We all likely have heard the saying that a dog is man’s best friend. And it’s true, isn’t it? These pets aren’t only good companions in fun times but can be helpers in hard times too.
Just like the author of today’s story – their dog helped them to get through the grief of losing their child. Unfortunately, the same dog became a victim of a vicious attack and lost its eye and leg. So, it’s no wonder the owner is now looking for ways to hold those responsible accountable.
More info: Mumsnet
How do you react when your beloved pet gets mauled so badly that it loses body parts?
An owner left their dog, who helped them deal with grief after losing a child, with a woman they trusted while they went on a trip abroad
The dog got mauled by the woman’s mastiff and lost an eye and a leg, which made the owner want to seek legal advice on how to make the woman cover travel and treatment bills
Back in the day, the author of today’s story lost their child. Three years before this tragic event, they got their dog, which ended up being their rock through their grief.
It isn’t uncommon for pets to help their owners with grief. Dogs can sense when their owners feel bad and comfort them. Besides, having a pet means a person has to take care of it – for example, taking it for a walk. This allows a grieving person to get some exercise and clean air and maybe even have some social interactions, which can help to deal with grief in the long run.
While we don’t know for sure how the dog helped the OP with their grief, we know that it did, which created a strong bond between them.
So, when the author needed to go on a trip, they needed to find someone they could trust to watch the dog. They thought they did. But after what happened, it became clear that maybe they shouldn’t have been so trusting.
Apparently, this woman left the dog with her other canines and left the area. Granted, she left another person to watch over these pets, but at the time when the accident happened, they weren’t present. Which meant there were 5 daycare dogs, 4 home boarding dogs, and her own 3 dogs together without supervision.
Leaving so many unattended dogs is dangerous as they might get into fights. And it can happen for many reasons. For instance, it can be a form of them guarding their territory, food, or toys. Or it can be due to their fear or aggressiveness, to name a few. So, the lady who the OP trusted with their dog really played with fire.
And it didn’t end well. The author’s dog walked near the woman’s mastiff and it attacked. The dog lost a leg and an eye. Also, the sitter didn’t even notice the fight until her neighbor came into her house shouting about it.
Due to this, the original poster had to cut their trip 8 days short. So, to the sum of the dog’s treatment costs, the prices of rescheduling flights were added. So, the person asked what kind of legal recourse they could take so the sitter would pay for everything.
That’s why Bored Panda reached out to Judge’s Assistant Jurgita Kasinavičiūtė from the Kaunas Chamber of the Kaunas District Court in Lithuania.
She said that various pieces of evidence can be useful in cases of claim for damages. For example, photos, explanations, or even experts’ conclusions.
For the case in the story, she thinks that a vet’s input could be useful – no one knows the level and consequences of injuries, the treatment plan, and similar things better than them. She added that if needed, a psychologist or psychiatrist can be consulted, especially if the level of emotional damage is evaluated.
Jurgita also noted that in such cases, written evidence is basically a must. For example, proof of treatment, and transportation expenses. Testimonies can be useful too, but it’s better if they go along with written evidence.
While our interviewee provided legal insight into the case, the people on Mumsnet mostly didn’t. Most of those who commented expressed their compassion for the author and their dog. They also wrote that they didn’t really know how they should proceed legally.
Well, in such cases, it is always best to find your attorney to discuss things, as even if someone gave advice online, it might be misleading or not accurate to the place where the asker lives. So, we can only hope that’s what the OP did and that they will get justice. And of course, we hope that although the dog was badly injured, it will heal as much as possible and live a good life with its owner.
Unfortunately, most of the folks online didn’t provide proper legal advice, yet they didn’t shy away from expressing their compassion
