The Glade 4.0

Went to my brother-in-law's for Thanksgiving...spent Thursday and Friday night there, came home today....

Last night, while cleaning up after dinner, one of their dogs decided to attack me! A deep puncture wound and multiple bites, scrapes and bruises on my right wrist as well as a couple of bites on my left wrist and thumb! This dog has bitten my sister-in-law a couple times already, and my brother-in-law wanted to put the dog down the first time but his wife (who has MS) prevailed! I might have to go to the doctor tomorrow if the swelling and pain doesn't go away, which means a report! I don't want to be the one to report my in-laws, especially after all they and I have been through the past couple of months, but this dog is dangerous!! I don't know what to do!

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"Said I never had much use for one, never said I didn't know how to use one!"~ Matthew Quigley

"nothing like a little meow in bed at night" ~ Bruskey

"I gotta float my stick same as you" Hondo Lane

"Fill your hand you son of a *****!"

I'm a little confused about the relationships - isn't your brother-in-law's wife your sister ... ? Oh, wait, your husband's sister, OK, got it (?).

But ... if they have children who visit, could this dog be a threat? What kind of dog is it? I mean, it's a horrible position to be in, but do you want to see a kid get mauled or something when you may have been able to prevent it?

Is the family rift possibly caused by this going to be between your family and your brother-in-law's? Or between you and your husband for making a report? And, really, if it's a question of not going to the doctor and your leg turning gangrenous, or reporting the dog, sorry, but the dog goes down.

Not that I wouldn't be torn by the decision, though. I can sympathize.

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This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

You don't have a GP that would look at it without requiring a report? Maybe it's a regional thing, but I've never had to report any of my dog bites before.

That said, depending on how bad they are, you probably don't need to go in. It just depends on you and the wounds. Unlike puncture wounds from cats, dogs rarely get badly infected.

The last one I had two canines all the way through my hand (one between two hand bones, and one between the next set). I recommend hydrogen peroxide, followed by rubbing alcohol, and then iodine. Don't bandage it, a loose wrap if you want to keep stuff from getting into it.

My personal opinion is that you shouldn't directly report it- if you have to go to the doctor, go. Personally, I'd talk to them about it before you do, if you need to, and give them a chance to do something proactive about it. Maybe you having been bitten will allow your brother-in-law to push again to put the dog down.

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Darksiege: You are not a god damned vulcan homie.

In California, mandatory reporting is everywhere.

Neph gives decent advice Jasmy, if you need to go see the doctor, go. you have to tell them the truth, if you blame on J. Random Dog, you get to a no expenses paid ride through a painful series of rabies shots.

Tell your in-laws before hand if you like, though I wouldn't. Their dog bit you, has a history of biting, and you have medical needs. It isn't your fault.

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

I would definitely tell them you have to report it.

Much nicer to hear it from family and have some time to prepare instead of from a stranger showing up to take your pet.

If you're worried about a rift, reporting it without telling them is much more likely to cause one than the other way around, imo.

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Darksiege: You are not a god damned vulcan homie.

Thanks all for the advice...

Aethien it's my husband's brother. They don't have any children, except for their dogs and cats.


They already know how my hubby feels about the dog. He told his brother in no uncertain terms that the dog is a danger and needs to be put down. He told me that if he'd had a gun the dog would be dead now.

As for treating the wounds, they only had neosporin, but I do have hydrogen peroxide here at home, which will be used when we change the bandages today.

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"Said I never had much use for one, never said I didn't know how to use one!"~ Matthew Quigley

"nothing like a little meow in bed at night" ~ Bruskey

"I gotta float my stick same as you" Hondo Lane

"Fill your hand you son of a *****!"

The dog needs to be put down and you need to see a doctor. A dog that repeatedly bites people unprovoked is a menace. Your MS-ridden relative can, if you'll pardon my expression, go **** herself. Buy her a puppy to replace the dog if you really feel bad about it.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

I'm sorry you got bitten, Jasmy. That had to have been scary and painful. *hugs* I hope you go to the doctor and let them look at at, and I hope your tetanus shot is up-to-date.
I understand you not wanting to upset anyone in your family, and obviously this dog is of great import to the family member with a chronic/terminal illness, but this dog sounds like a real danger.
Not to get all hypothetical on you, but even though they don't have any kids...what if the dog escapes? A dog like that could kill a small child and at the very least cause the child severe psychological damage from a random dog attack.
Even if the dog never gets loose, its still dangerous. A dog who is willing to bite not only guests but its owners....if this dog's behavior escalates I'd hate to think what could happen to them.
Sorry you are in such a tough position.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

Regardless of anything else you do, you need to make it clear that you will not be visiting your brother-in-law's home again until he gets rid of the dog -- one way or the other.

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Sail forth! steer for the deep waters only!
Reckless, O soul, exploring, I with thee, and thou with me;
For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared to go,
And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all.