No wonder Stavs has problems with dogs if he was attacked so badly as a pup. I think you have put a lot of effort into Stavs to get him to this stage. Well done to you and great for being a good, responsible and caring owner.

There is no such thing as a typical owner........similarly there is no such thing as a typical Stafford. Both are A-typical breeds....LOL

You often find the lads that hang around the corners with their dogs have their best interest at heart I have on a couple of occasions stopped and spoken to them and even given out a couple of leads to kids/youngsters, and offer advice.
Show them respect and you will find they are fine the majority of them never really met a bad 'un.
 
My breed is very close to my heart and I find that the reputation goes before them and not sure if thats good or bad.....one lady I meet in the park when told mine were Staffords (the breed she hates due to media) said "Oh they can't be yours are the kind black dogs.....so there you go. She believes me now, and defends Staffs when spoken of in a bad way. Time a patience are all that is required and a lot of lip biting...LOL
Sal is a PAT dog (we visit a hospice and a scool for autistic/behaviourly challenged children) and has done agility and flyball, she also has a silver KCGC award can't be bothered to do the Gold but maybe....for the hell of it. Is she typical no she's not she is unique likeevery dog is to their family.

But I would be proud to meet you as you have overcome more adversity with Stavs, and yes I do mean OVERCOME it.

Karen

Hi,

I felt so bad for you when I first read this thread, how much you care is obvious in your words.  Accidents can happen to any of us and you have dealt with it in the most responsible way possible.  Just adding to a comment in your last post about him being fired up from playing ball, dogs can get a huge adrenaline rush from playing ball especially ones that are ball obsessed, it can take a long time for their adrenaline levels to return to normal and I would guess at this having a big part to play in this incident,as dogs are much more likely to react with a load of adrenaline flowing through them.  I hope both dogs are ok.  Stavs is lucky to have you :-)

I've only just read this thread. I just wanted to say that I really admire you :)

Fingers crossed everything is ok.

Please keep us updated.

Thanks everyone, again.

I appreciate all the support youve given me, and youve helped me more than you realise, I wouldve been an even bigger mess without you all.

Well, I dont know whats going on with the vets.  I keep asking for a bill to be sent to my address, Ive e.mailed them and called them. They arnt replying to the e.mails and when I call them, they seem to be pushing me to settle the bill over the phone, the receptionist I spoke to this morning asked why I couldnt settle then and there by card?  I said I would pay by card over the phone once the bill has been sent to me.  Is that being unreasonable?  Im not indicating that the vets are being less than honest at all, but Id just like to actually SEE the bill.   They also wont give me any details about the owners, so Ive written a letter that I,ll post to the vets for them to forward to the owner. 
Im beginning to feel as if Im turning into a stalker or something now . I dont want to harrass the owner at all, but I do want to know how Prince is doing.  I also feel, rightly or wrongly, that the vets are treating me like something they trod in.  Their tone changes when they know its me, and they have been bordering on being rude.  Ive spoken to 2 different people there, both receptionists, and they have both had an attitude with me.  Maybe seeing Prince in such a lot of pain and knowing it was my dog did it, and therefore my fault, has made them less than friendly towards me, but I dont think its very professional to be honest.   I also wonder why the first time I spoke to the receptionist, she asked for my address so she could "inform the dog warden".  Because I now know, through here and by reading, that they cant do that?  Almost seems as if they wanted me to worry.

Anyway, I dont think Im going to call them again at all.  And when they leave a message on my answerphone asking me to settle up with them, I,ll ignore it untill a bill gets sent to me.  Im assuming thats how it normally works?  If anyone knows, Id appreciate them letting me know please.

Thanks again all :)

Yeh i think thats best. If they contact you id say '' send me an itemised bill or i will not pay it, im being a responsible dog owner and actually giving a beep when my dog has done something wrong'' they give you and itemised bill when your at the vets so why is it so hard to stick a stamp on it. Stick to your guns. i wonder if they have added a few extra costs and dont want you to see it, abit fishy.

louise

> abit fishy.

It is a bit fishy. I wouldn't pay without seeing the bill and being assured that this shoulder problem isn't an existing condition.

I think it also sound very "Fishy".

By law you do not have to pay this bill but you have offered which makes you responsible...i would be more than grateful if my dog were attacked and the owner offered to even pay a little toward the bill let alone settle the whole thing.

I'm not sure how you would find out if other things were added to the account but i certainly would be having no other contact via phone with them, i would send one email or letter (registered) outlining what you want and i personally would mention that you have found their reception staff less than helpful and rude, i would tell them that you would like a full itemized account detailing everything and if not received you withhold the right not to pay at all.

I, too, would not pay over the phone, without even seeing the bill.
You should be told exactly what you are paying for, and the vet should also be assuring you that this is not the result of any preexisting condition. If you were an insurance company settling the bill they would expect this much information, so should you.
I wouldn't bother anymore, let them do the running around now, they'll send you a bill eventually, if you've told them you won't pay up without it. After all if you send a registered letter you will have to pay for it!

I wouldnt pay anything, without knowing how much, and why.  That is your right.  You are trying to make this right, and being VERY responsible, as I said before, I wish more were like you. 

Maybe they cant release how Prince is doing, because of confidentiality, but you are definately entitled to see what was done, what you are paying for, etc.  I would send a registered letter to the vet themselves (not just the practice) and let them know what you want, and that the attitude has been less then good when you have called to settle this. 

Or what about going in to the vets office?  Is that a possibility?  Then you can force the issue about seeing the bill in its entirety, before paying it.  I think it is rather fishy, that they arent so eager to share the information with you about expenses. 

If they still refuse to, tell them that you wont be paying anything until you see the bill.  You dont have too. 

Stupid question - why don't you just go to the vet in person and pay it? They'll give you an itemised bill there & then. Under the circumstances you don't want it to look like you are avoiding the issue by quibbling the amount. At the end of the day it shouldn't really matter if you get an itemised bill of not if you are still going to pay the other dog's expenses anyway. Just go to the vet and ask for a bill there & then and pay it in person. The DDA might not cover dog on dog attacks but that doesn't mean the vet or the dog's owner can't persue you for expenses through the small claims court.

I think the people advising you not to pay are very misguided & i hope to god my dog never gets attacked by thier dog if that's how they deal with such serious matters.

Don't get me wrong, you need to know you are not being over charged but your failure to pay promptly could have repecussions on other people, at the moment the owner of the other dog has a substantial unpaid bill & thier vet could quite rightfully refuse to give the dog any follow up treatment until the bill is settled. I realize i'll probably get jumped on by everyone for not feeling sorry for you but i think people seem to forget how they would react if it had been thier dog, they probably would have frogmarched you down the vet to pay up long before now & certainly would not be very happy that it still wasn't settled so long after the incident.

Just go to the vet and pay the bill in person, you will get a printed invoice given to you which you can then dispute with the vet, eitherway out of decency to the owner of the other dog you need to resolve this now.

> The DDA might not cover dog on dog attacks but that doesn't mean the vet or the dog's owner can't persue you for expenses through the small claims court.

The OP is not refusing to pay, merely asking for an itemised bill before handing over the money. She has allready said she would pay & is not shirking any responsibility atall. Who's to say that her good nature & guilt aren't being taken advantage of here? Anything could be on that bill - squeeky toys bought from the vets shop, food, jabs, flea treatment, treatment for a condition the dog had prior to the incident etc.... The OP has stood up & offered to take the financial burden here, but that doesn't mean she has to pay whatever the vet asks for - she only should pay for damages caused by her dog, she wont know what that is untill she sees a bill.

> I would send a registered letter to the vet themselves (not just the practice) and let them know what you want, and that the attitude has been less then good when you have called to settle this. 
>

I agree.

Just a thought but maybe the dog was insured ???? on an itemised bill that would normally show  up at least from my vets it does anyway

Mastifflover...i'm in total agreement with you...why should she pay just like that !...like you say they could have thrown loads of other stuff on top and i don't think the op has money to throw away !

Also Newienook has a very good point about the dogs insurance.

I'd find out an awful lot more if i could re this.

I am not well up on insurance matters but something to consider is the possibility that the injured dog's insurance company might want to recover the costs from the OP - in which case she could end up paying not only the vet's bill but insurance admin costs as well. With car insurance companies always recover costs from the person who is found to be at fault for an accident so this might also be true for pet insurance?

Could you not visit the vet in question to pay the bill in person - that way you would see the itemised bill and know what has been charged for. I don't think the fact that the other dog's owner is insured would make any difference other than to push up the cost for you if they pay the bill and then recover the cost plus their own costs on top.

Sad sad story.
When I go to the vet, I get a receipt with my dogs name, our name, our home address, telephone number, etc on it.   This is personal information.
I imagine that it is the same with Prince' bill.   It will have the owners name and personal details on it.   I would imagine this is the reason why they havent sent it to you although how they imagine you are going to pay without knowing the contents, is beyond me...

> When I go to the vet, I get a receipt with my dogs name, our name, our home address, telephone number, etc on it.   This is personal information.
>

fair point but i'm sure they could call the owner and ask if they could send it on with the owners info blacked out of required. sounds odd to me...

Wow.. I never meant to cause friction on here!

relay, thanks for your post.Hi, Hope you dont mind me addressing your points one by one.

"Stupid question - why don't you just go to the vet in person and pay it? They'll give you an itemised bill there & then. Under the circumstances you don't want it to look like you are avoiding the issue by quibbling the amount. "

Its not a stupid question.   There are reasons I havnt been able to go to the vets in person. Up untill now I simply havnt been able to fit the time in.  Ive got 4 kids, Im a single parent,  I work, very often at the other end of town. The vets in question is around 10 miles away, in a very busy town, if I were to try to get to them either before or after work both times would be in rush-hour traffic and would probably take an hour or so by the time I got there and back.  If I come home in the daytime its to walk my dogs, separately, to collect my kids from school, get food in, take my elderly Mum to the docs, etc etc.   I simply have not had the time to make the trip.  I WILL do, if need be, but I just havnt had time as YET.  Im not quibbling at all about paying the bill, I said from day one its my responsibility, and I will pay it.

"At the end of the day it shouldn't really matter if you get an itemised bill of not if you are still going to pay the other dog's expenses anyway. Just go to the vet and ask for a bill there & then and pay it in person."

As above.  And I think it does matter actually, its a hell of a lot of money for me to find and while I dont doubt I SHOULD pay it, and will, I think Id like to see exactly what Im paying for.

"The DDA might not cover dog on dog attacks but that doesn't mean the vet or the dog's owner can't persue you for expenses through the small claims court."

For what?  Im paying the bill.  I said Id pay it, I will pay it, I just want the bill, thats all?

"I think the people advising you not to pay are very misguided & i hope to god my dog never gets attacked by thier dog if that's how they deal with such serious matters."

Well, we,ll disagree on that one.  I think the people on here have been kind, helpfull and made a terrible situation a little better for me to deal with.  They offered a bit of friendship when I need it, and Im greatfull for that.

"Don't get me wrong, you need to know you are not being over charged but your failure to pay promptly could have repecussions on other people, at the moment the owner of the other dog has a substantial unpaid bill & thier vet could quite rightfully refuse to give the dog any follow up treatment until the bill is settled. I realize i'll probably get jumped on by everyone for not feeling sorry for you but i think people seem to forget how they would react if it had been thier dog, they probably would have frogmarched you down the vet to pay up long before now & certainly would not be very happy that it still wasn't settled so long after the incident."

Sorry, but that bit of your post has annoyed me, your making it sound as if Im asking for peoples sympathy!  I wasnt being "oh poor me", I was very much being "oh poor Prince and Stavs"!  I deserve no-one to feel sorry for me, and Ive never asked anyone to.   As for "frogmarching" me down to the vets,  excuse me?   I dont need to frogmarched ANYWHERE.  I WANT to pay this bill, Ive never said I wouldnt.  Im not paying it under durress, I dont need to be forced to pay it, no-one needs to chase me up for it, in actuall fact its been ME doing the chasing up!  You make it sound as if Im reluctant to pay it and Im trying to get out of paying it, and thats out of order. 

"Just go to the vet and pay the bill in person, you will get a printed invoice given to you which you can then dispute with the vet, eitherway out of decency to the owner of the other dog you need to resolve this now. "

Again, Ive explained why Ive not yet been able to go in person.  Sorry, but MY dogs, MY kids, and MY mum come first.  WHEN Ive got time, in fact the very second Ive got time, I,ll be at the vets.   And as for the "decency to the owner to resolve this now", your again making it sound as if I dont WANT to resolve this?   Ive telephoned the owner possibly 20 times. Ive telephoned the vets possibly half that amount. Ive sent 4 e.mail to the vets.  Please dont make it sound as if Im not trying ,because thats very upsetting to me, Ive been concerned about the dog and the affect on the owners since the very beginning.

Sorry, got a bit lippy there :(
Had a monster of a day and feeling a bit fed up.     Right, at the risk of making some posters feel Im trying to avoid paying this bill (which I promise you I most definately am not!  ), Ive got some concerns I want to voice here.  Before I go any further, I want to say that if I havnt had a bill come by tomorrow morning, Im going to phone them and pay by card....I know I should wait, but to be honest after the day Ive had and then coming on to read relays post to me, I feel I just want it over and done with.  But I have to say I do feel a bit suspicious about some of this, and heres why...

I still cant understand why the receptionist wanted me to think she was contacting the Dog Warden.  If I didnt have the internet and somewhere like this forum, Id have been out of my mind with worry that stavs was going to be taken and destroyed.  Yet I feel thats exactly what the receptionist WANTED me to feel, as this was all said after she asked what breed of dog stavs was.

I have spoken to the vets again and they said that the treatment for Prince is "ongoing".  He,ll still be seen regularly at the moment due to the floating sliver of bone, because they dont know if its going to cause problems or not.   The woman I spoke to said (and this is her exact words)   " He may not need more treatment, but then again he may do.  In an ideal world, he wont need more.  But, in an ideal world, it wouldnt have happened, so who can say"  .    So the bill as it stands at the moment is around the £600 mark.  But, that could be added to everytime Prince goes to be seen and needs more treatment.   
I undertsand he had a lot of treatment etc, but this almost sounds open-ended to me...it could go on and on, just being added to?  Is that how it works?  Thats one of the reasons I feel like just paying it asap tomorrow, getting it over and done with, at least then I know its a certain amount.  (Maybe they arnt sending me a bill because they dont feel the treatment is over yet, and are going to do it all in one go?  I really dont know)  But I feel like paying that amount, then not paying any more after that if they contact me again and say the bills been added to. . Is that unfair ? 

And, this is the biggy..this is what has made me really suspicious. although it could be coincidence and I dont want to sound paranoid.
I was talking to another dog walker that I never met before.  She was fussing over Lola and saying how much she loves staffs :) and Lo was snogging her, lol...then she said something that I couldnt quite catch in passing that I didnt hear all of...before rushing off because she was late .,    Then it came to me in a flash what she,d said!   That the husband of another dog walker she knows had to take their dog to the vets because a staff got a bit "boisterous" with it and hurt it accidently...and the blokes WIFE works in a vets as a receptionist, so shes used to staffies being misunderstood.   The bit that stood out for me is that the mans wife works in a vets     and I wanted to run after her and ask her "what when where" and question her like the gestapo!  By the time it dawned on me though, she was gone, in a car and out the carpark.

Am I being really really paranoid here, to even consider that the person Im actually speaking to on the phone, is the OWNER?  Maybe Im cracking up, lol, like I said, Ive had a rubbish day and I think Im coming down with flu or something, so maybe Im readin stuff into things?   Bit spooky though, isnt it?

Please please do NOT settle the bill tomorrow...wait !

Have sent you a pm.

> Please please do NOT settle the bill tomorrow...wait

I second that!

Also..if Princes treatment is "ongoing"...where does the account stop..it could go on and on, you have to have a ceiling.

Again please dont settle the bill..ignore what has been said in that post and go with the majority of what other posters have said...GET THE BILL ! (See i'm shouting now lol)

I would not settle this bill either, I would wait to see what happens re the vet and try and find out if the owner is the receptionist at this vets.  Can you not ask to speak to the vet himself and try and find out what treatment has been done, say that the receptionists have not been very helpfull so far and you are wanting to have an intimised bill etc. etc.

Good luck

all sounds a bit off. either way you are willing to pay but to have the bill set out for you. that should not be an issue at all, dont' they do it for insurance claims all the time? it's not an unreasonable request by any stretch.

i have to say if it had been my dog i'd first off have been incensed but then quite moved by your obvious concern. these things can happen for a variety of reasons and its how the issue is dealt with that should be the important thing.

Just sat here thinking...one of the receptionists I spoke to the day after it happened thought I was the owner when I called, remember I wrote that somewhere on here?  She gave out info she shouldnt have given out?

Well, that means it cant possibly be the owner working there?  Cos the other receptionist would know?  Unless shes new, or something, or works different times.

I think I must just be being paranoid.  Its quite a coincidence though isnt it?  Oh, I dunno, my brain hurts at the moment, and Im off to bed. We shall see what tomorrow brings.  Thankyou everyone for your thoughts, advice.  I hope its pretty clear that Im not trying to avoid paying this bill, I dont want anyone, including relay, to think that.  Lets see what tomorrow brings, Im tired and snappy and Im sure your all sick of me whinging on, lol.
Thanks again. x

I dont think it EVER came across that you didnt want to pay the bill.  Each post you have posted has mentioned how you WANT to pay the bill.  DONT pay the bill over the phone with your card.  First off, who is to say that more treatment wont be added to the card without you really knowing?  How do you know that all that is being placed on the card, is for the treatment of a bite wound and a shoulder injury. 

Dont let one poster fuss you up.  YOU ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING (I AM SHOUTING IT FROM THE ROOFTOP!!!).   It is not unreasonable to want to know what you are paying for.  If you walked into a store, you want the bill dont you when you get your items rung in.  Not just ring the items in, and give the card, and have NO idea what you just put on the card.

YOU ARE BEING A WONDERFUL DOG OWNER.  All you want to do is make it right.  What is wrong with that? 

I still cant understand why the receptionist wanted me to think she was contacting the Dog Warden.

i wouldnt worry about this, vet receptionists dont always know what they are talking about, same as doctors!

OK, Please don't pay this bill without seeing it. Someone could be easily ripping you off here, and i don't think you can afford it.
Also, you aren't under obligation to pay up without even knowing who the owner is. This is all very fishy.
You need to know who is the owner, whether the bill is related to treatment following the incident or some ongoing condition, whether the dog was insured, etc.
If the owner took you to court for the money you would know who they were, and you would get a detailed account of the bill you are supposed to be paying, so they can't say they don't want to tell you who they are, and then threaten court (not that they have threatened to take you to court, that was just someone on here).
I think you should phone citizens advice and get some good advice on the situation, and if they think, as i do, that there is no chance that waiting will result in more problems for you, i think you should wait to pay the bill only when you know that the bill is ONLY for damage caused by the incident, and that if the owner of the dog is working at the vet, that it is all above board.

I'm so pleased that there are so many sensible people posting on here giving Stavs such good advise.

Very good idea RReeve to contact citizens advice on this..I wonder if this little dog is actually insured but cannot think of how you'd find out.

I would not be having one worry about any warden coming knocking or anyone else for that matter..Stavs is not obliged to pay and i certainly wouldn't be parting with a penny until i knew what it was for...having thought about her situation i think if it were me i would be asking that Prince be seen by Stavs own vet for a 2nd opinion..at least then Stavs vets would have a copy of the original medical record/history and this can be sorted out once and for all.

I'm fairly sure with any transaction it's a legal requirement to provide a bill eg for your direct debits a company has to tell you what it is asking for before they take it from your account.  The problem here may be that the vets can't provide you with a bill without the permission of the owner, the owner is the person they are dealing with and I assume if the bill were not paid would have to take legal action against to recover the costs.

I agree with the others here don't pay anything until you have seen a bill, and if the bill seems high, or the treatment excessive get a second opinion.  You are being a responsible owner and doing everything you should to sort this out but it is not reasonable to expect you to in effect sign a blank cheque

Just paying devils advocate here and not dismissing the fact that the OP wants to pay for the damages to the injured dog.

Have you admited either in writing on infront of witnesses that your dog attacked the other dog? 
Reading down the thread I understand there was a punture wound and a damaged shoulder.  The damaged shoulder could be a costly condition that requires ongoing treatment (or not) possibly ending in athritis.  This being an open ended bill (and it sure looks like it is) you could be paying out a lot of money as the owners insurance company may not want to pay it.

As you have stated to the vets receptionist (I think I read) that you want to pay for the dogs treatment technically you have admited responsiblity.

Could be the owner of the injured dog doesn't have insurance or an account with the vet and now the vet is trying to get the first bit of the bill cleared up.  I am guessing thats the reason they are not sending it to you and asking for a payment instead.  Incidentaly if they did take more money from your card at a later date this would be fraud and they would have to pay your costs.

I would be finding a solicitor who can give you the (I think its 10 mins free advice) so you know what you are expected to do.  We can give you support but not the correct advice.

I hope it all goes well for you and your dog, you seem to be a very careing owner.

My heart goes out to you on this one. Can I recommend you put this in a letter to the vet i.e. You have phoned several times asking for a summary of the bill, that you have agreed to pay and have made this clear etc. Take a photocopy of letter for yourself, send letter special delivery (approx £3.50), it will be delivered the next day.  You will have no legal standing unless this is put in writing.  Good luck

What you really need is to be able to send a registered letter to the owner of the dog (again check this out with a solicitor) giving the payment requested and stating very clearly that this is in full and final settlement of ANY claim they may have against you.  A solicitor or maybe the Citizens advice will be able to advise you further.  In paying costs to the person concerned and having the matter finalised you will be able to put it behind you. 

The vet actualy has no right to demand the money from you on the say so of the inured party. 

The other concern I have is that should the injured party have insurance and claim on that (and again I am guessing the vet wants payment before sending in a report to the insurers) that even if the the injured party settles the insurers may pursue costs for ongong treatment.

This is not a matter for us to speculate about please, please get advice and keep posting.

We are all with you and trying to help

I would be finding a solicitor who can give you the (I think its 10 mins free advice) so you know what you are expected to do.

Again Trevor Cooper would be ideal as he deals with dog law! It will cost to phone him but might well be worth it.
http://www.doglaw.co.uk/phoneadvice.php

good point

Just need to ask this " why hasnt princes owner contacted you " if it was my dog i would have been in contact with you all the way thru the treatment and made sure you had all my details  , you are a responsible dog owner , plse dont pay the bill yet until you have  the bill

That would be my next point.

Ask the receptionist if they phone again to request that the owner of the dog sends you the bill, as the receptionist is unwilling or unable to do so.  To be honest it is the owner's bill and in law they will be required to pay it.

I can't see any reason why the owner would object to this.  They can then pay what is effectively their account at the vets. Please, please ensure that you send your letter by registered post and that you have proper advice on how to word it.

In the past I would have worded a letter paying out of pocket cost like this as.  Please note that in accepting this cheque drawn in the sum off £....... that is it given as a gesture of goodwill in full and final settlement of any claim you may have against me and with no admission of responsibility on my part.

The vet does not actualy have a claim the owner of the dog does and do it as quickly as you can. 

If the owner is being fair and the dog has received the treatment stated you will feel better and you can get back to normal life.

Edited to say do nothing without advice and tell the vets surgery you are taking legal advice - keep them informed.

And yes I have worked in a legal department

Echo...thats very good advice.

It really all does sound so very fishy and am glad Stavs is getting so much help from this forum.

I would hold your horses before paying out a huge sum like that.

For starters you are not entitled to pay any of the bill but because you are a responsible owner you have offered to pay so good on you.

My own personal opinion would be to get the itemised bill so they aren't ripping you off and also find out if this dog had an ongoing shoulder problem already.  Once you have got that I would pay the initial vets bill but would not agree to pay ongoing treatment - otherwise you could still be paying when that dog is 15 and got arthritis!

You have done everything you can and have been more than helpful to the owner of the other dog.  I'm very surprised that they haven't been in touch with you.  If my dog had an incident like that I would be sooo grateful to have someone behaving in the way you have.

'Once you have got that I would pay the initial vets bill but would not agree to pay ongoing treatment - otherwise you could still be paying when that dog is 15 and got arthritis.'

Thats exactly why it has to be a letter worded in the correct way and the only way to get the bill is for the owner to send it to the OP.

Hi everyone, and thanks for your suggestions and input, again its very appreciated.

Ive had to come home from work as I feel like rubbish, think Ive got an ear infection or something so will be phoning the docs in a minute. Depending on what time I can get an appointment for, I,ll be also going to the vets either before or after the docs, to speak to them personally.  I think what Ive decided to do is this...Im going to go there, ask to see a breakdown of whats been done to Prince up untill now, and pay the bill there and then.  Im going to get a receipt and then copy it, and will then write a letter to the vets stating that Ive settled that amount as a "full and final" payment.  I,ll send it registered post.  I,ll also put a letter in with that letter, to the owners, and ask that it be forwarded to the owners.

I dont want to fall out with the vets or the owners, but I really feel that once Ive paid this bill, that should be an end to it and I shouldnt have to pay any ongoing bills.  Do you think that sounds ok?   I just want to pay it and put an end to all this, but by the same token I dont want to be worried about the next bill, or the next.  Im concerned that if its not paid soon, the amount on it will keep growing, and I just cant afford it, as it stands now its higher than I first thought it would be and the loan I got isnt covering it, so Im struggling to get the rest of it up together and I,ll be skint for a while, but at least it will be paid and I can try to put it all behind me.

I kind of undertsand why the owners dont want to speak to me, Ive caused them a lot of stress and worry and caused there dog to be in pain, so after sending them the letter in with the vets letter, I wont try to bother them again, Im obviously a sore subject for them.  I really did want to know that Prince was doing ok, but I cant force them to tell me, so I just have to hope that hes recovering ok.

Who knows, maybe they will get in touch with me once they get the letter and find that Ive paid the bill?   I totally understand everyone saying to me not to pay it yet, and I really do thank you all for being so caring about this situation, but at least if I get a look at the bill and get a receipt for the payment, it will bring this to an end, sort of.  Its making me ill to be honest, and it was never my intention to kick up a fuss about paying the bill.  I do think the vets and the owners could have handled it a little better though, if Prince was my dog I would have called and at least given an update on how he was doing, but like I said, maybe they just are still too angry with me to do that.

I,ll let you all know what happens at the vets, thanks again for such a lot of support, you have kept me sane this last few days. x

Hi Stavs.

What a lot of great advice from everyone here - hopefully it's gave you a bit of peace-of-mind and allowed you to let off a bit of steam.

You have went out of your way to be responsible, phoned the vets regularly asking for the bill, for updates etc.

I would now send a recorded letter asking for an itemised bill and wait for them to contact you.

You have done everything you possibly could and are obviously getting yourself into a state over it. Relax and let them come to you.

Best wishes

> In the past I would have worded a letter paying out of pocket cost like this as.  Please note that in accepting this cheque drawn in the sum off £....... that is it given as a gesture of goodwill in full and final settlement of any claim you may have against me and with no admission of responsibility on my part.
>

that is amazingly good!!!!  

The owner of Stavs has done so much, and its obvious that she wants to be the best owner she can be.  Hopefully she can get a breakdown of the bill, and settle this, because she is trying to do the right thing.  Who knew, that doing something RIGHT would be a lot more difficult!!!!  

You could write a letter stating that payment is in full and final settlement but, I am afraid, the dog's owner is under no obligation to accept that.  They could still pursue you for the full cost of treatment including damages to cover projected veterinary fees liable to be incured, for early onset arthritis for example, all the same.  Possibly for distress to the dog and themselves too and, having admitted liability, this would be all too easy.
You are, of course, entitled to have the full details of the injuries and treatment given but if they are all above board you cannot now choose what or how much you are willing to pay.  It might be an idea to check your home contents insurance regarding third party liability cover and, if you have it, speak to them immediately.  If you are not covered I think you will need legal advise from either a solicitor or, perhaps, the Citizens Advise.

Hi Stav's
You're a responsible pet owner stepping up to your responsibilities, props to you but don't get fooled. A lawyer or insurance company would request the dog's previous medical records to make sure that you are not being charged for unnecessary costs.

When you go to the vets I would request to speak to the practice manager and ask for a copy of the itemised bill for your records and if they refuse I would not pay until such time you received this. I would also put in a complaint about the staff member that threatened to contact the dog warden, I certainly would take no nonsense from them as your not legal obliged to pay this bill until a court of law puts a order out for you to do so.

If the vets refuse to give you the itemised bill then wait for the owner to contact you and in that time seek legal advice. Just now it is the owner that is responsible for the bill not you and I am positive they owner will soon contact you once the vets start chasing them for the bill

Thanks everyone.

Im just about to leave to go to the vets before I go to the docs, and Im going to nick some of the words suggested and put them in the letter, so thanks for that :)  (is that Plagerism, or something?)

I see where your coming from about me refusing to pay and courts etc, but I really am reluctant to do that?  I dont feel the owners SHOULD have to take me to court, I dont think thats fair on them to be honest and although its in the back of my mind that something is a tad fishy here, I just want an end to all this.  Im going now so will see what happens at the vets, but if I DONT get to see a bill, then I,ll probably have to do a rethink, see what they say?

Im probably not making much sense, sorry, my ears throbbing and Im in a rush, but I will let you all know what happenes when I get back.  Thanks again.

ps, I dont have house insurance :(    By trying to "cut corners" financially Ive made a big mistake there havnt I?   Goes to show, things cost more in the longrun if you try to skimp on things.

Exactly Isabel but it they do accept direct payment to the owner themselves then they are settling.  It does need to be done with the advice of a solicitor because as I said, if insured the insurance company can be looking for more expenses if other conditions arrise in connection with the attack.

If you read my response you will see that is exactly what i have said.  Paying the vets bill and then sending a letter will accomplish nothing just admission of responsibiity and the resulting ongoing cost.

Please please get advice before you pay the bill and then pay it not before

Also keep the vets advised of what you are doing

I am not contradicting your advise, echo, merely adding another point!  A letter written after the bill was paid, as the OP was stating, would not oblige the dogs owner to accept that full and final payment had been met.  My post was addressed to the OP not you.