Repeated Dog Bites

[jlb]

Background: I am a single mother, and my mom is usually the only person I can get to watch my child because I do not have the money to pay a sitter. My daughter is 6 years old, and my mom has a retriever that she adopted. The dog was apparently abused because he will bite people if any sudden movements are made near him or if you try to grab his collar. Needless to say, tonight was roughly the 7th or 8th time this dog has bitten my child. He has never hurt her so badly that she needed medical attention, but she always gets lightly broken skin and bruises. He has attacked her neck, face, stomach, and arms (all on different occasions). My mom always defends the dog and says it's my daughter's fault for getting too close to him. I have tried to convince her to get rid of the dog, but she won't. This evening, her boyfriend agreed to keep the dog locked up in a bedroom while my child is there, but he quickly changed the agreement to allowing the dog to remain out if he supervised the dog closely. I told him that if the dog bit her again, I am holding him completely liable for the situation. I have a feeling my daughter will probably get bitten again. If it does, will Animal Control come pick up the dog? Would this man be charged with any sort of crime like child endangerment? Or has this animal already done enough damage to get picked up on Monday?

[Creeker]

I have to say that at this point they are not putting your child in any more "endangerment" than you are by repeatedly leaving your child at a location that you know there is a huge likelihood that she will be bitten.

Your mother obviously values the dog over your child, as far as I am concerned. It also appears to me that your values are a problem as well, when you would willingly place your child in any type of perceived jeopardy.

This is one reason Child Support exists.

[Ispbear]

I have to say that at this point they are not putting your child in any more "endangerment" than you are by repeatedly leaving your child at a location that you know there is a huge likelihood that she will be bitten.

Your mother obviously values the dog over your child, as far as I am concerned. It also appears to me that your values are a problem as well, when you would willingly place your child in any type of perceived jeopardy.

This is one reason Child Support exists.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[retdetsgt]

Yep. You are the one leaving your child in a house with a dangerous dog so you can have free child care. Sorry, but you are the one ultimately responsible, not your mother.

[jlb]

Then what exactly, am I supposed to do? Quit my job, live in the projects, and live completely off of welfare? I am very aware of the fact that child support exists. I turned my ex-husband into child support enforcement a long time ago...that doesn't mean that I actually get any money from him. I can't afford to pay childcare. My rent and utilities are slightly more than I even get paid. My roommate has to make up the difference for me right now. I don't keep any money for myself. I don't buy alcohol or drugs. I'm not a sorry person as you guys seem to perceive that I am. I messed up and had a child before I finished college. The economy is bad. I am working in a job that I am well over-qualified for because it's the only one I could find. I am still in school, trying to earn my degree. I thought you all were supposed to offer me some advice...not put me down and say I don't care about my child. If I didn't care, I wouldn't have looked for help in the first place.

[Safety Steve]

Take the dog for a walk and don't come back with it!


Be Safe.

[greg72982]

Take the dog for a walk and don't come back with it!


Be Safe.

Or pour a nice little bowl of antifreeze...

[DCF]

Or pour a nice little bowl of antifreeze...

If you are going to kill the dog, kill it. Don't torture it. From what the OP says, the dog is this way because it's been abused. While there are ways of fixing the dog, whether it would be worth it is another question. Recommending a torturous death is just wrong.

To the OP; you need to confront your mother or come up with another option. Knowingly placing your child in a situation that an injury is expected is not only bad parenting, but criminal.

DFrost

[greg72982]

If you are going to kill the dog, kill it. Don't torture it. From what the OP says, the dog is this way because it's been abused. While there are ways of fixing the dog, whether it would be worth it is another question. Recommending a torturous death is just wrong.

To the OP; you need to confront your mother or come up with another option. Knowingly placing your child in a situation that an injury is expected is not only bad parenting, but criminal.

DFrost

It was a joke settle down...

Truth be told I don't see any legit reason to keep a dog like that. It's a liability and in this day and age people are just itching for a reason to sue.

[retdetsgt]

The problem is your mother and we can't fix that. But common sense dictates that if you voluntarily leave your child there, you are also part of the problem.

If you try to bring any legal action against your mother, you will simply be told what we're saying. Don't leave your child there. It's nice that your mother is giving you free child care, but the issue with the dog is between you and her. Not the justice system.

[Curt581]

Then what exactly, am I supposed to do? Quit my job, live in the projects, and live completely off of welfare? I am very aware of the fact that child support exists. I turned my ex-husband into child support enforcement a long time ago...that doesn't mean that I actually get any money from him. I can't afford to pay childcare. My rent and utilities are slightly more than I even get paid. My roommate has to make up the difference for me right now. I don't keep any money for myself. I don't buy alcohol or drugs. I'm not a sorry person as you guys seem to perceive that I am. I messed up and had a child before I finished college. The economy is bad. I am working in a job that I am well over-qualified for because it's the only one I could find. I am still in school, trying to earn my degree. I thought you all were supposed to offer me some advice...not put me down and say I don't care about my child. If I didn't care, I wouldn't have looked for help in the first place.

Several officers have tried to tell you what you should do, but you keep coming up with reasons why you can't do this, you can't do that, your Mom won't do the other thing.... then you go off on a tangent about how hard your life is.

Do you think there is some solution to the whole problem we can pull out of thin air that will make everything all better? What exactly do you want us to tell you?

The solution to this is not going to be an easy one. It's time to put on the grown-up pants and make a decision. Either find someone else to babysit, or you're going to have to make your mother get rid of the dog. I recommend the first choice. You're going to have to do one or the other. Taking your daughter to Mom's house with the dog still there is risking her life. If you keep doing it, she will be seriously injured or killed. It's only by the Grace of God that it hasn't happened yet.

You should have called your local domestic animal control when the first bite incident happened. They'd have probably come and impounded the dog to determine vacinations for rabies. If there is no record of vacinations, the dog would have been put down and it's brain tissue tested for rabies.

...and just for info, we're here on this website to socialize with other cops and like-minded individuals. We answer questions on our own time, out of the kindness of our hearts. We tend to give honest opinions and tell people the truth. We're not required to give people the advice they'd like to hear.

[retdetsgt]

You should have called your local domestic animal control when the first bite incident happened. They'd have probably come and impounded the dog to determine vacinations for rabies. If there is no record of vacinations, the dog would have been put down and it's brain tissue tested for rabies.

Which would have no doubt put an end to the free babysitting anyway.

[jlb]

Thank you everyone for all of your advice and opinions. I do understand that you are taking time out of your lives without compensation and I do appreciate it. I have a couple of days off of work now, and I am resolving the situation one way or another. My daughter is not going back to that house with the dog there. I am not allowing this to happen again. I'm sorry if I came across sounding as if I were trying to make you all feel sorry for me in any way. I just felt compelled to clear up the assumption that I was dumping my kid at my mother's and not caring about her well-being because I was like a lot of other bad moms you hear about...dumping off their children to party or whatever. I guess what I was trying to ask to begin with is how to get rid of the dog, not find a different babysitter. It's true that I don't have the money to pay a sitter, but my daughter loves her Grandma very much and would rather stay with her than anybody else. Once again, thank you for taking the time to give me advice.

[Creeker]

You are welcome.

Sometimes people need to figure out what their priorities are.

Were I you, in your position, I would probably rethink the college situation until other things could be resolved. Needless to say, your child is your priority. AFDC is only one program that I can think of off the top of my head that you would surely qualify for I would think, from what you have indicated. They may also be able to recoup support from your deadbeat Baby Daddy.