Going over to a friend’s house is completely normal. Getting ready to out for the night together, having some drinks before a party, or just hanging out is nothing out of the ordinary.
You know they have a pet dog and you’ve been around a few times so it’s reasonably familiar to you.
Growing up in Vietnam, we had a cute little shitzu named Puddles. He was so aggressive towards guests that he hated it when others came near our family. It was not his fault that he had a tough upbringing because we had bought him at a food market in Hanoi… We once had a visitor who bit us, and we had a hefty bill!
He had all the necessary vaccinations, and the scratch wasn’t too painful, but everyone reacts to it differently. One day the dog is sitting next to you on the sofa. The moment you extend your hand to pet the dog, he snaps and bites you.
You are horrified to find that it is a vicious bite that pierces your skin and sounds crushing. The dog suddenly attacked you and didn’t appear to be acting normally. Now, what can you do? You must attend to the wound first before running from the dog.
After surgery or stitches, you need to find out what you can do about it. This is not something that you and your friend can just forget about, especially if the medical bills are coming to you alone.
Think back carefully
Usually, dogs will give signs that they are not comfortable around you. If they perceive you as a threat they will make low-pitched growling noises that come from the throat.
It may transpire into a growl and a bark. These are obvious signs that the dog is agitated in your presence and might see you as a threat.
When this happens we don’t usually pet the dog because we know it could hurt us. So most of the time when a dog attack happens it occurs quickly and no prior signs are given. Think back to your incident and figure out whether or not you did something to anger the dog or did it show no signs of being aggressive?
Talk with the friend
It’s going to be awkward but if you really are true friends then it won’t be like talking to a strange about the incident.
Obviously you’re in a lot of pain and on top of that, you have medical bills to pay for your care. You might also have long-lasting damage to your hand, which will affect your ability to work. Talk to your friend to see if they can help with your bills or rather pay for all of them.
You don’t want the dog to be put down so more than likely you haven’t reported it to the police or dog handlers. They should do you the courtesy of paying for your recovery as a thank you.
No dice?
When a friend doesn’t want to help you pay or says they can’t it’s time to consider if you can be close with this person ever again.
Physical injury is incredibly serious and not something that can be brushed under the carpet among friends. Speak to a dog bite lawyer that can help you get the funds needed to pay for your bills from your friend.
They will build your case to the point that a battle in court is going to look unattractive to your once friend.
Being invited over to a friend’s house should never entail leaving it worse off than when you entered it.
Dog bites are very painful and traumatic, so you should be receiving financial assistance from your friend to recover; there’s simply no excuse.
