a child, was attacked, since she, at least. had the guts to cover the face and the neck...

The pitbull is the one who took all the blame, of course, as it usually happens, and the person I am helping is trying to get the money for hospital expenses and surgeries. (She already had two, and will need more plastic surgeries). There is a lawsuit, but the insurance company is tight. I typed my question in haste, as we were talking, because she asked me to help her finding a forum (she is old) to find out if anyone got a successful settlement from a homeowner's insurance. This is how I came across forum for owners of small dogs. Maybe I should have asked these owners.

Nothing about pitbulls, personally, they are just dogs bred for fighting. Dog fights are organized by people, breeding fight dogs is human making, not protecting the community against your dog which is probably nice, but can get mean, like any animal, is owner's fault. Nothing against animals. They became domesticated because they trusted humans.

And to drive this line away from the pitbulls... I like dogs. And the woman attacked, strangely, has no dog phobia. It is my 8-year old who has dog phobia. The place where we live is in a mountainous area, and we live at the foot of the hill. When it snows, people would leave their cars at the top of the hill, if they want to drive to work the next day. Now that evening, we left our car on the top, and were walking down the hill with my son. And a chocolate lab war running after us and barking at us. It was an old dog, sort of... naive, to say the least, I knew it well, and it used to be very friendly. But I finally yelled at it to go away, because it was barking at my child, and they were of the same height, and he started to cry. But it was still following us and barking. I do not think it was aggressive, rather, lonely, and maybe scared, probably upset with her owner. Next morning, I spoke with the owner and said that she'd better walk the dog, and not just shove the dog out into snow and darkness to take care of its own needs. To this, I heard that I "did not like dogs". To me, she was the person who did not like dogs, egotistic, letting the dog fend for itself as she was sitting in a warm house watching TV. And since that day on, my son is afraid of dogs.

 

[maplefemme]

Here is why I said, pitbulls.

If I said "forum for people maimed by dogs", then the whole dog-owner community on the PS would be offended! It would have been worse, I think. People tend to take things personally.

Maybe I should have worded it, "forum for people robbed by insurance companies". I think I would have received far more support. When I said that "people agreed", I mean only that the owner of the dog agreed that keeping a large and potentially dangerous dog behind a small, non-solid fence, and allowing it to run all over the yard without having any ways to restrain it was negligence on his behalf. Admitted his fault. This is what I mean by "people have agreed".

The scariest thing? There was a school bus stop several yards away from that house, and since the pitbull escaped and was running unrestrained down the street, he could have attacked a child. The bus was due to arrive in 6 minutes. The owner of the dog was in the yard but did not notice since he was taking care of his roses. The person attacked sees it as God's provision that she, and not a child, was attacked, since she, at least. had the guts to cover the face and the neck...

The pitbull is the one who took all the blame, of course, as it usually happens, and the person I am helping is trying to get the money for hospital expenses and surgeries. (She already had two, and will need more plastic surgeries). There is a lawsuit, but the insurance company is tight. I typed my question in haste, as we were talking, because she asked me to help her finding a forum (she is old) to find out if anyone got a successful settlement from a homeowner's insurance. This is how I came across forum for owners of small dogs. Maybe I should have asked these owners.

Nothing about pitbulls, personally, they are just dogs bred for fighting. Dog fights are organized by people, breeding fight dogs is human making, not protecting the community against your dog which is probably nice, but can get mean, like any animal, is owner's fault. Nothing against animals. They became domesticated because they trusted humans.

And to drive this line away from the pitbulls... I like dogs. And the woman attacked, strangely, has no dog phobia. It is my 8-year old who has dog phobia. The place where we live is in a mountainous area, and we live at the foot of the hill. When it snows, people would leave their cars at the top of the hill, if they want to drive to work the next day. Now that evening, we left our car on the top, and were walking down the hill with my son. And a chocolate lab war running after us and barking at us. It was an old dog, sort of... naive, to say the least, I knew it well, and it used to be very friendly. But I finally yelled at it to go away, because it was barking at my child, and they were of the same height, and he started to cry. But it was still following us and barking. I do not think it was aggressive, rather, lonely, and maybe scared, probably upset with her owner. Next morning, I spoke with the owner and said that she'd better walk the dog, and not just shove the dog out into snow and darkness to take care of its own needs. To this, I heard that I "did not like dogs". To me, she was the person who did not like dogs, egotistic, letting the dog fend for itself as she was sitting in a warm house watching TV. And since that day on, my son is afraid of dogs.

Crasru, please forward this site to your friend: www.dogbitelaw.com It has some great legal advice on there, I hope its of some help.

I don't think you need to be so politically correct in how you word things, Crasru, the fact is a woman was attacked by a dog, a pitbull. If anything, responsible pitbull owners typically find nothing more annoying than an irresponsible pitbull owner.
I don't appreciate any aggressive dogs regardless of breed or size, I'd press charges if I was attacked by a pitbull or poodle.
I don't understand the logic of dog owners who'd defend a dog they do not know that's attacked somebody, they do not know the dog. I can't see why all dog owners would be offended if you posted about a dog attacking someone, why would the take that personally?
But then I have to admit, I have met plenty of irrational dog owners in my day, nothing would surprise me.
But don't sensor yourself, you are trying to help someone, facts are facts...