Bitten by guest's dog in Marriott lobby
Mar 1, 2020, 11:33 am
#76
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I'm not sad for the dog. It was a nasty creature by the account we have, like its owner.
It probably also pooped on the carpet and barked in people's ears, like most dogs.
To think any of these things would be allowed in the hotel room that I'm going to use next... ewwww!
Let alone a mutt from a breed genetically engineered to attack other living things. No thank you. I am against animal cruelty, and these things can all go to hell.
Btw, I'm a cat person.
It probably also pooped on the carpet and barked in people's ears, like most dogs.
To think any of these things would be allowed in the hotel room that I'm going to use next... ewwww!
Let alone a mutt from a breed genetically engineered to attack other living things. No thank you. I am against animal cruelty, and these things can all go to hell.
Btw, I'm a cat person.
Last edited by Maestro Ramen; Mar 1, 2020 at 11:51 am
Mar 1, 2020, 11:45 am
#77
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Sorry about your experience, OP. I hope everything works out for you, and pray for a quick recovery to your (admittedly minor) injuries. I've been hurt worse by a psychotic cat than you were by this vicious, "bred to kill" dog. Notice I said DOG, not pitbull, because it has nothing to do with the breed.
I suppose all the uninformed pitbull hater's on this forum would have a different opinion if it was a golden doodle, a lab, a beagle, a chihuahua? They weren't bred to be "vicious" right? So they can't be to blame, right?
Pitbulls were NOT bred to attack humans. That's like saying you're more likely to be attacked on a foreign airline flight vs. domestic because of the "culture". RIDICULOUS. Dogs are just that, dogs. They all have different temperaments, as do the owners.
So, again, I feel for the OP and completely agree that the hotel should be held responsible and that the animal should be checked for disease.
For all those who feel my breed should be killed for how it looks, I can sincerely say that I would happily return the sentiment towards whatever animal you may own. Cat, dog, ferret, what have you.
I suppose all the uninformed pitbull hater's on this forum would have a different opinion if it was a golden doodle, a lab, a beagle, a chihuahua? They weren't bred to be "vicious" right? So they can't be to blame, right?
Pitbulls were NOT bred to attack humans. That's like saying you're more likely to be attacked on a foreign airline flight vs. domestic because of the "culture". RIDICULOUS. Dogs are just that, dogs. They all have different temperaments, as do the owners.
So, again, I feel for the OP and completely agree that the hotel should be held responsible and that the animal should be checked for disease.
For all those who feel my breed should be killed for how it looks, I can sincerely say that I would happily return the sentiment towards whatever animal you may own. Cat, dog, ferret, what have you.
Mar 1, 2020, 11:56 am
#78
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Oh don't get me started on Chihuahuas. Those are even more vicious than pitbulls and you know it.
Thankfully their size usually prevents them from killing humans (apart from maybe the odd case of fatal eardrum damage), same as cats unless we're talking actual tigers my friend.
Nevertheless, after a fact checking trip to wikipedia, I accept to swallow my ignorance and have now edited my post above to change "bred to kill humans" to "bred to kill living things". Hope this is now more accurate.
Thankfully their size usually prevents them from killing humans (apart from maybe the odd case of fatal eardrum damage), same as cats unless we're talking actual tigers my friend.
Nevertheless, after a fact checking trip to wikipedia, I accept to swallow my ignorance and have now edited my post above to change "bred to kill humans" to "bred to kill living things". Hope this is now more accurate.
Mar 1, 2020, 12:21 pm
#79
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Not sure what parts of Europe you're thinking of, but the dog infestation of restaurants is FAR FAR worse in Germany than anywhere I've seen in the US. Almost every time I dine out, there's someone who shares their human meal with their little angel. And it's hard to find a traditional Bavarian restaurant without at least one 75+ y/o regular who allows their poodle/dachshund/whatever to sit on the bench. The fake emotional support animal culture in the US is disgusting, but let's not pretend other countries don't have similar problems.
Mar 1, 2020, 12:39 pm
#80
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Sterling silver water bowls filled with Perrier? The world really has gone barking mad.
Mar 1, 2020, 12:39 pm
#81
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As a dog owner (but not a lawyer), I'd say the OP would be doing the rest of the population a favour by suing the dog owner if possible. Assuming the details provided are more or less accurate in that the dog owner did not notice/care his dog was snapping at someone, and ended up biting someone, and that the owner showed neither any remorse nor interest in helping the victim, it seems obvious to me that the dog owner has no business having dogs, should not have dogs, and if a lawsuit or two can aid in him not having dogs, both human and dog will be better of for it.
Mar 1, 2020, 12:57 pm
#82
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I have had dogs all my life and have trained many dozen in my shepherd persona. There are 8 dogs at my feet at the moment.
I think I can see what happened here. The dog is an agricultural livestock driving specialist, and probably not used to being in a confined box. If the owner had their back to the situation the dog's reaction would be defend the limited territory and the owner in the way that it did. The owner could, should have reasonably worked out this risk of this in advance and should have had the dog under very strict control, as well as greeting the OP as a long lost friend so the dog knew that all was well. This is 100% the owner's fault, the dog did what was reasonably natural to do, though I fear that if the OP over reacts it will be the dog that will suffer. 40lbs is about right for this sort of dog, they aren't that heavy, but it's kind of irrelevant, my nastiest dog bite was from a 5 pound Yorkshire Terrier when I put a leaflet through a letter box. I don't think that Yorkie will be voting for my preferred political party.
I suppose I should go along with the "get the bite checked by a doctor" stuff, but in a domestic USA situation the risk is low (I personally wouldn't bother, if it was a random street dog that would be another matter). And I guess the bite was a nuisance and a shock. Then what? Well I'm not into this litigation mindset, truly what good does do to anyone? It just becomes hassle for all but the lawyers. You can perhaps tell I'm not an American. But I am in the mindset that says the owner really should face their responsibilities here, what if it was a child that got attacked? It's the sort of thing where scars and scares can be lifelong. On the other hand the owner made a brief but stupid mistake, you really want them to next time take a whole lot more attention and probably not use an elevator, but I am sure the owner is regretting their inattention, or I would hope so. Personally I'd reach out to the owner by email or letter and say "look, I really don't want to take this any further, but can you give some reassurance about this? If you can put my mind at ease then that would be great". Maybe the police officer can help with that if you were not given the owner's details.
I think I can see what happened here. The dog is an agricultural livestock driving specialist, and probably not used to being in a confined box. If the owner had their back to the situation the dog's reaction would be defend the limited territory and the owner in the way that it did. The owner could, should have reasonably worked out this risk of this in advance and should have had the dog under very strict control, as well as greeting the OP as a long lost friend so the dog knew that all was well. This is 100% the owner's fault, the dog did what was reasonably natural to do, though I fear that if the OP over reacts it will be the dog that will suffer. 40lbs is about right for this sort of dog, they aren't that heavy, but it's kind of irrelevant, my nastiest dog bite was from a 5 pound Yorkshire Terrier when I put a leaflet through a letter box. I don't think that Yorkie will be voting for my preferred political party.
I suppose I should go along with the "get the bite checked by a doctor" stuff, but in a domestic USA situation the risk is low (I personally wouldn't bother, if it was a random street dog that would be another matter). And I guess the bite was a nuisance and a shock. Then what? Well I'm not into this litigation mindset, truly what good does do to anyone? It just becomes hassle for all but the lawyers. You can perhaps tell I'm not an American. But I am in the mindset that says the owner really should face their responsibilities here, what if it was a child that got attacked? It's the sort of thing where scars and scares can be lifelong. On the other hand the owner made a brief but stupid mistake, you really want them to next time take a whole lot more attention and probably not use an elevator, but I am sure the owner is regretting their inattention, or I would hope so. Personally I'd reach out to the owner by email or letter and say "look, I really don't want to take this any further, but can you give some reassurance about this? If you can put my mind at ease then that would be great". Maybe the police officer can help with that if you were not given the owner's details.
And exactly how would the OP overreact? Is he supposed to just accept being attacked in a hotel and say "aww shucks?"
Mar 1, 2020, 1:08 pm
#83
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Assume it was not completed while the police were there and you were not given a copy? Did they at least provide you with a report number? Check their websbite and find the section for requesting a copy of the police report and start that process now. It could take a week or two to get that report to you depending on volume of requests and local procedures. I'd expect to be charged a processing fee.
Mar 1, 2020, 1:11 pm
#84
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The OP described the owners reaction in the hotel right when it happened. You think the dog owner has had time to think on it and has now become a better man? Fat chance.
And exactly how would the OP overreact? Is he supposed to just accept being attacked in a hotel and say "aww shucks?"
And exactly how would the OP overreact? Is he supposed to just accept being attacked in a hotel and say "aww shucks?"
Mar 1, 2020, 1:33 pm
#85
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Another FTer did mention going after the responsible parties. So you are saying going after the hotel is wrong?
The clearly responsible party is never off the hook. Once OP can recover from the hotel, the hotel can then go after the dog owner. Also - as someone has mentioned before, the state may have dog leash law that allows the state to prosecute the dog owner, and may be even put the dog down.
Basically, this is the fastest and easiest route for resolution. With a formal demand and proof of injury, the hotel (and its insurer) may settle within days. With the dog owner involved, the whole thing is going to be prolonged for weeks, even months.
Mar 1, 2020, 1:43 pm
#86
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2. The other problem is a cultural one where dogs are actually allowed in hotels. It doesn’t matter if the dog is 40lbs or 30lbs or several pounds over the limit, they still bite! They are animals and can’t be completely controlled no matter how much they’ve been trained. Do all hotels there allow dogs or is it a legal right?! Anyway, just like the McDonald’s case where they ended up putting warnings on their coffee cups “caution - hot” because someone sued them when they spilt their coffee and scolded themselves, hotels are likely to follow with disclaimers when you check in (they may have this already). So the choice is 1) choose a hotel with a no-dog policy to eliminate risk completely or accept that there is risk.
Mar 1, 2020, 1:45 pm
#87
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Sometimes we - as humans - work best walking alongside our fellow humans (and with our dogs too ideally!) rather than existing in a form of confrontation. I am aware that this is a little out of fashion these days. Dogs have taught me many things, one of which is that there is good in all of us, we just need to allow it to happen. The owner should have apologised fulsomely and immediately, and make it clear that they will take more care, but it's interesting the OP felt that the owner was being reserved out of concern for their potential liability here, given they didn't see the incident.
Mar 1, 2020, 1:48 pm
#88
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One could only hope these owners are only 'parents' to do thr pet, and thus limited in the amount of havoc they can wreak upon the world
Mar 1, 2020, 1:52 pm
#89
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In the US people will claim all sorts of animals as emotional support animals without any training unlike a service animal which has training for 6 to 18 months. My last flight from DFW, an old man was dragging his defecating emotional support dog with a trail of feces over 15 feet behind them before someone told him what was happening. He wanted an airport attendant to clean up after his emotional dog. The emotional support animal allowed for traveling has been out of control for years in the US. I have had to tell a woman to remove her dog from my seat and AA has a rule that all animals are to be on the floor at all times. She complied and never said a word to me.
Let's hope that Marriott bans the OP's biter from all premises.
Mar 1, 2020, 2:23 pm
#90
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Right. Pitbulls aren't bred to attack humans, they're bred to attack everything that moves. There are different temperaments within breeds. But pitbulls as a breed are much more aggressive. It is irresponsible and foolish to own one, just as it is irresponsible and foolish to walk around swinging a loaded gun.