This happened to a friend of mine and she isnt sure what she can do now...

Hacking along a bridlepath, and passing a livery yard, a gsd ran out of the yard house's garden and bit my friends horse. She was wtih someone else and they both witnessed the lady attempt to stop the dog, calling it by name.

She and another friend (16 yr old this time) went back after they got home and discovered the extent of the bite (vet had to attend).

The lady offered to have the dog in question destroyed. At that time she also admitted that the dog was known to dislike horses and was 'usually kept chained up' and apologised for him NOT being chained up.

Other people on the yard confirmed the dogs name and the owner/person responsible for it.

The lady offered to pay all the vets bills.

Now, cut to yesterday!.

Lady is unhappy with vets bill, has offered to pay half as a good will gesture but claims it ISNT her dog, she doesnt HAVE a male gsd just a bitch (at the time she had a bitch, a pup and the male gsd as well). And she claims dogs wander on and off her yard all the time. When asked if she did know the owner of the dog she claimed she didnt, but then couldnt explain why she knew it was likely to attack and how she knew its name.

Where does my friend go from here?? There are two seperate witnesses, the girl who was with her at the time and the girl whowent with her afterwards. She has a photograph of the dog in question chained to its kennel.

Em

Go to the police. Explain what has happened. They should go and see the owner. Either way the dog came from there and should have been under control. I would also see a solicitor. This could have been much, much worse had the horse bolted and folk like this need to be STOPPED!!

I shall suggest that. My friend has had legal advice from teh BHS and she is ringing them again today, we think that offering to pay half the bill and also witness evidence that she clearly knew the dog and knew it would attack, and also her apologising and thus admitting liability mean that in a small claims court she should lose!

However we do suspect that the dog in question has been 'vanished', either pts or sent elsewhere -- our spies are finding out!

Em

Either way - she needs to pay the bill. Probably didn't realise how much horses cost to repair!